I thought I knew any duck or waterfowl in Texas but these visitors are something I have never seen ! They have been here three times eating corn with the doves ! I have looked through almost the sites to ID them and haven't found them yet ! Just have to describe them and hope someone knows what they are ! Height from ground to head is about 12 to 14 inches tall approx same distance from body to ground and body to head approx equal! Small body with short tail! Has a duck beak but feet look to be not fully webbed but could be wrong about that, they were too far to see well Legs were slender as was the neck with no feathers lower than body! Not like a duck whose legs are short and strong! More like a crane than duck! Color was dark like a dark brown to black! Only thing distinctive was as they flew off was a white wing band on the underside ! I am so curious so hope someone here has a clue as to what they are!
No,, This one had a completely dark body except for the white wing band when it flew away ! Much smaller than your photo ! Could only see the white wing band in flight,, not when it was standing on the ground ! See how much shorter your ducks legs are ! This was more slender and longer compared to other ducks !
You have my curiosity going now too, Mart. I guess that your birds there will be totally different than ours, so I doubt that I can help you; however, my curiosity is not diminished.
Thanks Jewell and Sjoerd but these are not on those pics ! They are not any duck like birds I have seen before !
