[mou] Snow Goose - Locke Park (Anoka County)

[rdunlap at gac.edu]

I wouldn't call this bird a hybrid for the following reasons:

The "clean white head" of a Ross's Goose is not diagnostic; Snow Geese  
can also have very white heads, with little or no yellowish wash in  
the face. The amount of yellow that Sibley shows on the heads of Snow  
Geese is quite liberal and perhaps even exaggerated in some of his  
illustrations.

The bill's shape and size, including the "grin patch," appear to be  
the correct  dimensions of the average Snow Goose bill.

If it were a hybrid, I would expect the size of the bird to be  
noticeably smaller than it appears to be. I would also look for a  
stubbier bill with a less noticeable "grin patch."

Bob Dunlap






Quoting Jason Bolish <jbolish5565 at comcast.net>:

> I looked over a few of the Canada Goose flocks in the area this morning &
> didn't see the Snow Goose.
> Thanks for all of the comments on this bird!  Latest consensus has been a
> SnowXRoss Hybrid (great analysis in the Sibley Book page 79.)  Pure white
> head of a Ross's with a larger bill of a Snow.  Here is a closup of the bird
> & other shots:
>
> http://www.bolioshot.com/photography/images/sng8rc1017closeup.jpg
> http://www.bolioshot.com/photography/images/sng4rc1017.jpg
> http://www.bolioshot.com/photography/images/sng6rc1017.jpg
>
> Jason Bolish
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rdunlap at gac.edu [mailto:rdunlap at gac.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 9:12 AM
> To: Steve Weston
> Cc: Jason Bolish; Minnesota MOU
> Subject: Re: [mou] Snow Goose - Locke Park (Anoka County)
>
>
> At least in the first photo it does appear that the bird is somewhat
> smaller than the Canada Goose; however, notice that this bird is
> behind the Canada Goose in the same image, and thus its size is
> distorted by perspective. In the next two images, its size looks
> appropriate for a Snow Goose.
>
> Also, the bill has the quite noticeable "grin" patch of a Snow Goose,
> and is not short and stubby as on a Ross's Goose.
>
> Bob Dunlap
>
>
>
>
>
> Quoting Steve Weston <sweston2 at comcast.net>:
>
>> I can not see enough detail and it may be larger than it appears, but
>> from the pictures this looks like a Ross's Goose to me.
>>
>> Steve Weston
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jason Bolish"
> <jbolish5565 at comcast.net>
>> To: "Minnesota MOU" <mou-net at moumn.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 9:50 AM
>> Subject: [mou] Snow Goose - Locke Park (Anoka County)
>>
>>
>>> Right now there is a Snow Goose with a flock of Canada Geese in the
> parking
>>> lot on the North side of Columbia Arena in Fridley (University Ave & 69th
>>> Ave.)  I noticed a bright white Goose in with the Canada's when they were
>>> landing.  With the GWF Goose showing up in Eden Prairie this week with
>>> Canadas, who knows what will be next.
>>>
>>> There are some pics with comparison to Canada Goose here:
>>> http://www.bolioshot.com/photography/images/sng1rc1017.jpg
>>> http://www.bolioshot.com/photography/images/sng2rc1017.jpg
>>> http://www.bolioshot.com/photography/images/sng3rc1017.jpg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
>