Greater white front / Tundra bean goose mixed pair with one young (1 Viewer)

Joern Lehmhus · Oct 11, 2020

- but is that young bird a greater whitefront or a hybrid?

Birds seen today in Braunschweig, Germany

(on the first 3 photos the Tundra bean goose adult is standing directly behind the whitefront adult and the young bird is on the right, on the 4th photo the young bird is on the left, in the 5th the second from left

Joern Lehmhus · Oct 11, 2020

5 more photos

Joern Lehmhus · Oct 12, 2020

Ground coloration of the bird in question did not seem to differ from whitefront, bill was a nuance yellower than in comparable whitefronts closeby, including first year birds , but still a pinkish-flesh colored tone, not really orange. What was different to other first year whitefronts at the same location: the pale markings at the edges of the coverts and tertials appeared whiter and very slightly broader...

...but is this individual variation, or is a hybrid possible here?

lupokatja · Oct 12, 2020

I would have noted this down as a hybrid Tundra Bean x Greater Whitefronted, even without the parents being present. Bill colour is extremely variable in this hybrid, but it is often the first thing I notice:

You've probably seen these, but:
https://oudeversie.waarneming.nl/waarneming/view/147137115
https://oudeversie.waarneming.nl/waarneming/view/166786346
https://oudeversie.waarneming.nl/waarneming/view/167067025

I am sure the more extensive pale markings could be due to the hybrid origin as well, but I think that is more difficult to use as there seems to be considerable individual variation (perhaps less so in juveniles).

Greetings,

Lützen

Joern Lehmhus · Oct 12, 2020

Thank you Lützen for your comment, I had hoped you´d see this.

I am not sure I would have realized this could be a hybrid,
if the 3 birds hadn´t allways stayed together, and two times the bean goose chased away another whitefront, and then came back calling to the adult whitefront and the young bird, stretching the neck more and the adult whitefront as well as the young bird reacted the same, joining in the neckstretching and calling. So it was clear there is a bond between these 3 geese.
Still adoption of goslings or a lone female with a nest has been documented in geese,
But thanks for the links, here are indeed a few geese that could come close
https://waarneming.nl/soort/info/153227?_popup=1

Jörn

Joern Lehmhus · Oct 26, 2020

Same bird , same day but by a friends camera...

does it change something in the ID?

Joern Lehmhus · Oct 26, 2020

cut from photo to show all 3 together - and behind the bean goose is a first year Greater whitefront

lupokatja · Oct 28, 2020

Joern Lehmhus said:
does it change something in the ID?

Not for me. I accept that a mixed pair doesn't equate to hybrid offspring, but I think I would have called this as a probable hybrid even on its own or with only one of the parents present.

Lützen Portengen

Joern Lehmhus · Oct 28, 2020

Thanx

In this bird lower mandible is partly dark,
https://oudeversie.waarneming.nl/waarneming/view/167067025

this was also the case in the first winter but maybe not too much for first winter GWFG

Greater white front / Tundra bean goose mixed pair with one young (1 Viewer)

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