Subject: [Tweeters] Wigeon at Lake Sammamish SP
Date: Dec 11 16:11:54 2010
From: Pete Fahey - peterfahey at comcast.net


Hi Birders:

Based on input from several Tweeters, I conclude the following:

The male Wigeon is a "Cream morph" American Wigeon. It is barely mentioned
in the literature; I did find an article in Birding 26:3 pg 169 by David
Sibley on Identifying Hybrids. He estimates this morph occurs in 1 out of
100 birds, but I have seen thousands of AMWI in the east and CA and have not
seen this morph before. I guess it's more common in the Northwest.

The female is a Eurasian Wigeon. Long wings, reaching the end of the tail,
dark rich brown head which contrasts with the body and flanks, relatively
unmarked face pattern, and no black line at the base of the bill. I based
this on information in the following Birding article by Cameron Cox and
Jessie Barrie. See here: http://www.aba.org/birding/v37n2p156.pdf

I especially want to thank Ian Paulsen for pointing me to the above article
and encouraging me to do my own research.


Pete Fahey
Issaquah, WA