Yes well, some male ducks will (attempt to) copulate with a chicken or a shoe or a bucket. I was only commenting on the sexual behaviour of that male bird. I
was not going as far as mentioning cross breeding. Even if mating with another species of duck, and even assuming that this Grey Teal was a female and at the stage of ovulating, there are many reproductive isolating mechanisms – behavioural, hormonal, chromosomal,
etc (see e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_isolation)
that will usually prevent production of progeny. Though if the species are sufficiently similar, successful hybrids occur, as we all know.
Another curly one is what will bird database users make of a breeding record “CO” for the Northern Shoveler in Australia?
Philip
From: David Rees [
Sent: Wednesday, 29 July, 2020 10:22 AM
To: Philip Veerman; 'Catman Burgess'; 'Rodney & Deborah Ralph';
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Northern Shoveler mating with a Grey Teal
In its native range the Northern Shoveler lives with a range of species of teal - from experience one in Europe and three in north America. The female of say a Eurasian / Green winged teal is basically identical in appearance to a Grey Teal and closely
related. I doubt there any reports of such crosses in those regions, therefore I would think it be unlikely to occur here, assuming as Philip has said that the bird in question was actually a female. It would be easy to tell with the Northern Hemisphere teal
species.
It mating with an Australian shoveler might be a different matter though.
David
On 28/07/2020 10:00 pm, Philip Veerman wrote:
I sent the following reply from the server at 8:56 a.m. yesterday. It still does not show. So I am trying again. Apologies if it now comes through twice.
How to reply to this one?
The answer is clearly no. It is not normal for a Northern Shoveler to
even be in Australia to have access to a Grey Teal. I don't know about
that species but male ducks have a tendency to being randy. Hybrids
generally occur when one individual is isolated and does not have access
to a proper partner. As in this case. To that extent this mistake is
sort of normal (or what can happen when things are wrong). I recall
being informed (there may well be new information since then) that male
ducks don't instinctively recognise females of their species but get
imprinted on what would normally be their mother and chose something
similar. Female ducks do instinctively recognise males of their species
and thus females would tend to regulate correct matings. Even so rapes
do occur. This would be such a case. What I find curious is why this
Northern Shoveler chose a Grey Teal, rather than a far more suitable (I
would have thought) Australasian Shoveler. Let's say it is confused. I
also wonder whether the Grey Teal was a male or female and whether it
simply failed to escape.
Philip
From: Catman Burgess
Sent: Sunday, 26 July, 2020 6:36 PM
To: Rodney & Deborah Ralph;
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Northern Shoveler mating with a Grey Teal
Is that normal for those two mate?
From: Rodney & Deborah Ralph
Sent: Saturday, 25 July 2020 1:42 PM
To:
Subject: [Canberrabirds] Northern Shoveler mating with a Grey Teal
Seen at Jerrabomberra Wetlands on 24 July 2020 the male Northern Shoveler
mating with a Grey Teal.
Photos taken from my movie.
Cheers,
Deb Ralph
