[Pitvar]

Hello all, another UK goose - looks like Greylag x domestic goose to me? Or could it just be leutistic?

Seen with a flock of probably feral greylag this week in Cumbria. When you start looking there are quite a few hybrids around - saw a canada x pink foot or similar at Martin Mere earlier in the year. Cheers

[Stephen Dunstan]

Greylag x Domestic Greylag perhaps.

Canada x Pinkfoot sounds unusual. Canada x Greylag are more common.

Stephen.

[DaveN]

Just a Farmyard Goose?

[Pitvar]

Originally Posted by Stephen Dunstan

Greylag x Domestic Greylag perhaps.

Canada x Pinkfoot sounds unusual. Canada x Greylag are more common.

Stephen.

Now you mention it Stephen and I've had another look I think you're right with Canada x Greylag even though it was hanging around with pinkfoot - the bill looks a lot more greylag - poor quality photo attached

[DaveN]

Yes that's a Canada/Greylag hybrid.

[Pitvar]

Thanks DaveN - I know its not very purist but I still find hybrids interesting as a beginner! Thanks to all, Pitvar

[Steve Dudley]

This mirrors another thread from Germany.

Farmyard geese are greylag geee. They are the domesticated (some would say mutated)form of the wild greylag, so a graylag x farmyard goose is not a hybrid as they are the same species (just as a Rock Dove x Feral Pigeon offspring would not be a hybrid).

[Pitvar]

That makes sense ! Cheers

[Joern Lehmhus]

Originally Posted by Steve Dudley

This mirrors another thread from Germany.

Farmyard geese are greylag geee. They are the domesticated (some would say mutated)form of the wild greylag, so a graylag x farmyard goose is not a hybrid as they are the same species (just as a Rock Dove x Feral Pigeon offspring would not be a hybrid).

not allways- some farmyard geese have also domestic swan goose (= Chinese goose ) blood in them.

Look at this here, what is called "domestic greylag geese" here is infact a mixture with domestic greylag and chinese goose genes:

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/domgeese.htm

[Joern Lehmhus]

I agree the initial bird is an odd coloured greylag(maybe with domestic greylag ancestry) and the other one from martin mere is canada x greylag...