[obol] Falcated Duck

[Wayne Hoffman]

By coincidence I was in Eugene yesterday, and spent some time photographing the Falcated Duck.  After reading your post, I went over my images in detail, looking for evidence of toe clipping.  The results:

1. I have one image showing that the left foot has a complete hind toe with apparently complete nail.  My impression is that this toe may be relatively large compared to hind toes of other dabbling ducks.

2.  I have two images showing the right foot somewhat lifted off the ground.  Neither are definitive, and in both a few blades of grass are complicating the view.  In one, the toe is present and fairly long, but looks as if the nail may be missing.  The other appears to show the nail, but deformed or oddly oriented.  Resolution is not sufficient to be sure the "nail" is not an artifact - something dark on the ground behind the foot, for example.

My conclusions:  

1.  If the bird is clipped, the clip would be on the right foot.  If clipped, the clip took just the nail, not all or most of the toe.

2.  Based on my images, the possibility remains that the right nail is injured (perhaps partly severed and bent back?) but not clipped off.

3.  Based on my experience yesterday, it should be straightforward for someone to get definitive evidence.  The bird was quite comfortable with me standing on the west path with camera and tripod, and worked back and forth in front of me.  Periodically it left the water on the east side and grazed with the wigeons.  It would graze for just a few minutes then come back to the water, take a drink and then swim to another of the little lawn areas.  While up grazing, the feet were generally obscured by the grass, but it paused long enough on the water's edge, that had I been concentrating on toes I could have gotten very good looks with a scope, and likely could have gotten more definitive images.

Wayne


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Roger & Betty Robb 
  To: obol 
  Cc: Greg Gillson 
  Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2007 1:40 PM
  Subject: [obol] Falcated Duck


  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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