Never seen one of these at my pond ever

[mick]

DEADBEAT DUCKS​

Several waterfowl—including redheads, canvasbacks, wood ducks, ruddy ducks, hooded mergansers, and snow geese—pursue a breeding strategy known as nest parasitism, where females lay eggs in the nests of other females of the same species. Some wood duck nest boxes have been found with as many as 50 eggs laid by multiple hens. Female redheads regularly lay eggs in the nests of other duck species. In one study conducted on Manitoba's Delta Marsh, more than 90 percent of canvasback nests contained redhead eggs. The unsuspecting foster hens raise the redhead ducklings as their own.

 

[SouthernOntariosportsman]

5th from left looks very close to what i shot.
Thanks for all the replies, i will be eating either of those 2 mentioned birds this weekend. red or can, hope it tastes good.

 

[GrouseGuy]

View attachment 34347See the dark bill and slope of it this is a hen can the bird that is in question looks nothing like a can

Your picture proves conclusively that it is a can. The bill in the original photo is solid black, not grey blue with a light band and black at the tip that is characteristic of a redhead hen. Like I said a redhead hen does not have the extensive vermiculation on the back like that on your photo. Nice photo of the can hen.

View attachment 34347See the dark bill and slope of it this is a hen can the bird that is in question looks nothing like a can