Ross's Goose in St. Louis County
2014-10-09

Uncommon in St. Louis County in the Fall season

Adult white-morph Ross's Goose (Chen rossii) at Port Terminal, Duluth, 9 October 2014. This individual shows Ross's relatively short, thick, neck, and carbuncular protuberances along the base of its bill, but its head shape is not as neatly rounded as a classic "Horned Wavy". Its forehead slopes towards the base of the bill (reminiscent of Snow Goose), resulting in a minimal angle between the forehead and culmen. The base of the bill does look rather vertical, which is consistent with Ross's Goose. Depending on your point of view, the bill may look very slightly elongated and not quite as "stubby" or "triangular" in shape as one might expect for pure Ross's Goose. Are these characters within normal range for Ross's or could this be a backcross of Ross's X Snow Goose? Comments are welcome.

Peder H. Svingen