Hanging around the river. Mergansers? Birder friend says Buffleheads.

[elleng]

Last edited Thu Dec 30, 2021, 06:17 PM - Edit history (2)

'White appears to go all around the back of head/neck area = Buffleheads.'





12/30 1:52 p.m.

[Walleye]

1. Cool. They look like they belong in a bathtub

[2naSalit]

2. I think...

Though it's hard to see much, they are not mergansers, those that we have around here have a lot of rusty red on them and they have sleek, crested heads.

[elleng]

3. Right, mergansers here:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Merganser/id

[2naSalit]

4. Well...

I didn't realize there were so many varieties! Some do look similar to the "square head" shape and I had no idea that Mergansers had those too, some varieties that is.

[elleng]

5. ZILLIONS of duck varieties, I'll NEVER get them straight!

[2naSalit]

6. I usually limit my knowledge of ducks...

To those I have actually seen and identified. Anything else, I have to look it up.

[elleng]

7. Well, living here @ river's edge, I SEE them, and TRY to learn;

have to rely on 'birding groups' to help.

[ShazzieB]

8. You won't believe what popped up in my Google recommendations.

An article that compares buttlfheads and hooded mergansers and explains how to tell the difference, complete with pic for comparison!

https://seabrookislandbirders.org/2021/12/06/sib-birds-of-the-week-hooded-merganser-bufflehead-2/

Those Google algorithms are downright spooky sometimes.

[elleng]

9. NEAT!

Guess Google knows you!!!