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Bahrain, goose (2 Viewers)

Are the two pictures of the bird on the ground of the same bird? To me the bill colour is different, on the first (left hand) picture it appears very pink, in fact quite light and in the next picture it appears orange. The flight pic rules out Greylag with the lack of lightness in the wings etc as mentioned above. Bean Goose and Pink-footed can be ruled out by the lack of darkness near the base of the bill in a juvenile bird which this is and the bird is too big and has no eye ring so Lesser White-front can be dismissed. This leaves juvenile White-fronted Goose but which race. The most likely in terms of distribution would be albifrons but the colour of the bill is not clear in my opinion.

All pictures are the same bird, the angle of the sun could affect the colours.
 
No-one's answered my question as to why the original subject bird shows a pale nail. Howard says it has a "blackish bill tip", which I just can't see. To me it has a more adult-like white tip to the bill with, just possibly, a small smidgeon of black. It certainly doesn't have the classic black nail shown here...
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=125093&r=0&st=0&q=

Every other feature is, as many have said, consistent with 1st winter albifrons Whitefront and I don't want to deny that's what it is, just curious about this feature.

Thanks,
Graham
 
No-one's answered my question as to why the original subject bird shows a pale nail. Howard says it has a "blackish bill tip", which I just can't see. To me it has a more adult-like white tip to the bill with, just possibly, a small smidgeon of black. It certainly doesn't have the classic black nail shown here...
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=125093&r=0&st=0&q=

Every other feature is, as many have said, consistent with 1st winter albifrons Whitefront and I don't want to deny that's what it is, just curious about this feature.

Thanks,
Graham

Hi Graham.

Madge and Burn description of juv. W-FG is. Bill duller than adult, with dusky nail and occasionally with greyish shade along sides, becoming more as adult during 1st. winter.

Twite.
 
Apologies for the earlier link to the over flying Greylag geese, the picture in question is attached.
 

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Apologies for the earlier link to the over flying Greylag geese, the picture in question is attached.

The two birds in the photo are quite obviously Greylag..such large geese with pale underwing and extendive pale grey on the forewing could only be that species.

As to Graham's query, I think Twite answered it sufficiently. As WF Goose attain 1st winter plumage they begin to attain the paler bill tip and also the white 'shield' at the base of the bill.

Cheers

Sean
 
No-one's answered my question as to why the original subject bird shows a pale nail. Howard says it has a "blackish bill tip", which I just can't see. To me it has a more adult-like white tip to the bill with, just possibly, a small smidgeon of black. It certainly doesn't have the classic black nail shown here...
http://www.birdguides.com/pictures/default.asp?v=1&f=125093&r=0&st=0&q=

Every other feature is, as many have said, consistent with 1st winter albifrons Whitefront and I don't want to deny that's what it is, just curious about this feature.

Thanks,
Graham

Collin's guide shows first-winter with a pale nail so must lighten quite quickly.
Rob
 
Hey Rob

I don't think the Collins does show a 1st winter plumage at all does it? I thought it only showed juvenile and adult birds. I think it might have been misleading for me to use that in my description, as it is the juvenile that is illustrated with a dark tip which becomes a pale nail during their first winter.

WF Geese moult from juvenile into near adult plumage in their first winter and may by November/December already resemble adult White-fronts bill-wise.

Sean
 
I think a lot of the blackish colour on the nail is lost in light glinting off the bill. I've taken the liberty of farting around with the originals (decreased brightness and increased contrast, hope Adrian doesn't mind) and I don't know about you but I can see a grey smudge in the appropriate place.

James
 

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