Goose hybrid, Warwickshire, UK (2 Viewers)

[Matt Griffiths]

This goose was at Earlswood Lakes in Warwickshire on the 8th and 9th, and I'm interested in people's thoughts about its parentage.

Noted: Smaller in overall size than nearby Canada Geese when resting and in flight, which it was associating with (Greylags also there, but it didn't associate with them). Head dark with small strip of white along top of upper mandible, plus a tiny bit of white along right side of bill. Bill half pinkish, half orange with dark bits on upper mandible at tip, next to nostril and at base. Cheeks larger than Canada's, "dirty white" and becoming "dirtier" as it extends a little to neck, with dark vertical lines on neck overlapping "dirtiest" side of cheek slightly. Neck shorter in proportion compared to Canada, perhaps slightly thinner but certainly no thicker than Canada, black-brown in colour and gradually merging into breast. Body like Canada but lacking pale breast, bars on folded wings much less distinct, and flanks dark like body. Seemed to be a hint of grey in folded wings, whilst a little blue-grey visible on upperside of flapping wings. Legs definitely pinkish (like http://www.flickr.com/photos/93372558@N00/21421619). Tail black. Vent and undertail-coverts white, with some grey on undertail-coverts.

Matt

 

[Matt Griffiths]

More pics:

 

[billsbirding]

This is a good site for ID of hybrids www.gobirding.eu/Photos/HybridGeese.php but I wouldn't like to hazard a guess at what it is.

 

[TWM]

I would hazard a guess that there could be some Barnacle Goose genes in there and also Whitefront (probably Lesser) but it is VERY definitely a Hybrid.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

I think this bird could also be in the range of Barnacle x Greylag hybrids. grey in wings and small size would point to barnacle, this bill pattern is also occurring in barnacle x greylag, the size would fit and they can be fairly dark birds

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Thanks all for your replies. I notice a very similar hybrid was seen in Cumbria late last year (http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=155413), which appears to be a different individual and perhaps a sibling.

I was wondering if Cackling Goose, like a bird I saw pictured in another thread (http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=134582), might be possible? Also, why is there some grey in the undertail-coverts? Shouldn't it be all white?

Matt

 

[Dave Appleton]

I've not got anything to add to Joern's comment about the ID of this bird, but a comment about the dusky undertail-coverts:

At the Hybrid Birds group on Flickr we've seen quite a number of birds showing dusky markings on the undertail-coverts. At first this seemed surprising as both of the presumed parent species show clean white undertail-coverts, but as time has gone on we have found this to be a common feature of many hybrids between Anser x Branta goose species. It's not invariably present, but is commonly so - I don't know why.

Thanks Bill for the link to my website; most of the birds on there will eventually make their way to the Flickr group, which also enjoys the contributions of many other photographers and folks like Joern who know a lot more than I do about these things, making it a great resource about hybrid geese (and other hybrid birds).

 

[Matt Griffiths]

Thanks Dave. Interesting observations.