Mystery Bird

Shot this morning at Bayport Pier, Florida

My first thought is that is is a Bufflehead -- but the brown head and especially the thick beak (very unlike pictures I have seen of Buffleheads) are a mystery.

Any ideas on the ID on this bird?

Sorry -- here is the picture

not a Bufflehead. I think it is some sort of scoter, maybe Surf Scoter.

Looks like a female bufflehead, although the beak does seem a little large.
Sandy

It doesn't look much like the buffleheads around here, but I don't know what else it could be. Head seems too small.

If it's a bufflehead, it is certainly an odd looking one. I think you might have a hybrid, but I'm not sure what the other species would be. The head shape and size of the bill just don't match the normal female bufflehead. Do you have more images, maybe one showing the side more, so we can see if it has a white speculum?

Looks like a hybrid to me... but again, a hybrid with what? It looks 1/2 buffel but not sure about the other.. .any chance you have photos with it near other species of ducks for a size reference?

This is the only shot I have -- I lookd for it this morning and did not see it. One suggestion is the beak looks very much like a Ruddy Duck's beak -

I was going to say ruddy because of the beak as well but didn't want to go out on a limb

Some kind of hybrid. I'll look in my European books tonight at home, but I'm betting on a hybrid.

I have heard from Alvaro about this bird -- Alvaro Jaramillo is a noted authority on all North American birds and has authored several books and papers, etc. Here's what he had to say about the duck -- This looks like a normal Bufflehead to me, a young male. They have more white on the face than the females, but otherwise look female like.

Most other folks are idenitying it as a Female Bufflehead



Alvaro Jaramillo

Could be a Bufflehead, I still think the bill and head shape looks different from the usual Bufflehead (either male or female). The eye is bigger and positioned differently on the head when I compare it to my Bufflehead photos. Could be a normal range of variation, a hybrid, or just the way the duck is posing.

I have studied ducks all my adult life. To me this looks like a female bufflehead. The bill on your bird looks quite similar to the bill on this bird. Your bird's head is wet and not not fluffed so that can make a big difference in how the bird looks proportion-wise.

I think you are right, the duck Scott photographed has lowered the feathers on top of the head, forming the sloping forehead and making the bill look bigger, eye placement different. I've never seen a Bufflehead do that, but if they do, that explains the appearance. The ones I've seen and photographed always have the high forehead, rounded head, and (apparent) relatively small bill, like the one you posted. This will be something to watch for.