| Mel |
| (member) |
| 12/29/13 03:30 PM |
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Help
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Saw a Canada this morning that had a black neck, white cheek patch, black bill and an all-white body. Either had crossed with a snow goose or was albino. Any ideas?
| 67Firebird |
| (Former political advocate) |
| 12/29/13 03:57 PM |
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Re: Help
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Never saw anything like that, but if it had black it wasn't albino. Maybe the equivalent of a piebald deer or turkey.
| sptsman |
| (member) |
| 12/31/13 12:08 PM |
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Re: Help
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Some of the Giant Canada Geese get pretty light in the body. Certainly not white but could look that way if the sun is hitting them just right. Combine that with the white underside and that could be what you saw.
Of course you have the possibility of a crossbreed or a mutation of some sort. I don't think a true albino goose would have the black neck/head and black bill.
Where are the pics of this thing?
| Mel |
| (member) |
| 12/31/13 04:45 PM |
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I was less than 30 yards away. The body was white; WHITE I tell you. Only had my cell phone and brush in between goose and me. No pics. Have to agree on the albino thing after thinking about it.
| Mac |
| (Birding Moderator) |
| 12/31/13 11:44 PM |
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Re: Help
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I suppose the thicker the Canada geese get around these parts the more morphin' we're bound to see. Not a surprise as I see it. I suspect that is what this bird is you describe Mel.
Watch this time of year as you might see get a glimpse of a Brant goose. Only time I saw them really well was at Pony
Express WA where 40-50 dropped in for a day or so.
I have been lucky enough to see 6 species in NA: Canada, Brant, Cackling, Snow, Ross & Whitefront.
A website for more info:http://carolinabirds.org/HTML/NA_Duck_Geese.htm
| Mel |
| (member) |
| 01/01/14 01:50 PM |
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Mac, a whole lot of years ago, I killed a pair of Brants at our sportsman's club between Kearney and Holt. Only ones I ever saw around there.