[CONTEST] Identify this bird for 20k! - NOW OVER

Discussion in 'Public Member Events' started by Hashhog, Jun 28, 2016.

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  1. Ive got it!

    Drumroll please...

    it is a Male South African Shelduck
    AverageWalrus, Jun 28, 2016
    #41
    Hashhog, xHaro_Der and jossytheninja like this.
  2. That is comical.
    xHaro_Der, Jun 28, 2016
    #42
  3. Omg, I said that I just didnt say Male but I said that XD
    DorianPavus_, Jun 28, 2016
    #43
  4. What. Its.. er- a - LuckyGreenBird! Idk. I need to point out something though..
    10k for yourself? Aw man. :p So, we only get 10k from Krysyy... ;)
    EnderMagic1, Jun 28, 2016
    #44
    Hrghorhg and jossytheninja like this.
  5. I did a reverse google search and found that all the birds that look like yours are called Fulvous whistling duck
    TheCrimeLime, Jun 28, 2016
    #45
  6. This may be a little off topic but do you think that a bird from one country speaks a different language than a bird from another country even if the birds are the same type? Do they have trouble understanding each other and need translators or need to study the new language of the area?
    Acemox2k, Jun 28, 2016
    #46
    jossytheninja likes this.
  7. But language to a bird isnt the same as language to a human.
    or is it
    TheCrimeLime, Jun 28, 2016
    #47
  8. Yes and no. Geographic isolation sees similar animals evolve to different traits due to coincidental location. However, these differences are usually enough to cause speciation, or a difference in species entirely. Take for example the Nebraskan bird the western meadowlark. It looks and behaves almost exactly the same as the eastern meadowlark. Their coincidental separation caused them to develop different songs, thus they no longer communicate and breed. That is why there is now two species instead of one by the standard definition of a species, which is the ability to produce fertile offspring between two creatures.

    In theory then a population could separate and develop a new song. Though, they may still find a way to communicate. There are universal signals for "danger" and "stay away" amongst animals, typically. The bird type could develop a mutation trait within a portion of its population that helps them communicate with previously separated counterparts (who, by the way, have now somehow found their way back; again coincidentally). If this is the necessity for survival and thiving, then it will continue to be passed down, temporarily creating a selection of "translator" birds until either they or the *unfit* population selection without the trait die out. Or... you get a third species. The middle paragraph here is entirely speculative...

    As far as "studying" a language, plenty of birds mimic. They can garner if certain warbles are friendly or not, essentially deciphering their meaning. Such has been seen in what you would call the "intelligent" or even "tool using" birds, such as parrots and crows (e.g. African Grey parrot).

    #biobirb
    Luckygreenbird, Jun 28, 2016
    #48
    607, SirTah, Acemox2k and 3 others like this.
  9. I found your man duck! Mr. Waterfowl.

    xHaro_Der, Jun 28, 2016
    #49
    SirTah likes this.
  10. NuclearBobomb, Jun 29, 2016
    #50
  11. Though this surprised me after researching it a bit, as this bird grows to be a lot larger than the one I saw, it unmistakibly exhibits the same markings (grey head, black tail-feathers, brown body, lighter chest, black eyes and beak, etc.), has the same body shape and mold, and this website has a picture of a South African Shelduck that is written as being taken at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, providing support for the location. Thus, this seems to conclusively be the correct species.

    Do I have agreement on this?
    Hashhog, Jun 29, 2016
    #51
    607, Eviltoade and Lil_Spartan_Cat like this.
  12. Yep, no doubt. The only thing I would add is the state of the neck in your photo shows it is/has been through molting.
    Baradar67, Jun 29, 2016
    #52
    AverageWalrus and Hashhog like this.
  13. I agree. Let me know who said this and I'll send payment.
    Finally, I think i had nightmares about this.
    Krysyy, Jun 29, 2016
    #53
    Dramanya, 607 and Eviltoade like this.
  14. Would it count I said that first but never said male?
    DorianPavus_, Jun 29, 2016
    #54
  15. Found your post:
    Just missed it earlier because of the lack of a picture, but either way, unfortunately as dictated by the main post, if the sex of the duck changed how it looked, I'd asked that that be specified:
    As the female South African Shelduck DOES look different than the mystery duck (has white facial markings), this applies, so unfortunately I cannot count that post as the official winner. I'll send you a 6.5k bonus tip and a Hashhog head for your efforts, though.

    As AverageWalrus was the first to identify both the species of the duck and the sex responsible for its markings, the prize money goes to him (in response to Krysyy). Guess he wasn't as easily stumped in the end as I thought. :p Congrats to him!
    Hashhog, Jun 29, 2016
    #55
    607 and Lil_Spartan_Cat like this.
  16. Alternatively, this was labelled as a female Ruddy Shelduck:



    And this was labelled as a male Cape Shelduck:



    All three look pretty spot-on to me. I think for sure it's a shelduck of some kind, at least.
    Uber_Corq, Jun 29, 2016
    #56
    Hashhog likes this.
  17. SageCREEPER, Jun 29, 2016
    #57
  18. Related note: I think I've looked for ducks and Doctor Who too much recently...
    This came up on my FB news feed:
    Krysyy, Jun 29, 2016
    #58
    WitherDoggie, Dramanya, AverageWalrus and 8 others like this.
  19. Looked up the female Ruddy Shelduck, and the head seems to be more of a cream color rather than a gray color in the vast majority of individuals for the most part.

    As for the Cape Shelduck, the Cape Shelduck is also known as the South African Shelduck, which would explain why they look so similar: they're the same bird. :)

    I'm going to run to Target and get some new batteries for Krysyy... I think she's broken.
    Hashhog, Jun 29, 2016
    #59
    607, Uber_Corq, AverageWalrus and 2 others like this.
  20. Welp, thankya for the prizes, guys, but I think ive learned of more Duck, Goose, and Swan species in a day than I ever have :p
    AverageWalrus, Jun 29, 2016
    #60
    Jelle68, Krysyy and Hashhog like this.
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