Lesser Snow Goose in New Jersey? (1 Viewer)

[contentedbirder]

Lesser Snow Goose, or Greater Snow Goose? It is a lone white goose that stays with a flock of Canada Geese. Northern New Jersey, 12 September 2017.

 

[fugl]

Neither, I would say, there not being so much as a hint of a grinning patch. How big is it? As big as the Canadas?

 

[AidenD]

What eliminates a domestic goose?

 

[birdmeister]

I would go with a domesticated goose sp as well.

 

[fugl]

What eliminates a domestic goose?

On the svelte side for the typical barnyard goose. Possibly a leucistic White-fronted or (feral wild-type) Graylag?

 

[stevethehydra]

A light-coloured Canada x domestic Greylag hybrid IMO. See some similar examples here: http://birdhybrids.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/domestic-greylag-goose-x-canada-goose.html (around a third to half way down the page).

The Canada influence in birds like this isn't necessarily obvious, but the head/bill structure tends to resemble Canada more than Greylag and they tend to "tag along" with groups of Canada geese. I assume this type comes from Canada and white domestic goose parents.

 

[fugl]

A light-coloured Canada x domestic Greylag hybrid IMO. See some similar examples here: http://birdhybrids.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/domestic-greylag-goose-x-canada-goose.html (around a third to half way down the page).

The Canada influence in birds like this isn't necessarily obvious, but the head/bill structure tends to resemble Canada more than Greylag and they tend to "tag along" with groups of Canada geese. I assume this type comes from Canada and white domestic goose parents.

Very interesting. Would you say the same about this one--which, as you can see, I have down as a leucistic (feral wild-type) Graylag?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/34858224512/in/photostream

 

[stevethehydra]

I would probabably go along with your ID of leucistic wild-type Greylag for that one - structurally it looks more like a Greylag to me (shorter, thicker neck, bigger head, deeper bill base). Also the bill colour looks more of a "faded" Greylag orange than the pink that often comes up in those pale Canada hybrids, and I've never seen a Canada hybrid that looked as pure white as that one - usually they have some scattered dark feathers and/or a faint "shadow" of the brown-grey barring of a Canada, as in the OP here.

 

[fugl]

I would probabably go along with your ID of leucistic wild-type Greylag for that one - structurally it looks more like a Greylag to me (shorter, thicker neck, bigger head, deeper bill base). Also the bill colour looks more of a "faded" Greylag orange than the pink that often comes up in those pale Canada hybrids, and I've never seen a Canada hybrid that looked as pure white as that one - usually they have some scattered dark feathers and/or a faint "shadow" of the brown-grey barring of a Canada, as in the OP here.

Many thanks for your interesting and informative comments. Much appreciated.

 

[birdmeister]

I would probabably go along with your ID of leucistic wild-type Greylag for that one - structurally it looks more like a Greylag to me (shorter, thicker neck, bigger head, deeper bill base). Also the bill colour looks more of a "faded" Greylag orange than the pink that often comes up in those pale Canada hybrids, and I've never seen a Canada hybrid that looked as pure white as that one - usually they have some scattered dark feathers and/or a faint "shadow" of the brown-grey barring of a Canada, as in the OP here.

Agree with fugl - very informative indeed! Thanks.

 

[contentedbirder]

Here's the same goose, still on campus - November 10, 2017

A few days ago I saw the goose with two Canada Geese. Yesterday I grabbed a telephoto shot of the white goose with just one other Canada Goose. So, looking through all the responses, it might be a plain old domestic goose, or perhaps a hybrid of a domestic goose and a Canada Goose.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Both the white geese attached in photos by contendedbirder in this thread are canada x domestic,

but I think the one in the link to flickr by fugl could also be a canada x domestic greylag. there are some hybrids involving domestic greylag that show a more greylag-like bill shape and coloration.

Compare:

true greylags:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...ooseProfile.jpg/798px-GreylagGooseProfile.jpg
http://monacoeye.com/birds/images/anser_anser_greylag_goose_001.jpg


Hybrids with more greylag like bill:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7t8zionQg...Adg/vJo0_wfOMxs/s1600/DSCF5691+(Modified).JPG

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bloophoenix/5214863717/

The legs of the goose in the flickr photo appear pale orange? if yes, that would also
indicate a hybrid origin.