Male hybrid Northern Pintail x mallard
(Anas acuta x platyrhynchos)

(c) Harry J Lehto

Based in the notes in the field: Eye very dark (black?). Bill grey, lower mandible black, culmen of uppermandible and nail black. Feet pale orange or yellowish orange (paler than Mallard's). Head glossy showing green and coppery colors, usually more green, but towards the front parts, particularly in the forehead sometimes quite strong copper hue. Head showed an extremely fine and thin white line above the eye. This was noted by two observers and was just on the limit of visibility for short moments.

Wide white neck band, about 3 times wider than on a Mallard, bending up in the rear and not connecting in the hind neck. Breast salmon red. Belly whitish. Uppertail coverts, undertail coverts, and long tail feather black. Other tail feathers appeared white. White patch infront of the under tail coverts conspicuous. Sides and back grey. Front part of the mantle with thin dark fringes.

Primary tips well visible when swimming and appearing to extend further than on Mallard. Wings paler than Mallards', quite similar to Pintail, escept that the brown area infrom of the Pintail's speculum was missing as was also the white area infront of the Mallards's sepculum, Speculum green with wide white trailing edge to the inner wing. Upperwing pale. Underwing coverts whitish and flight feathers appearing grey.

In flight slimmer and slightly smaller than Mallard.