Thursday, January 11, 2018

Rare Bird on the Colorado River

The reddish headed duck in the photos is an Eurasian Wigeon.  This is a rare bird for this far inland in the the South-West.  In winter they can be seen occasionally along the coast line from Alaska to California, having strayed from their route along the Asian Coast.  We noticed this guy yesterday while birding at Buckskin Mountain State Park. He seems to have taken a liking to this American Coot.  I'm not sure what he will tell his wife when, or if he gets back home.  But then, maybe it's a case of what happens on the Colorado River stays on the Colorado River.  It certainly goes against the old saying of "birds of a feather flock together".

3 comments:

  1. A well informed and observant birder let me know that the attraction between the Eurasian Wigeon and the American Coot was probably the reverse. Coots take advantage of the Wigeons when they bring up vegetation and come in close to grab a bite.

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    1. Thanks for the informative update. Enjoyed your narrative!

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