Duck Dilemmas in London Parks
It has long been a Royal Parks tradition to keep a collection of captive exotic wildfowl on the lake for visitors to admire - a kind of livelier version of a lovingly tended rose garden.
There are many similar collections across the country.
The assortment of 'ornamental' ducks, geese and swans are prevented from flying off by wing-clipping (cutting the flight feathers on one side) or pinioning (amputating the top joint of one wing when the bird is very young).
Pinioning is permanent, but clipping has to be done every year, as the new flight feathers grow after the main annual moult.
Of course, birds sometimes manage to fly away before they're caught for clipping, which is why we now have 'wild' Canada Geese in this country, as well as Egyptian Geese from Africa, Red-crested Pochards from southern Europe, Ruddy Ducks from America and Mandarin Ducks from China.
All of these have officially self-sustaining populations in Britain, albeit originally descended from escapee birds many generations ago.
The Ruddy Duck is currently the subject of a costly eradication programme funded through Defra, as birds from Britain have reached Spain where it is feared they will interbreed with the internationally endangered White-headed Duck.
This has divided the birdwatching community with many holding strong opinions either for or against the programme.
In the central parks, the free-flying London birds just rub shoulders too closely with the captives.
London's Red-crested Pochards are still not regarded as officially 'wild', although many of them are free-flying and they now breed in Hyde Park.
It's not always easy to tell whether the bird you're looking at is a genuine wild one, a captive, a wild-born member of a feral population or a recent escapee, especially in Regent's and St James's Parks, which both have collections of wildfowl exotica.
The collections include several species that are found in the wild elsewhere in Britain, such as Eider, Goldeneye and Longtailed Duck.
Even some of the Tufted Ducks and Pochards in Regent's Park are actually captive birds.
Welcome to the murky and confusing world of 'what counts' when you are a birdwatcher keeping a list.
If it isn't one of the species already mentioned it is probably not even slightly wild, but other wildfowl do visit the parks from time to time.
In February 2009, for example, a wild Smew appeared in Regent's Park and birders looking for it wanted to be sure that they had seen the wild bird rather than one of those in the collection.
The first thing to check is the wings.
If the bird has its full complement of feathers, you'll see two pointed wing-tips crossed above the tail.
This isn't easy to see on some of the diving ducks, so you might have to wait until the bird stretches up in the water and has a good flap - luckily most do this rather frequently.
If you see the bird out of the water check for metal or plastic numbered rings on its legs - this usually indicates captive origin (though wild birds are often trapped and ringed for research purposes as well).
There are many similar collections across the country.
The assortment of 'ornamental' ducks, geese and swans are prevented from flying off by wing-clipping (cutting the flight feathers on one side) or pinioning (amputating the top joint of one wing when the bird is very young).
Pinioning is permanent, but clipping has to be done every year, as the new flight feathers grow after the main annual moult.
Of course, birds sometimes manage to fly away before they're caught for clipping, which is why we now have 'wild' Canada Geese in this country, as well as Egyptian Geese from Africa, Red-crested Pochards from southern Europe, Ruddy Ducks from America and Mandarin Ducks from China.
All of these have officially self-sustaining populations in Britain, albeit originally descended from escapee birds many generations ago.
The Ruddy Duck is currently the subject of a costly eradication programme funded through Defra, as birds from Britain have reached Spain where it is feared they will interbreed with the internationally endangered White-headed Duck.
This has divided the birdwatching community with many holding strong opinions either for or against the programme.
In the central parks, the free-flying London birds just rub shoulders too closely with the captives.
London's Red-crested Pochards are still not regarded as officially 'wild', although many of them are free-flying and they now breed in Hyde Park.
It's not always easy to tell whether the bird you're looking at is a genuine wild one, a captive, a wild-born member of a feral population or a recent escapee, especially in Regent's and St James's Parks, which both have collections of wildfowl exotica.
The collections include several species that are found in the wild elsewhere in Britain, such as Eider, Goldeneye and Longtailed Duck.
Even some of the Tufted Ducks and Pochards in Regent's Park are actually captive birds.
Welcome to the murky and confusing world of 'what counts' when you are a birdwatcher keeping a list.
If it isn't one of the species already mentioned it is probably not even slightly wild, but other wildfowl do visit the parks from time to time.
In February 2009, for example, a wild Smew appeared in Regent's Park and birders looking for it wanted to be sure that they had seen the wild bird rather than one of those in the collection.
The first thing to check is the wings.
If the bird has its full complement of feathers, you'll see two pointed wing-tips crossed above the tail.
This isn't easy to see on some of the diving ducks, so you might have to wait until the bird stretches up in the water and has a good flap - luckily most do this rather frequently.
If you see the bird out of the water check for metal or plastic numbered rings on its legs - this usually indicates captive origin (though wild birds are often trapped and ringed for research purposes as well).
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