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Emperor Hybrid (1 Viewer)

jeff

jeff

Well-known member
I'm glad i went out this weekend, good views of the jack snipe at Brandon, swallows and half a dozen plover (ringed and little), got to video the willow warbler that was too quick the week before and a couple of Muntjac to boot. Out fishing today and got my first mallard chicks of the year (9 in total). Missed the short-eared owl by a couple of minutes, but can't have it all I suppose.

Any way, this goose keeps popping in every month or two....

I think hybrid Emperor, but with what. Any suggestions.
 

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Although there is nothing to compare it with it looks like a big bird. However the head and bill shape looks remarkably like Lesser White-fronted Goose.

Darrell
 
Darrell,

It's quite a small goose, here's a distant picture with Canada and Greylag to compare.
 

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In that case I'd definitely say that Lesser White-front is one of the parents, as well as the features I stated earlier, it also has orange legs. As for the other I know what you mean when you mention Emperor Goose, but I would have expected a bit more scaling in the plumage.
I have to say I'm stumped, perhaps one of the other small arctic geese like Ross's Goose is involved - but then the body colour would be paler - Blue Ross's Geese are very rare. I'm not aware of Lesser White-fronted Goose ever showing partial albimism but it could also be a possibility.
A friend of mine - Steve Madge is coming to my house tonight ( he wrote the definitive book on wildfowl id) I'll show him the photos and get back to you

Darrell
 
Darrell,

Thanks for the info, I'd be interested to know what he thinks, but Lesser White-fronted X something then.
 
Jeff - Well - we looked at the photos, we played around with them and printed them off. On paper you can actually see the scaling on the flanks/belly better than you can on screen (on my screen anyway) So Emperor X Lesser White-fronted Goose seems to be the favourite so far!!

A very interesting bird, thanks for sharing it with us

Darrell
 
Darrell,

Thanks I'll call it Emperor x Lesser White-fronted for now then!!
:)

It turns up quite regular and I'm told has done for a few years now. Wonder where it goes when its not here at Brandon Marsh???

Thanks again for your help, it's always nice to know what i'm looking at, another of life little mysteries solved, for the time being anyway!!
 
Ok, it's been 3 years since i orignally posted this. Any other theories on what the goose may be.

Lesser White-front X ?

Here's another photo, way better than my camcorder stills, taken by Steve Cheshire (www.ukwildlifephotographer.co.uk)

or am i still calling is Emperor X Lesser White-fronted :eek:)


TIA
 

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Hi Jeff, see these (Hybrids Greater whitefront x Emperor):

http://www.pbase.com/image/57944638

http://www.pbase.com/image/57944639


Scroll down to hybrids on this page,there is another Greater Whitefront x Emperor Goose:

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/NDG/BRKEmperor.html#EmpX

As your bird is very similar, it is clearly one of the Whitefronts x Emperor goose.

however , your bird has a smallish looking all pink bill and maybe a slightly higher head front, also you mention it is not very big,

so the Whitefront involved might well be Lesser Whitefront ...
 
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Joern Lehmhus said:
Hi Jeff, see these (Hybrids Greater whitefront x Emperor):

http://www.pbase.com/image/57944638

http://www.pbase.com/image/57944639


Scroll down to hybrids on this page,there is another Greater Whitefront x Emperor Goose:

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/NDG/BRKEmperor.html#EmpX

As your bird is very similar, it is clearly one of the Whitefronts x Emperor goose.

however , your bird has a smallish looking all pink bill and maybe a slightly higher head front, also you mention it is not very big,

so the Whitefront involved might well be Lesser Whitefront ...
Click to expand...

Joern,

Many thanks for the links, it does look very similar to the bird in the third link, i only query it again cause since i posted i found the bird listed in one of the annual reports, but it was listed as LWF X something else (i think from memory Greylag goose)

I'll continue to call it Emperor X Lesser White-fronted as it certainly looks like the third pic.

Cheers

Jeff
 
Hi Jeff,

To me the Emperor goose parentage is without doubt- to find out which whitefront was involved is more difficult...

I think in the third link I gave, the bird is also GWFG x Emperor-allthough the angle is not that useful, I think the head shape is different from your bird...

definite might only be a DNA analysis here.... (or maybe even that not in all cases, as some captive LWFG have mitochondrial DNA from GWFG, indicating some breeders in the past might have done some hybridisation between captive stock of the 2 whitefront species).

However I am happy with assuming the whitefront parent of that goose was very likely a lesser whitefront.
 
Hi Jeff,

I would not agree with that one definitely being a LWFG x Emperor--it is also not stated on the original website which whitefront was involved.

And the presumed Greylag x Emperor on that website:

http://home.clara.net/ammodytes/NEWS2003Escapes.htm

is a Snow goose x Emperor goose...see the amount of white on that bird and the leg colour.

Attached is a picture of a Domestic Greylag x Emperor,a bulky big thing, but in pattern and coloration much closer to your hybrid...
 

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Joern Lehmhus said:
Hi Jeff,

I would not agree with that one definitely being a LWFG x Emperor--it is also not stated on the original website which whitefront was involved.

And the presumed Greylag x Emperor on that website:

http://home.clara.net/ammodytes/NEWS2003Escapes.htm

is a Snow goose x Emperor goose...see the amount of white on that bird and the leg colour.

Attached is a picture of a Domestic Greylag x Emperor,a bulky big thing, but in pattern and coloration much closer to your hybrid...
Click to expand...

Joern,

Many thanks for all the info and links, i'll label it as Emperor X LWF, doubt i'll get too many people querying it's id, but at least i can point anyone to the various images if they do.

Cheers.

Jeff
 
Joern Lehmhus said:
Jeff, if there are more photos of the bird, I ´d love to see them!
Click to expand...

Apart from my webcam grabs at the beginning of the thread, that photo was by Steve.Cheshire, two photo's (on his web site) are from the same angle

http://www.ukwildlifephotographer.co.uk/browse.asp

It's usually around, either on the golf course or one of the pools so i could prob. get a few more pics (i'll prob. not see it again now ;-) )

I could also ask Steve if he took any others, any particular views you'd prefer if/when i see it again.

Cheers

Jeff
 
We must use caution with these waterfowl hybrids as they can often look more lke one parent and not give a lot of clues as to what the other parent may be. I tried this a while back but I think everyone gave up. Here's one more try. One of the two geese below is a hybrid. It's clear that LWFG is one of its parents but can anyone guess what the other parent might be? It's the larger bird in the upper part of the photograph. If I hadn't known it's parents I would not have guessed. It looks more like a LWFG too. Take a stab at it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v359/acecool/DSC00621.jpg
 
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