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This interesting photo appears to show a hybrid between a Canada
Goose and a blue morph Snow Goose. Note the dark undertail-coverts
which are unusual among geese, except for some juvenile Blue Snow
Geese and Emperor Geese, although it seems to be a feature thrown up
by several other hybrids.
Presumed Canada Goose x Blue Snow Goose hybrid, Camden Park,
Sacramento (California, USA), 19th May 2007 - photo
by Pete
Baer.
Three different birds:
Canada Goose x Snow Goose hybrids, Church Road, Monroe County (New
York, USA), 8th-14th March 2009 - photos
by Chris
Wood.
The following bird has also been identified as a hybrid between a
Canada Goose and a blue morph Snow Goose, but note Joern's comment
below which relates to this bird.
Probable Canada Goose x Blue Snow Goose hybrid, Aurora, Cayuga Lake
(New York, USA) -photo by pinicola.
Another difficult birdshere but Canada x Snow seems the likeliest
solution.
Probable Canada Goose x Snow Goose hybrid, Sweden, 10th October 2006
- photos by Carl-Gunnar
Gustavsson.
Canada Goose x Snow Goose hybrid, Greeley, Weld County (Colorado,
USA), 28th November 2011 - photos
by William Schmoker (and
brought to us with commentary by Steve
Mlodinow.
Presumed Canada Goose x Snow Goose hybrid, Saltholme (Teeside, UK),
6th December 2011 - photo
by Ian F (and brought
to us by Yashca1.
Probable Canada Goose x Snow Goose, Cayuga (New York, USA), 31st
January 2012 - photo
by Melissa
& Wade.
Originally posted at 1:55PM, 5 September 2007 PST (permalink)
Dave Appleton edited this topic 3 days ago.
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I'
d love to see more details, as this is a very dark individual of
this hybrid combination...
The only other possibility here might be Canada x greater
whitefront, but the distribution of white quite far down the neck
makes this less likely (but perhaps not impossible). A broadly
similar distribution of dark and white on the neck can also be seen
in a few Barnacle x Snow geese.
Apart from the overall darkness of the bird there is no white border
to the tertials; these 2 features might mean that the Snow goose
involved was a Blue phase bird?
Originally posted 53 months ago. (permalink)
Joern Lehmhus edited this topic 26 months ago.
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Thread updated to show a new photo of this hybrid - Joern's comment
above relates to pinicola's photos that were the ones which started
this discussion thread.
Originally posted 53 months ago. (permalink)
Dave Appleton edited this topic 43 months ago.
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I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any thoughts on whether or
not this might be a Snow x Canada hybrid:
unidentified goose, blue Snow Goose or hybrid, Littleton (Colorado,
USA) - photo by Chuck
Roberts.
My view is that it's not a pure Snow Goose but other views would be
welcome.
Originally posted 50 months ago. (permalink)
Dave Appleton edited this topic 36 months ago.
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Dave,
this last one from Chuck Roberts shows a black tail---shouldnŽt even
a blue-Phase snow show a white tail?
Posted
50 months ago. (permalink)
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Yes, good point - I didn't notice that. Any ideas on what hybrid it
is then?
Posted
50 months ago. (permalink)
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Initial thread updated to include some good new photos of what seems
to be another one of these.
Posted
44 months ago. (permalink)
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I
have uploaded some pictures of another rather similar bird,
photographed in the autoumn some years ago, possibly 2002. My
initial hypothesis was Canada Goose x Snow Goose. A very similar
bird, presumably the same, returned to the same place in the spring
of the following year. The bird then had a distinct limp. After
supplementary photographs that spring, the discussion ended up with
the idea that it probably was a Snow Goose x (Canada Goose x
Barnacle Goose). To me, the wings made a Barnacle Goose like
impression whereas the standing bird looked rather Canada Goose
like. On one occasion, it was only about 50 meters from a well known
hybrid between a male Snow Goose and a female Barnacle Goose - the
two birds then made a much more similar impression than when
pictures of the two hybrids were compared.
Addendum 27 March 2007: This bird I commented here is the "Lomma
hybrid" which has now been moved to Barnacle Goose x Snow Goose
hybrids.
Originally posted 44 months ago. (permalink)
C G Gustavsson edited this topic 35 months ago.
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Carl,
I think both your birds are likely snow x canada goose.
But this is a very variable type of hybrid, even more so than the
already very variable Snow x Barnacle goose. Distribution of white
feathers on underwing seems to hint your photos are of 2 different
birds.
Some more snow x canada for comparison:
image08.webshots.com/8/5/87/64/2358587640053358297TYACgv_...
image59.webshots.com/459/1/91/85/2176191850053358297DOJMK...
www.pbase.com/dhalsall/image/81463770
www.pbase.com/image/96556447
www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Photos/Waterfowl/CANG_WhiteHead...
