Seward, Alaska
When is a Gadwall drake not a Gadwall drake? When he’s a BREWER’S DUCK, a hybrid between a Gadwall and a Mallard.
Waterfowl expert Tasha took a look at my recent post of a Gadwall pair and tipped me off to a bird I had never heard of. She noted the robust size (he is indeed huge), the long body length, and the oddball coloration of the cheeks and head.
The Ducks Unlimited duckDNA website notes this is the most common hybrid combination outside of the Mallard family. It was once thought to be a separate species, illustrated by John James Audubon in 1822 who observed in his text that it might be an accidental variety, a hybrid of Mallard and Gadwall. Audubon named it after his ornithologist friend Thomas Mayo Brewer.
In 1943, ornithologist Francis Kortright determined that it was a hybrid, a fact documented by duck DNA. There is a wide variation in appearance and distribution of Brewer’s ducks.
Keep an eye out for duck hybrids, a duck that looks different: too big, too long, odd bill shape or patterns. They may be overlooked, as I did!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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