The Cornell Lab Bird Academy › Discussion Groups › Bird Identification › Mystery waterfowl, it’s driving me crazy (photo included)
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Location: McClintic WMA, Mason County, WV Date: June 16 2021 It's a bit far away. It certainly looks like a duck, but not any I can place. Uniform brown with a darker belly I think and a buffish edge along the bottom of the wings. The legs looked orange or yellowish. Fairly large in size. I believe the bill is dark (it peeked out for a few seconds!) All the ducks I've looked up aren't even around here during the summer. Any help at all is much appreciated!You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
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ElizabethBird AcademyThis looks like a Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. Usually they are found farther south, but their range is expanding northward. Very cool!
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How do you know that Elizabeth?
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ElizabethBird Academy
@Annabeth As Laura mentioned, it is a duck, so we can start there. It has a black belly and chestnut chest, with a lighter wing stripe. These features tell us it is a black-bellied whistling-duck. Although Laura thought the legs were orange or yellow, in the photo they appear pink, which is also characteristic of the species. Hope this helps!
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