It was actively diving and feeding and eventually perched to preen on the east side of the canal just north of there. As is often the case in these circumstances, the bird's origin will be in question. These photos show that the bird had no leg bands. The flight feathers and the toes all appeared to be in good shape.
As it turns out, the bird has been hanging out with a group of Mallards for around two months. A pond along Glase Road, at the eastern edge of Moore Township, has held several species of "captive" birds in the past, including Black-bellied Whistling-Duck. Back in 2008, I took this photo of both Fulvous and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck and White-cheeked Pintail.
Additional species seen there that day included Ruddy Shelduck and Mandarin Duck. I haven't seen any of these birds in this pond for several years now, so I'm not sure whether or not the pond's owner still has these birds or what eventually happened with them. Unfortunately, it does 'muddy' the waters and is something that should definitely be checked, given the circumstances.
