[obol] Falcated Duck toes

Sun Feb 4 09:19:02 PST 2007

I videotaped Oregon's first reported Falcated Duck on Kirk Pond, Lane  
County, on 4 March 2004.

I videotaped the Falcated Duck the following year, on 29 January  
2005, at Premiere RV Park, Lane County.  This bird on 3 occasions  
left the water to take a short excursion on land, where the tape  
shows full-sized hind toes on both feet.  I'll show this tape with  
frame-by-frame analysis at the next Birders Night in Portland -- next  
Tuesday.  Being video, and being shot at long range, the resolution  
is not what we might hope for but everyone can see for themselves  
whatever the tape shows.

I understand that the record will be up for consideration, or re- 
consiideration, at the next meeting of the Oregon Bird Records  
Committee -- in April in Portland.  I recall the fact that the bird  
had both toes had entered into our consideration when the OBRC  
approved the 2005 record.

I don't have an opinion yet on the 2006-07 bird.  If the bird is  
missing a toe, that is indeed evidence of clipping -- as is seen in  
captive birds.  I don't have an opinion on whether there may be more  
than one bird involved, or on how a wild bird could lose a toe.  I  
can say that an American Widgeon in the 2005 tape shows a hind toe in  
some frames and not in others, at least to my eyes, indicating the  
possibility that a hind toe may indeed be hard to see (and to  
photograph) on a wild bird.

Thanks.

oschmidt at att.net
Sunday, February 04, 2007

On Feb 3, 2007, at 10:35 PM, DAVID IRONS wrote:

> Roger et.al,
>
> I have re-examined your photo of the Falcated Duck and compared it to
> several other online images of standing ducks.  I think Brandon's  
> conclusion
> on this bird is correct.  There is clearly a toeless stump on the  
> near leg.
> If this is a standard method of 'marking' captive waterfowl, then I  
> am in
> agreement with Brandon, this bird is an escapee.  Quite beautiful  
> even if it
> will be deemed uncountable.
>
> I'm suspect previous acceptance of this record will be quickly  
> reversed at
> the annual OBRC meeting in April.
>
> Dave Irons
> Eugene, OR
>
>
>
>
>> From: "Roger & Betty Robb" <brrobb at comcast.net>
>> To: "obol" <obol at lists.oregonstate.edu>
>> CC: Greg Gillson <greg at thebirdguide.com>
>> Subject: [obol] Falcated Duck
>> Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2007 13:40:50 -0800
>>
>> I received an email from Brandon Reishus, a game bird biologist  
>> for ODFW.
>> He saw my photo of the Falcated Duck on Greg's website and thought  
>> the hind
>> toe might be clipped.  He asked me for more photos which I sent  
>> and he now
>> believes the bird has a clipped rear toe and is an escapee.   
>> Brandon is not
>> on OBOL, but said I could post his comments which are below.  I  
>> will also
>> send Greg the photos I sent Brandon.  Let the discussion begin -  
>> again.
>>
>> Roger Robb
>> Springfield, OR
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi Roger,
>>
>> I was looking at your pic of the falcated duck on Greg's site and a
>> question
>> came into my mind.  As a waterfowl biologist, I've always wondered  
>> about
>> this bird's origin and have never been able to convince myself  
>> that it is
>> truly a wild bird.  Anyway, when I saw your photo, of the bird  
>> standing out
>> of water, my mind told me to look for a clipped toe.  Removing a  
>> rear toe
>> from captive reared waterfowl can be used as one of the acceptable  
>> ways to
>> mark them, via USFWS permit rules.  Anyway, I quickly saw the toe  
>> on the
>> closest leg, but i cannot make out if there is one on the far leg,  
>> but it
>> really doesn't look like it.  Is it possible that you have other  
>> photos
>> showing that leg more clearly or a larger image that makes it more  
>> clear?
>> Would it be possible for me to take a look at them?
>>
>> By the way, great picture of this stunning duck.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Brandon Reishus
>> Eugene, OR
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi again Roger,
>>
>> Thanks for the pictures.
>>
>> The picture w/ the bird facing to the left appears to have the most
>> evidence
>> that the bird is missing it's rear toe on the left foot.  Also,  
>> looking at
>> the pic name FalcatedDuck05 I believe what remains of the rear toe  
>> that has
>> been clipped can be seen on the inside of its leg.  This bit of  
>> toe is
>> quite
>> normal on a duck who has been clipped.
>>
>> One point is the USFWS requires captive reared birds to be marked  
>> with a
>> clipped right toe (if marking with the toe removal method).  But even
>> though
>> this bird is not up to USFWS specs, I find it doubtful that  
>> anything but a
>> human removed the birds left toe.
>>
>> As a game bird biologist for the ODFW I have knowledge of the  
>> permitted
>> bird
>> propagators in the state (only people propagating for sale, etc  
>> need to be
>> permitted, you may possess, without permit, properly marked  
>> captive reared
>> waterfowl).  Some of the propagators list what kinds of birds they  
>> have,
>> while most who have ducks, simply state ducks.  Recently, one of our
>> propagators mistakenly sent their federal sale/transfer form to  
>> us.  These
>> forms must be completed for each transfer and submitted to the  
>> federal
>> permit office.  They must list the species, sex and marker for  
>> each bird.
>> One of the several transfers was for a male falcated duck, so at  
>> least some
>> of the propagators in this state have falcated ducks.  That's not  
>> to say
>> that this bird couldn't have come from some other state or  
>> province though.
>>
>> Anyway, I guess I'm now convinced that the bird is an escapee from
>> captivity
>> somewhere, which I guess deep down I've always suspected.  When  
>> the bird
>> first showed up at Kirk Pond I had some hope (I drove down from  
>> Corvallis
>> to
>> see him for the first time that year) but every time he moves it  
>> seems to
>> be
>> to some type of urban, captive style, pond w/ out the netting of a  
>> flight
>> pen.
>>
>> While, I guess that's my thoughts on the matter and I hope they're  
>> not too
>> disappointing; they kind of are for me.
>>
>> Thanks again,
>> Brandon Reishus
>
>
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