duck identifaction help

[Cheers]

I shot a duck today that I cant identify. Please help. It looks like a blue bill but larger and has yellow feet and a shorter stubeyer bill. The head is slightly redish . It was with ring bills. Any ideas as to what it is . I looked in 2 bird books but cant put a finger on it.

[big drift]

It would help if you can post a pic you may have a cross breed.

bd

[airdriver]

I agree it would be easier with a picture, but sounds might be a Barrow's goldeneye. Just a guess.

[Cheers]

I dont think it is a golden eye , the bill is brown, and the eyes are not yellow

[Mark Christianson]

Do you have a pic??

If so, email it to me, and I will post it if you dont know how to.

[email protected]

[Nova]

you may have a scooter there. They are larger than bills usually a dark body with a white wing patch(depending on what kind of scooter), stubby bill and are often found with other divers. We have shot more in the last couple years, but only like one or two a year. We never use to see them. What part of the state did you shoot it in and how big of lake?

[honker23]

I'll second the vote for the scoter. Type in black winged scoter or white winged into your favorite image search and see if it matches. I thought for the most part they don't get too far south of the great lakes. We shot 2 in southern MN 6-7 yrs ago a day after a 35 mph E-NE wind. Goofy looking things that we weren't used to that's for sure.

[ChuckN]

A picture would be worth everything here.

Reddish head, yellow feet...stubby bill... need more details on the bill color. Reddish head throws me off from a Scoter, but could be a hen.

Like others have said I would google white winged scoter and black winged scoter and see the photos in those websites.

I've never seen a Scoter up close, so maybe it is, but I've almost shot 2. Years ago, I was hunting big water. I had my bluebill limit when 2 Scoters came in, a drake and a hen. At first I thought bills, but they were large birds and when they buzzed my spread at 15 yards away I realized they were White Wing Scoters. Crud, they would have been wonderful mounts.

A White Wing Scoter should have a long white strip on the wings, like a bluebill.

[Mark Christianson]

I was wondering if it was a female Harlequin possibly.

[Cheers]

bill color is brown

[hanson]

I'm going with a Hen Bluebill.

We got one the other morning and immediately thought of this post.

Short, stubby brown bill. Check.

Yellow feet (our Bluebill was yellow & black on the feet). Check.

The reddish head is kind of goofy though?? Redhead/Bluebill cross perhaps??