Bean or White-fronted Goose or ? (1 Viewer)

Otarujef

Master Blurry Bird Phototaker

Supporter

• Mar 28, 2020

• #1

Place: Lake Utonai, Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan
Date: March 21, 2020
Time: 12:30
Weather: Sunny, 3 C


Hi Everyone!
I did not get a clear shot of the underside of these geese.
They were approximately 900 meters / 3000 feet away with a 600 mm lens.
Any help to ID them correctly is well appreciated!
Jeff

 

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Otarujef

Master Blurry Bird Phototaker

Supporter

• Mar 28, 2020

• #2

additionals

BTW,
Here are additional photos shot 1 minute after the first set.
I THINK it is of the same group. If so Mature and Immature
Whooper Swans???
Thanks!
Jeff

 

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Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Mar 28, 2020

• #3

All your pictures are of Whooper Swans. I can't see any geese in any of them.

 

Otarujef

Master Blurry Bird Phototaker

Supporter

• Mar 28, 2020

• #4

Thanks!

Andrew,
Thank you greatly for your quick reply.
I am still learning body shapes.
I do have other clear photos
at the lake that day of white-fronted geese,
so that is why i asked.

what in the first set of photos notated whooper swans, if I can ask?

Best to you and yours there and be safe.
Jeff

 

Last edited: Mar 28, 2020

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Mar 28, 2020

• #5

Otarujef said:

Andrew,
Thank you greatly for your quick reply.
I am still learning body shapes.
I do have other clear photos
at the lake that day of white-fronted geese,
so that is why i asked.

what in the first set of photos notated whooper swans, if I can ask?

Best to you and yours there and be safe.
Jeff

Click to expand...

They can be distinguished as Whooper Swans mainly on what can be seen of the bill pattern (though this isn't clear on all). Also they look proportionally long-necked. Having said that, on another look there may be a Tundra Swan with them (the middle of the left-hand birds in photo 1 and the lower bird in photo 2), as that bird looks noticeably smaller and shorter-necked.

 

Otarujef

Master Blurry Bird Phototaker

Supporter

• Mar 28, 2020

• #6

Thanks Andrew!
I took 1500 photos that day,
so I will continue to sort thru them in more detail
to find better photos of that which you speak.
God Bless and Thanks again for your help!
Jeff

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Mar 28, 2020

• #7

Andrew Whitehouse said:

They can be distinguished as Whooper Swans mainly on what can be seen of the bill pattern (though this isn't clear on all). Also they look proportionally long-necked. Having said that, on another look there may be a Tundra Swan with them (the middle of the left-hand birds in photo 1 and the lower bird in photo 2), as that bird looks noticeably smaller and shorter-necked.

Click to expand...

Agree 5 Whoopers and a Bewick's [Tundra] Swan :t:

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Mar 28, 2020

• #8

i can't see any recognizable as tundra swan :-C

 

Deb Burhinus

Used to be well known! 😎

• Mar 28, 2020

• #9

Andrew Whitehouse said:

All your pictures are of Whooper Swans. ..

Click to expand...

Agreed

 

A

aeshna5

Well-known member

• Mar 28, 2020

• #10

Nutcracker said:

Agree 5 Whoopers and a Bewick's [Tundra] Swan :t:

Click to expand...

All appear the same size to me. Only see Whoopers.

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Mar 28, 2020

• #11

aeshna5 said:

All appear the same size to me. Only see Whoopers.

Click to expand...

I'm not certain about the Tundra Swan but the bottom bird in the second picture is clearly (measurably) smaller than the other two. The length from tail tip to bill tip of that bird on my screen is c.7.5cm and the other two birds are c.9.5cm. The width of the wing at the carpal joint is 1.7cm compared to 2.4cm on the bird above it. It also appears to be slightly closer than the two larger birds. The measured differences in length are probably about right for the differences between Whooper and Tundra (about 20% smaller).

The bill pattern is hard to discern, but I'm interested to know what people's explanations are for the substantial difference in size.

 

B

BobbitWorm45

Well-known member

• Mar 28, 2020

• #12

aeshna5 said:

All appear the same size to me. Only see Whoopers.

Click to expand...

Even the bird at the back of the group in the first photo. It is in front of the significantly larger bird behind, isn't it? And shorter necked.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Mar 28, 2020

• #13

sorry i scrolled up to post 2 only!

 

Last edited: Mar 28, 2020

Deb Burhinus

Used to be well known! 😎

• Mar 28, 2020

• #14

I can see what Andrew means - I had originally put that down to perspective as I thought (wrongfully) the ‘shorter neck’ individual was flying behind its neighbour. The ‘smaller’ one could just be a female (males larger with longer thinner necks). Sorry not helpful ..

 

S

stevethehydra

Well-known member

• Mar 28, 2020

• #15

The front left bird in this pic has to be a Bewick's: https://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=722407&d=1585375748 - not only the very noticeable size difference, but it looks to have significantly less yellow on the bill to me.

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Mar 28, 2020

• #16

stevethehydra said:

The front left bird in this pic has to be a Bewick's: https://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=722407&d=1585375748 - not only the very noticeable size difference, but it looks to have significantly less yellow on the bill to me.

Click to expand...

Yep, that's the one.


Worth adding, pic 2 is just a crop of pic 1.

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Mar 28, 2020

• #17

Otarujef said:

BTW,
Here are additional photos shot 1 minute after the first set.
I THINK it is of the same group. If so Mature and Immature
Whooper Swans???
Thanks!
Jeff

Click to expand...

Pics 3 & 4 are all Whoopers, yes.