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Uncertain goose hybrid
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Thanks to Lars, Carl Gunnar and Joern for their initial comments offline. Having taken those into account I sum up my thoughts so far as follows:
- The upperparts, especially the scapulars, appear to be browner than I would expect on either Ross's x Barnacle or Snow x Barnacle. Having said that, some of the Snow x Barnacle in the group do have quite brownish upperparts - but none show such clearly brown tips to the feathers as shown by Alan Ryff's bird above. This feature might point towards Canada or Cackling Goose and away from Barnacle Goose.
- In my opinion Snow x Canada can be ruled out on bill shape - this bird has too stubby a bill for that - one parent must be a short-billed species. The small size supports the view that it isn't Snow x Canada.
- The pale grey forewing is reminiscent of Barnacle Goose much more than Canada or Cackling Goose - but how much might this be influenced by the Ross's or Snow parent? It does seem paler and greyer than on the birds we've so far identified as Snow x Canada.
- The short thick neck favours Ross's Goose over Snow Goose, but could come from a Cackling Goose parent.
Based on this I'm favouring Ross's x Cackling on balance, but I'm very far from sure - and then there's this...
Something I didn't notice at first, and which confuses matters more, is the colour of the bill. It appears to have a distinct orange tone to the bill base - if it is simply Ross's/Snow x Branta sp., where does this orange come from? But surely with the white edged tertials, white axilliaries and not to mention the white on the head, neck and body, the non-Branta parent has to be either Ross's or Snow? And surely the extent of black in the tail proves that one parent is Branta?
I think that either this is a straightforward hybrid that's throwing up one or two unexpected features, or it's a trigen. If the latter, how about Ross's Goose x (domestic Greylag Goose x Canada Goose)?
Posted 14 months ago.
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Some links to other relevant threads:
Ross's Goose x Cackling Goose
Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose
Snow Goose x Barnacle Goose
Snow Goose x Canda Goose
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Originally posted 14 months ago.
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Dave Appleton edited this topic 14 months ago.
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I do not think the orange tone to the base of the bill is a problem, I have seen that in some hybrids that were most likely snow x Barnacle goose, so this can probably occur in such combinations.
I think there was also a yellow tone to the bill in the hybrid barnacle x snow goose from Carl Gunnar?
Originally posted 14 months ago.
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Joern Lehmhus edited this topic 14 months ago.
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OK thanks Joern - well that makes it a bit more straightforward then, although I remain unsure which it is. I hadn't noticed that on Carl Gunnar's hybrids (or had forgotten).
Posted 14 months ago.
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