One of the rarest birds ever to be seen in Britain was photographed in Aberdeenshire in mid-September, it has emerged:
Extremely rare hybrid heron photographed in Scotland
An apparent Grey Heron × Great Egret hybrid was discovered in Aberdeenshire in September 2026. This appears to be the first-ever British record of what is an extremely rare hybrid pairing worldwide.
f.mtr.cool
September 30, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Dante Shepherd reports on the surprise discovery of a Black × Common Redstart in the South Wales Valleys in spring 2026:
Hybrid redstart holds territory in South Wales
Dante Shepherd reports on the surprise discovery of a Common × Black Redstart in the South Wales Valleys in spring 2026.
f.mtr.cool
July 22, 2026 at 3:06 PM
A rather impressive looking hybrid (shoveler x blue winged teal) at Lochwinnoch today. #digiscoped with kowa884 using iphone16Pro and vario adapter
Swallow at Castle Semple Loch this evening bring my patch year list to 87 #birdingscotland #clydebirding
Swallow at Castle Semple Loch this evening bring my patch year list to 87 #birdingscotland #clydebirding
April 1, 2026 at 5:57 AM
And an oddity, this male Mallard x Pintail hybrid on one of the lochs this morning. #WestrayBirding
September 19, 2024 at 2:19 PM
I have been keen to see this bird, eventually found it on the Eider Pond at WWT Slimbridge at the end of the day. The presumed Tufted x Red-crested Pochard hybrid, worth the wait. #birds #GlosBirds #BirdsSeenIn2026
February 16, 2026 at 9:16 PM
More gull watching today and I came across this apparent Great Black-backed Gull x Herring Gull hybrid. A real brute! #WestrayBirding
January 26, 2026 at 8:18 PM
A grotty day, but pleased to find half a rarity at Longhoughton Steel - the male American x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid, present last winter, has returned. It’s proof that at least some Transatlantic cooperation is possible… #NEbirding #birds
January 18, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Fabulous! #BirdHybrid
👍 I've taken lots of pics of it over the last 9 winters.
January 21, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Fabulous! #BirdHybrid
Picked out this aythya hybrid on Peerie Sea, Kirkwall today, presumably Scaup x Tuftie. Luckily it was quite close, might have appeared a better Lesser Scaup contender if in a distant flock of Tufties! Unfortunately, a no cigar scenario.
#orkneybirding #birdingscotland
#orkneybirding #birdingscotland
December 31, 2025 at 8:57 PM
An interesting goose paired to a Tundra Bean. The all pale peachy-pink bill, white halter and small dark spots on the upper belly perhaps point to it being a Tundra Bean X Russian Whitefront hybrid rather than an aberrant Tundra Bean. With Ash McElwee and Graham Fellows
February 11, 2026 at 10:37 PM
A morning spent at Godmersham Park in a foggy and drizzling setting. Had a brief Hawfinch opposite the Old Vicarage. It was good to see at least a dozen Tree Sparrows (now a scarce bird in Kent). A similar no. of Greenfinchs and a drake Mallard x Pintail in the stream. #ukbirding #kentbirding
December 27, 2024 at 7:43 PM
Today at Welney, Pochard numbers building up now including the Ferruginous/Pochard hybrid returning
November 18, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Nice to see a #BirdHybrid picked for photo of the week…
Ian Curran's amazing image of two drake diving ducks won the penultimate Photo of the Week of 2024:
Photo of the Week: 16-22 December 2024
Ian Curran's amazing image of two drake diving ducks wins the penultimate award of 2024.
bit.ly
December 25, 2024 at 11:33 PM
Nice to see a #BirdHybrid picked for photo of the week…
Putative Pochard x Pintail #BirdHybrid
Dungeness: This hybrid duck has been around the ARC for a few weeks but very elusive and spends much time diving. It seems to have Pintail in it and possibly Pochard🤔
August 14, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Putative Pochard x Pintail #BirdHybrid
I was a bit slow seeing this but a really interesting #BirdHybrid here…
Apparent Bonapartes × Blackheaded Gull I found in Cork City 31/12/25
March 1, 2026 at 5:45 PM
I was a bit slow seeing this but a really interesting #BirdHybrid here…
The Lesser Scaup at Swithland Res had disappeared by the time I went to look for it this afternoon, but I did see something even rarer - this Gadwall x Mallard hybrid. #VC55Birds #UKBirding
November 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
#BirdHybrid No. 12 - Bufflehead x Hooded Merganser, a smart naturally-occurring hybrid in North America.
December 31, 2024 at 2:02 PM
#BirdHybrid No. 12 - Bufflehead x Hooded Merganser, a smart naturally-occurring hybrid in North America.
A flight shot of the Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid from a recent visit to Keyhaven, Hants #ukbirding #patchbirding #BirdHybrid
March 13, 2025 at 7:12 PM
A flight shot of the Eurasian Wigeon x Northern Pintail hybrid from a recent visit to Keyhaven, Hants #ukbirding #patchbirding #BirdHybrid
A short thread on a couple of Black Brant x DBB hybrids in the Wells Beach Road flock this week which may be of interest to some! #NorfolkBirding
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1/7
February 26, 2026 at 4:53 PM
I normally err towards pale northern Herring, but this beauty on the north side of Shrewsbury this morning looked smooth, pale and Glaucy enough to be a Viking #lovegulls #shropshirebirding
January 26, 2026 at 8:18 PM
A new week and what better way to start than with #mallardMonday. A perfect excuse to revisit the Mallard x Eider #birdHybrid that calls Seahouses harbour home. #birds #nature #wildlife #photography #UKWildlife #naturephotography
February 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM
A new week and what better way to start than with #mallardMonday. A perfect excuse to revisit the Mallard x Eider #birdHybrid that calls Seahouses harbour home. #birds #nature #wildlife #photography #UKWildlife #naturephotography
What a fantastic way to start a career on BlueSky! #BirdHybrid
Hello folks! Thought I'd see how it all is over here.
Slowly starting to find all the good folks who I was following/who were following me over on the other side. Might take a while! There will be birds, moths, maybe a bit of music. Much like it was before. Here's a hybrid PBB x DBB to get started 😁
Slowly starting to find all the good folks who I was following/who were following me over on the other side. Might take a while! There will be birds, moths, maybe a bit of music. Much like it was before. Here's a hybrid PBB x DBB to get started 😁
November 20, 2024 at 8:10 PM
What a fantastic way to start a career on BlueSky! #BirdHybrid
A Greylag #BirdHybrid at #Ifordbrooks last weekend, perhaps a domestic x feral. #ukbirding #sussexbirding
March 15, 2025 at 7:14 AM
A Greylag #BirdHybrid at #Ifordbrooks last weekend, perhaps a domestic x feral. #ukbirding #sussexbirding