Duckhead! answers

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Hi Geoff,

Fun but cruel. That was sneaky putting in local birds! Getting most right, within ten minutes (or that was my time limit on the exercise) is pretty good for anyone. Given the almost obvious Ichthyornis (even though I tossed up between the two and came up with Hesperornis), who would have expected others to be something as unobscure as Hardhead, Blue-billed Duck, Grey Teal & Australian Shoveler (to my shame I only got two of those, opting instead for something more obscure). As for "the famous Pink-headed Duck" well I wonder why it is famous. I can offer that, even for someone who has never encountered it, with a countenance like that, how could you call it anything other than Pink-headed Duck? I really liked the great understatement comment about "4. we need a more recent photo Geoff" and offer the suggestion that it is hardly a member of the Anatidae. As for the no. 8 of course it is a Mallard, that is like saying that a corgi is a dog. Although I debate whether a corgi is a Grey Wolf (Mark Clayton knows the relevance of that, from the I think CSIRO list of vertebrates in Australia book - or whatever it is called).

Philip