Anas rubripes
December 19, 1992: Niles, Berrien County, MI
This bird was spotted in the company of the dozen or so mallards we spotted swimming in the St. Joseph River during a Christmas Bird County. If not for the expert skills of Rob Venner, I’d have never noticed the difference.
May 24, 1998: Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, South Pond, Dare County, NC
These birds were a pleasant surprise (at least for me). Kevin was the first to ID them, as I was concentrating on the shorebirds. I haven’t seen but one black duck previously, but Pea Island was hosting at least a couple of dozen that we saw throughout the refuge.
Let me know what you think!