There are some fairly similar -looking hybrids domestic x canada
goose on the weband also here on flickr. but your birds with their
pinkish leg colour, black lower mandible, relatively slender build
and fairly pale belly look good for canada x snow goose
And here some Barnacle goose x snow goose:
waarneming.nl/foto_details.php?id=123659
waarneming.nl/foto_details.php?id=119063
waarneming.nl/foto_details.php?id=106883
Originally posted 43 months ago. (permalink)
Joern Lehmhus edited this topic 43 months ago.
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Initial thread updated (belatedly - sorry) to include Carl's photos
referred to above by Carl and Joern.
Posted
43 months ago. (permalink)
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I
just uploaded some additional pictures of what I presume to be my
second hybrid, the one from the autoumn 2002. These pictures were
taken at the same location in late April 2003 and the birds look
very similar so I presume it is the same individual.
The first individual is clearly another one, clearly larger than the
Barnacle Geese and in my opinion also slender like a Canada Goose
whereas the second one was only marginally larger than a Barnacle
GooseŽand stouter.
Originally posted 43 months ago. (permalink)
C G Gustavsson edited this topic 43 months ago.
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Initial thread updated to include Carl's latest batch of photos. I'm
intrigued about the smaller bird - I can see why you considered Snow
Goose x (Canada Goose x Barnacle Goose).
Originally posted 43 months ago. (permalink)
Dave Appleton edited this topic 43 months ago.
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Re: anser x branta hybrids: I have compared the pictures above to a
relatively large number of Greylag x Canada hybrids and it seems to
me that the latter invariably have all-dark tail feathers but at
least some of the presumed Snow Goose hybrids have white-tipped. In
a hybrid male Snow goose x female Barnacle goose (also at Flickr)
tail feathers were largely white. Other Barnacle x anser hybrids
seem to have all-dark tail feathers.
I would like to in this experienced Flickr hybrid group test the
hypothesis that pale-tipped feathers in branta hybrids might be an
indicator of Snow Goose ancestry . Please - all arguments against my
suggestion are most welcome.
Originally posted 39 months ago. (permalink)
C G Gustavsson edited this topic 39 months ago.
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Carl-Gunnar, IŽd agree with that thought re tail feather coloration,
but would include Ross goose ancestry and possibly Emperor goose
ancestry .
I would put the hypothesis like that : partially white tipped tail
feathers in Branta hybrids might be an indicator of Snow Goose
ancestry or Ross Goose ancestry .
Partially white based or white bordered tail feathers in Branta
hybrids could also indicate Emperor goose ancestry.
Posted
39 months ago. (permalink)
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Today I got additional information suggesting that the Lomma hybrid
in fact is one out of 3 siblings from a cross male Blue Goose x
female Barnacle Goose.
Posted
36 months ago. (permalink)
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Interesting that the Lomma hybrid looks so much like some Snow x
Canada!
Carl-Gunnar, you mention that the Lomma hybrid was only marginally
bigger than the barnacle geese he was with, while the other hybrid
was bigger.
After looking at the photos again and again, to me there is one
other point apart from size that may be showing the Lomma hybrid to
be Barnacle x Snow goose: The upper wing coverts look very similar
to barnacle goose in the Lomma hybrid , but much browner and less
patterned in the other hybrid you posted (I see you realized that
before).
That means thereŽs a good chance we misidentified the Lomma hybrid
here-however, i am still intrigued that it doesnt show the slightest
sign of a darker breast...but when looking at other photos I notice
that there is also in several other barnacle x snow goose no real
dark breast, only a dark spur going downwards is positioned where
the borderline of black breast and pale flanks is in barnacle goose
...
Originally posted 36 months ago. (permalink)
Joern Lehmhus edited this topic 36 months ago.
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Initial thread updated to include 3 new photos. Also the Lomma
hybrid referred to above has now been transferred to this
thread.
Posted
36 months ago. (permalink)
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Hello everyone,
I took pictures of this goose in February 2009 in Novato, CA
(specifically at Stafford Lake). I figured it was a Canadian Goose
hybrid, but wasn't sure what it was crossed with. It looks very
similar to some of the pictures you all have posted of the snow x
canadian hybrid.. Any feedback/opinions would be great! thx
Posted
35 months ago. (permalink)
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Hi
Melanie & welcome to the group (and to Flickr). I agree it's very
similar to the birds on this thread but I think I can see a couple
of differences which make me think it's something else. The legs
appear an orangey-ochre colour, not dull pink which I'd expect on a
hybrid between a pink-legged Snow Goose and a black-billed Canada
Goose. There's no sign of the Snow Goose's pale edges to the
tertials which are often present on Snow Goose hybrids, but that
doesn't prove anything as some of the other birds in this thread
don't have them either. However the clincher for me is the
structure. This bird seems to have a really heavy rear body, which
is often a feature of domestic (barnyard) geese. I suspect therefore
that this bird is a hybrid between a Canada Goose and a domestic
goose.
Posted
35 months ago. (permalink)
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Thanks for your feedback Dave, I appreciate your expertise... and I
am sure you are right, as there are quite a few domestic geese in
the area.
Posted
35 months ago. (permalink)
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I
agree with Dave, domestic x Canada goose, due to the points
mentioned already by Dave
Posted
34 months ago. (permalink)
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