Ruddy Shelduck at Tsawwassen

[kenpossum]

I am told this is a duck. Looks more like a goose to me. Found it at Boundary Bay Park (Tsawwassen 12th St access) between the parking lot and the raised platform. I hope I have the name right. Definitely wild but maybe an escapee. After all this freedom, I can't see it heading back to the farm. No Sir. Playing with dozens of Canada Geese, Mallards and a few Caspian Terns.

[Janne]

Ken I think it is a ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) found across Eurasia and into North Africa. In migration my book on "Wildfowl of the World" (Soothill & Whitehead, 1978)says it straggles into north America. However it well could be an escaped pair from someone's collection.
Janne Perrin
Harrison Hot Springs

[kenpossum]

Thanks Janne. Made the correction. I guess if it walks like a Shelduck, and quacks like a Shelduck - it IS a Shelduck. Still weird though.

[Isaac]

If it is native to Eurasia and Africa and wasn't ever in captivity, than that would be some Rare Bird Alert! Nice shot.

[kevinhhood]

I wonder how eBird would like to see these listed. I notice that, even though they are not ABA countable, there are logged sightings in eBird, mostly on the east coast of North America.

Gord: do you have any recommendations on this? I notice that you are a regional editor with eBird.

Kevin

[Chris]

Ken, nice shot of a cool looking duck.

Gord, might have a different viewpoint but I believe that this sighting should not be entered into Ebird because they are not wild.

[Gord]

These birds are most likely escapees from captivity. However, it could not be proven either way despite the fact they apparently show up on the east coast of the country in very rare occasions (but even these sightings could be of escaped birds).

To illustrate the matter further, Baikal Teal is an eastern Asian duck that is migratory. Now and then one shows up down our coast and is conceivable these to be birds that got on the wrong side of the Pacific and headed south with the American Wigeons and Green-winged Teal rather than with the Eurasian Wigeons and Eurasian Teal that are typical migration comrades as they travel from Siberia down into South Asia. This happens with other species, such as shorebirds where stints, (Asian versions of our little sandpipers) do the very same thing and these birds are not being kept captive by collectors etc. To me, this would lend credibility to the notion that this could happen to other species of birds with similar migratory habits and which inhabit similar ranges.

However, even with sightings of Baikal Teal in B.C. the inevitable question of origin still pops up because waterfowl collectors do keep them and it is quite simple for ownership to terminate if they bird manages to fly out of the pens and join wild ducks. The bird's feathers are always looked carefully at for wear caused by being in a cage or pen. Murray has good information and knowledge of waterfowl collectors and may weigh in on this discussion.

In my opinion, it should be a law to band captive bred waterfowl species which includes a colour band. While I guess it still would not completely eliminate the question of origin, because I'm sure some collectors may not bother/forget, it may make an unbanded waterfowl in question possibly more likely to be a wild bird that went off course.

As for the Shelducks and where they stand in being 'countable', they would not be accepted to eBird but would be classified into the introduced/exotic category. Now if they were banded and the band number could be read and traced back to a study program in Asia where the bird was banded and released, that would be another story!

Hope this helps. Cool sighting. I know I would have did a double take seeing that in a wild setting.

[kenpossum]

Very cool discussion. My take is that these birds have no intention of flying back to their pen, and are going to choose the 'wildside' from now on. Starlings and Eurasian Collared Doves - same history? I put these two in my Introduced/ escaped file. Now I have another found at Sardis Park to ponder. It looks like a Snow / Canada cross to me ... but by knowledge on this topic is about as minimal as one can get.

[kevinhhood]

Gord:

I have no problem with them being not countable. But, does that mean don't submit it with an eBird checklist or submit it but don't expect it to count?

Personally, I think that we should  include the shelducks and other exotics on our lists because it provides data about their movement and distribution.  The software should be able to keep it out of the appropriate list totals. When I was looking at some of the East coast listings I noted one where the lister even commented that they were not sure that it was not an escapee, exactly the position that I think Ken is in. If they list them in the east but not the west that will generate skewed data.

Kevin

[Gord]

Kevin, very valid points in terms of including these species in a checklist. You would be correct that such a record would be kept out of the list totals, but these sightings will still be available in the future should someone get curious to see where, as you point out, these exotics/escapees/blown off course species are popping up and when.

One can for sure share the sighting on eBird. I think if it has feathers and is being seen in the wild, it's worth taking note of. That being said, the budgies that have been seen at Wilband in Abbotsford for example might not be worth sharing given that they are without doubt escaped birds and furthermore really have no hope to survive very long in the wild sadly. Once it gets wet and cold they're not made to live in it. Just thinking of an example where it may not be suitable to report it to eBird.

Great discussion!