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Bahrain, goose (4 Viewers)

AJDH

Well-known member
England
Help is required in making a definite ID of this goose. We don't get many geese in Bahrain and we think we have narrowed this down to two possibilities but would like expert opinion before recording the sighting.

Thanks.
 

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Is this not a Bean Goose? Am prepared to be shot down but it looks proportionally wrong for WFG and has no belly bands.
 
Hi.

Juv. White-fronted Goose albifrons. juvs. don't have belly bands, white base to bill hasn't developed yet. Bean Goose has more extensive dark markings on bill.

Twite.
 
Think we also have to point out, that even in juvenile plumage Bean Geese have orange and not pink bills...

Wonder if there has been a small influx of geese into that part of the Middle East, as Shah also has a pic of a White-fronted Goose (though with the size of it's bill I thought Greylag at first) on another thread.

Sean
 
Think we also have to point out, that even in juvenile plumage Bean Geese have orange and not pink bills...

Wonder if there has been a small influx of geese into that part of the Middle East, as Shah also has a pic of a White-fronted Goose (though with the size of it's bill I thought Greylag at first) on another thread.

Sean
We saw three of what we thought were greylag overfly last week. If this is indeed a white-fronted goose, it's only the second record for Bahrain. :t:
 
Wonder if there has been a small influx of geese into that part of the Middle East, as Shah also has a pic of a White-fronted Goose (though with the size of it's bill I thought Greylag at first) on another thread.

Sean

I'm glad you said that about Shah's Goose Sean, as my initial reaction was Greylag too. Shah's bird is here: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?p=1060995#post1060995 . To my eye Adrian's bird is a much more straightforward juvenile Whitefront.

Stuart
 
Just to clarify..I think this is an immature White-fronted Goose. 'Albifrons' is the only likely race.

Greylag can be ruled out on the tail pattern..would show more white on the tail and inner tail band. The wings and rump would be much paler too.

As I already stated, a Bean Goose adult or immature would have an orange bill and this bird has a pink bill. There would also be more black at the base of the bill and tip (as already stated by others).

In flight the mantle/rump looks dark, good for White-fronted, as they are usually a little pale and browner in Bean.

Also seems to have white primary shafts, which is good for White-fronted, whereas Bean doesn't. This bird also appears to have very pale primary-coverts, which is another feature of White-fronted.

Don't suppose you got any pics of the 3 suspected Greylags?

Sean
 
Out of interest I also today recieved this message from Nick Moran in the UAE

Hi Howard

This is a 100% Greater White-fronted Goose, juvenile as you say. Blackish bill tip, rather dark head / neck and orange legs (visible clearly in the flight shot) are amongst the good features for separating from 'Lags'.

Incidentally, we are in the middle of an influx of Greater White-fronted Geese here in the UAE - Oscar Campbell and I found groups of 2 and 5 individuals at two locations near Abu Dhabi today, having found 2 on the East Coast (Dibba) last weekend. Like you, Greylags are also the most frequently seen grey goose here. We did see an unusually large flock of that species (21) a week or so back too, so it would appear that there are higher than usual numbers of geese reaching this far south. Additionally, 10 Ruddy Shelduck have been recorded to date in the UAE this autumn, after 3 blank years.

Cheers
Nick
 
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.
 
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