Hybrid Goose - St Albans (28-Sep-20) (1 Viewer)

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PW23

Well-known member

• Oct 3, 2020

• #1

Hello,

I spotted this goose with the Canada geese earlier this week on Verulam Lake. It looks like a hybrid and having googled, I think it looks similar to Ross's goose x Barnacle goose hybrids. The UK seems well outside of the range of Ross's goose but there so seem to be records of vagrants and escapes. Orange legs are a bit confusing. Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

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Alexander Stöhr

Well-known member

• Oct 3, 2020

• #2

Hello orange-yellow leg colour points towards an Emperor Goose hybrid. Learning from Joern and literature, the leg colour is often more chrome-yellow in this hybrids. Small, all dark bill points towards Barnacle Goose as the second species, but I better wait for others to jump in here and learn from them!

 

mummymonkey

Registered User

Supporter

• Oct 3, 2020

• #3

This seems to confirm Alexander's thoughts.

http://birdhybrids.blogspot.com/2014/02/emperor-goose-x-barnacle-goose.html

 

P

PW23

Well-known member

• Oct 3, 2020

• #4

Brilliant thanks both!

 

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

• Oct 4, 2020

• #5

Agree; see this, with both parent species
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14195020@N08/3208841459/in/dateposted-public/
please note that leg color and amount of white on head and neck are somewhat variable, also there is a bit of variation in the darkness of the breast;

however, there is always a yellow to orange component in the leg coloration in this hybrid...