Systematic list - part 1: Ducks, Gamebirds and Grebes
The order follows that of the latest available ABA checklist. All dates refer to April 2013.
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis (21)
1 Green Cay 25th and up to c. 20 Wakodahatchee 25th-26th.
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Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Wakodahatchee, 27th April |
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Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata (16)
Feral birds are, I think, countable in Florida: 7 Washington Loop Road 14th, 2 Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden 22nd and 7 near Tall Cypress 25th.
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Muscovy Ducks, Washington Loop Road, 14th April |
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Wood Duck Aix sponsa (2)
2 Loxahatchee 26th.
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (-)
A pair of briefly-seen ducks flying over Jupiter Ridge 26th may possibly have been a pair of pure Mallards but from what little I saw I suspect that they may in fact have been Mallard x Mottled Duck hybrids. As this is a hybrid I had hoped to photograph I spent some time attempting to relocate them, but with no success. In a way I am glad I didn't see more of these hybrids as it suggests that the Mottled Duck population in southernmost Florida is, for now at least, still relatively uncontaminated by introduced Mallards.
Mottled Duck Anas fulvigula (33)
The most widespread wildfowl species, although not seen in the Everglades or Keys. Small numbers in the west (six locations involving 10 birds) and more in the NE of the area visited (total 20 adults). In addition 3 ducklings at Green Cay 25th (presumed to be this species although they were not accompanied by any adults).
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Mottled Ducks, Bailey Tract, Sanibel Island, 16th April
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Mottled Ducklings, Green Cay, 25th April
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Mottled Ducks, Wakodahatchee, 27th April |
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Blue-winged Teal Anas discors (35)
2 Washington Loop Road 14th, 18 Everglades (3 West Lake, 15 Mrazek Pond) 18th, 7 Boca Chica Road 23rd and 8+ Green Cay 25th. I couldn't find the Blue-winged Teal x Cinnamon Teal hybrid that has been at Green Cay recently.
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Blue-winged Teals, Green Cay, 25th April
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Blue-winged Teals, Boca Chica, 23rd April |
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Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata (13)
13 among Blue-winged Teals Everglades (Mrazek Pond) 18th.
Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator (2)
1 redhead Ohio Key 19th.
Red Jungle Fowl Gallus gallus (12)
Not a species I expected to feature in a trip report outside of Asia but apparently the chickens roaming around Key West are feral, although not currently considered countable: 10 Key West (mainly Higgs Beach) 22nd and 2 Sugarloaf 23rd.
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Red Jungle Fowl, Key West, 22nd April |
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Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo (4)
4 Snake Road 25th. These were at 2 loations in the Seminole Reservation along track 1283 accessed from track 181 running south from Snake Road.
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Wild Turkeys, Seminole Reservation, 25th April |
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Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps (14)
9 Ding Darling 16th, 2 Everglades (West Lake) 18th, 1 Snake Road 25th and 2 Green Cay 25th.
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Pied-billed Grebes, Ding Darling, 16th April |
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