[flevit]

I used the term waterfowl, and significant difference (somewhat subjective noted) but seems well with-in the physiological variety and differences in contemporary waterfowl such as coots,mergansers,anhingas,grebes,loons...

suggesting only this is an extinct waterfowl with no known representatives alive today. no more or less primitive, just un-lucky.

the vertebrae is interesting, are all birds today, solely heteroceolous?

[ahayes]

suggesting only this is an extinct waterfowl with no known representatives alive today. no more or less primitive, just un-lucky.

Yes, understandably creationists would object to any such words as "primitive" and "derived." I think your approach is the most honest one. There is another article posted saying that there is nothing unusual about this bird and it is just a duck exactly like modern ducks. This is definitely dishonest if we examine the skeletal data.

the vertebrae is interesting, are all birds today, solely heteroceolous?

It appears that this is a necessary but not sufficient trait to be classified as a modern bird.