This looks to be quite an interesting goose and from all accounts a hybrid looks like a good bet. Cackling is an interesting choice for part of the parentage but it would be hard to rule out Canada X Brant. In any case a cool looking bird!
Is this bird still being seen at Randall's Island? I wish this was posted earlier if it was seen back in January, as I am sure others including myself, would have liked to study it. Cheers! Andrew Baksh www.birdingdude.blogspot.com > On Mar 16, 2014, at 12:08 AM, AA Fawkes <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi all; > > A hybrid goose has spent the winter with the brant flock on Randall's Island, > first noted (by me, at least) in January the same day the barnacle goose was > found. It appears very similar to a dark brant, but aside from the obvious > darker coloration, particularly on the flanks, and reduced black on the neck, > there is also reduced white uppertail coverts and subtly different head and > neck shape. Brant x Cackling goose has been suggested and seems plausible to > me, although I don't know if this combination has been ever definitively > recorded. A few pictures taken today are on my flickr page, below. Also of > interest, every time I have seen it this bird has kept to the very edge of > the brant flock- the other birds don't seem fond of it. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/elwingflight/sets/72157640157804394/ > > Anya Auerbach > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
