Ontbirders, After seeing the hybrid Common x Barrow's Goldeneye recently in Ottawa, I did some research on hybrid goldeneyes and hope you find this of interest. Hybrid Common x Barrow's Goldeneyes are more frequent than most birders realize. The large Sibley (2000) is the only guide to illustrate an example of this hybrid. Martin and Di Labio (1994) cautioned that goldeneye hybrids are being misidentified as Barrow's. Record Committees reviewing extralimital Barrow's in some cases may want photo documentation to exclude the possibility of first generation hybrids and backcrosses. This post deals only with males in definitive alternate (adult breeding) plumage. 1. Hybrid misidentified as a Barrow's Goldeneye. http://www.spflrc.org/~walker/photodetail.php?id=10510 2. Comparison of hybrid and Barrow's. http://www.birdphotography.com/species/bago.html 3. Seven photos of hybrid and a Barrow's Goldeneye with Common Goldeneyes on OFO website. http://www.ofo.ca/photos/goldeneyehybrid/ I saw this hybrid. It displayed like a Barrow's and had a greenish head sheen similar to the nearby Common Goldeneyes. 4. Probable hybrid. http://www.suttoncenter.org/okbirdspix24.html This bird may be the offspring of a first generation hybrid backcrossed with a Barrow's. 5. Probable hybrid. http://www.peninsulasportsman.com/images/BGE1.jpg These birds may be offspring of a first generation hybrid backcrossed with a Common. Note black edges on scapulars are wider than in Common Goldeneye. 6. Hybrid. http://www.notason.com/oiseaux/id362.htm Would this bird be identified as a Barrow's without a photo? 7. Photo of hybrid and Barrow's and a short note in the Wilson Bulletin. http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v088n02/p0348-p0349.pdf 8. Finally, I've often wondered about the photo of a male Barrow's in the February 1986 issue of Birding, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 18 (Tobish 1986). This photo was taken at the Washington Zoo by Claudia Wilds (fide Bruce Di Labio) of probable birds of Icelandic origin. Photos can be misleading, but this male looks odd to me having seen hundreds of Barrow's in North America. It may be an Icelandic Barrow's as Palmer (1976) says in adult males "there are differences (hard to describe) in contour of head between birds of Iceland, e. N. Am., and w. N. Am." However, I wonder if it's a backcross that is mostly Barrow's for the following reasons: (1) greenish head sheen suggests Common Goldeneye ancestry; (2) head shape is somewhat like a Barrow's, but not quite typical of that species; (3) white facial crescent is intermediate in shape and barely extents above top of bill; (4) the facial crescent on typical Barrow's is more pointed at top and usually reaches well above top of bill and eyes; (5) the white spots on the scapulars are larger than typical Barrow's and the three forward spots form one large spot, usually separated by black on Barrow's; (6) width of diagonal black line dividing white wing coverts is narrower than on most Barrow's; and (7) black spur on side of breast is smaller than on most Barrow's. I conclude that these 7 points cast doubt about this bird being a pure Barrow's. Note: Statements about these hybrids are "educated guesses". None are proven by independent evidence such as known parents and genetics. Acknowledgements: I thank Michel Gosselin of the Canadian Museum of Nature for discussions and web links to hybrid goldeneyes. Thanks to Bruce Di Labio, Chris Escott and Bruce Mactavish for sending me photos of hybrid goldeneyes from Ontario, British Columbia and Newfoundland. References: (A) Martin, Paul R. and Bruce M. Di Labio. 1994. Identification of Common x Barrow's Goldeneye Hybrids in the Field. Birding 26(2):104-105. (B) Palmer, Ralph S. (editor). 1976. Volume 3, Waterfowl. Handbook of North American Birds. Yale University Press. (C) Sibley, David Allen. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. (D) Tobish, Thede. 1986. Separation of Barrow's and Common Goldeneyes in All Plumages. Birding 18(1):17-27. Ron Pittaway Ontario Field Ornithologists Minden and Toronto ON E-mail: jeaniron@sympatico.ca