Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Mexican Duck
Scientific name:	Anas diazi
Date:	10/2/2021
Time:	7:30 AM
Length of time observed:	Two separate visits of 5 minutes, 80 minutes apart
Number:	1
Age:	Unknown
Sex:	Male
Location:	Tonaquint Nature Center, St George, UT
County:	Washington
Latilong:	19
Elevation:	Approx 2800 ft
Distance to bird:	10 ft
Optical equipment:	8x42 binoculars, Canon 6D Mark II DSLR, Sigma 150-600mm lens
Weather:	Clear
Light Conditions:	Dawn, followed by sunny morning. The bird was in a shaded part of the main pond.
Description: Size of bird:	Similar to mallard
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Dabbling duck
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Overall mottled brown with lighter head
(Description:) Bill Type:	Typical mallard-type duck bill
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	See photos - bird was dark brown overall, with a lighter contrasting head and line of demarcation from the body. Primarily brown tail and brown undertail coverts. The head had a darker cap and dark eye line. Yellow bill with black nail.
Song or call & method of delivery:	Silent
Behavior:	Associating loosely with a flock of 30+ mallards. The bird did not appear to have any individual mallards it was paired with.
Habitat:	Nature center pond
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	This bird clearly stood out from the mallards it was associating with. Overall darker brown. Most or all male mallards had already transitioned to breeding plumage, including green heads. This bird showed no sign of green on the head. It also had no curl in the tail feathers.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	This would be my earliest sighting of Mexican Duck. I have observed two hybrid Mexican x Mallards in the St George area previous to this bird. I also observed a Mexican Duck accepted by the UBRC (Rec. # 2021-63) on 29 Oct 2021 at Sullivan Virgin River Park. This subject bird appears to be a more pure subject of Mexican Duck as it lacks some of the green that appeared in the head of the Sullivan Park duck (at least in the pictures that I took of the bird).
References consulted:	All About Birds, Sibley Guide
Description from:	From memory From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Jenner Bryson
Observer's address:
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:
Date prepared:	28 Mar 2022
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	Steve and Cindy Sommerfeld were present during the time of observation and concurred with the identification. There were others who reported a Mexican Duck on eBird in the days following my report, but I can't find their names since the "Recent Visits" list on eBird only goes back to January. I was only recently asked to submit this report by the eBird reviewer.