[EBB Sightings] Lake Merritt goldeneyes

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 16:19:31 -0800, Laura Look 
wrote:

>Question: Is it possible that Barrow's goldeneyes could hybridize with 
>hoodies?

There is at least one record in the literature of such a hybrid, but it's
from captivity.  

Gillham B , Gillham E. 1996. Hybrid Ducks a contribution towards an
inventory.

However the Hooded Merganser's breeding range overlaps with both Goldeneye
species, so both seem plausible as wild hybrids.  If we can show that the
parent was a Barrow's, it may be the first such documented hybrid in the
wild and would be worth a note published in a scientific journal.  

-- 
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044  jmorlan (at) ccsf.org 
Birding Classes in SF start Feb.8  http://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee  http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/