Merganser Hybrid?

Eastern ontario on the St. Lawrence River. Looks like a hybrid?? Any info would be appreciated.

Lots of ducks interbreed, given the chance - and this fellow sure looks like a very mixed heritage! Great catch!

Here is some interesting info about interbreeding among mergansers and other ducks:
http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/NAB/v035n03/p00340-p00341.pdf

Sandy

Thanks Sandy, good article on hybrids. Sure keeps life interesting! Great new website by the way!

Why isn't this a normal male Red-breasted Merganser?

It looks like a normal male red-breasted merganser to me.

That breast looks different to me.. I surely could be wrong, though.
My ID book shows the red-breasted as having a much lighter and grayish mottled breast. The
vertical band of white behind the breast doesn't seem present in Lindy's image either - but maybe is just a bad angle for it.
Sandy

Male Red-breasted Mergansers start to get their breeding plumage this time of year, the breast does become dark reddish-brown at that time hence their name. This bird looks like it was about to, or had just fluffed its wings and the wings had not quite returned to normal resting positionwhich may be why the "vertical band of white" isn't clearly present.

Thanks for all the input - it does look like a red breasted one which I have never seen here before. According to all my books, it usually misses Eastern Ontario. Thanks!

Thanks for the image, yet to see a male red brested merganser the feaathers.