if it was a common Merganser I would not be asking for ID help, I looked at a Shelduck and thats not what it looked like.
I am sorry I did not have a camera but I did have binoculars and saw clearly it had a black head and neck, white body and red bill.
That really doesn't sound like a Merganser to me.
Sorry I meant to add it had the body, bill shape, and size of a Mallard. The bill was definitely not pointed, body was all white except for a hint of black at the tips of the primary feathers
Black head, white body, red bill, black primaries:
There are only a couple black and white "wild" ducks common to our area: Common Merganser, Bufflehead, Goldeneye, Eider, Scaup, Ringneck. Only two of these are Mallard size. The only black and white ducks with red bills I've seen lately have been Common Mergansers. I guess it's possible you saw some kind of "farm duck" or "farm duck hybrid".
The only reason I don't think it was a farm duck hybrid is that it was swimming in group of six or seven , all the same? None of the pictures showing look like what I saw. Anyway gentlemen thanks for trying.
I did go through DU and Audubon's id pics before I posted, so I wouldn't waste peoples time. I new this was going to be difficult. I am not new to ducks, been hunting ME, NH, and MA for many years.
I did go through DU and Audubon's id pics before I posted, so I wouldn't waste peoples time. I new this was going to be difficult. I am not new to ducks, been hunting ME, NH, and MA for many years.
just having fun my man, not questioning your hunting experience or anything else.
Its certainly difficult to id a bird without a photo. i bought this coffee table book a while back for just this same purpose. it has a lot of great pics that you dont see in the regular identification books. i think its intended audience was decoy carvers, but i found it had great images for us hunters trying to id birds as well.
good luck
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