What kind of Hybrid Goose? Belgium (1 Viewer)

[Fulmar]

Seen Jan.27, 2018 in nature reserve Negenoord near Stokkem, Limburg province, Belgium was this hybrid goose. It kept company with a group of Greylag Goose. Anybody has an idea about its descent?

For a good size comparison I left a Greylag Goose in the photo (by Hans van den Boorn).

Regards,
Peter

 

[Hauksen]

Hi Peter,

Seen Jan.27, 2018 in nature reserve Negenoord near Stokkem, Limburg province, Belgium was this hybrid goose. It kept company with a group of Greylag Goose. Anybody has an idea about its descent?

Not that I am any kind of an expert, but the bird reminds me a bit of an Emperor Goose.

Regards,

Henning

 

[stevethehydra]

It looks a lot like a blue phase Snow Goose to me - not sure that it even has to be a hybrid, although a lot of ("normal"/white phase) Snow Goose x other goose sp hybrids can resemble blue Snow.

Do you have any photos from other angles?

 

[Fulmar]

Thanks Steve and Henning! Unfortunately the bird was swimming away from us, and this is the only photo where it turned its head to reveal a side view.

I'm not very familiar with Snow Geese, but in my opinion they mostly have the "blue" going up higher on the neck and also the beak looks a bit small?

Regards,
Peter

 

[stevethehydra]

The bill does look a bit small/slim (though maybe only by comparison with the Greylag?) and possibly lacking in the "grin patch" that is typical of Snow Goose - a pic with the head looking more towards with the camera would help with that though.

 

[Cinereous]

Has a Lesser Snow goose look to it...

 

[birdmeister]

Bill doesn't quite look right for any Snow Goose to me. Also, the apparent unmarked tertials would not fit a blue morph Snow Goose.

I would lean towards a hybrid of some sort, quite possibly with some Snow/Ross' Goose ancestry.

 

[Fulmar]

Another member in our excursion group found that she had two more pictures of the goose. Although I don't think they add much, here they are!

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

Most likely snow or Ross x barnacle.
look at the rather plain , uniform tertials , indicating the otehr parent was a branta goose. on size and shape and location Barnacle goose most likely (other possibility Branta hutchinsii, but certainly no canada)
no grinning patch visible , small billed -so more likely to involve Ross.

a few barnacle x barheaded may look similar , but not with such a pinkish bill
Emperor x barnacle show more black on the bill often some more black featehrs frontally to the neck and often a more scaly boddy pattern

 

[Fulmar]

Thanks a lot for your informative answer Joern!

I just got a few more pictures of the goose, more people from the group photographed it than I originally thought! The photos have been enlarged a lot, three times over the originals. But they are more sideview pictures than the previous ones. This may confirm what you already said?

Cheers,
Peter