Brent goose subspecies? (1 Viewer)

[Twite]

This bird has been identified by locals as a Dark-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla bernicla, a rare bird in the area where B. b. hrota occurs in large numbers each winter. However some visiting birders are identifying it as being from a “Canadian race of Low Arctic Light-bellied Brent Geese” This would constitute a fifth type of brent goose, if you include “Gray-bellied Brant”.

Has anybody heard of this race? We have requested information or references to support this claim, but nothing so far. Internet searches haven’t turned up anything either.

The bird has also been commented upon by some extremely competent birders, who favour its identification as Dark-bellied Brent.

This query probably has less to do with the identity of the bird and more to do with finding out if a “Canadian race of Low Arctic Light-bellied Brent Geese” actually exists in this dark form.

Other opinions very welcome and I would be very grateful for any info.

More photos here.

http://www.sligobirding.com/December2010Gallery.html
http://www.sligobirding.com/RaghlyBrentSp.html

 

[Mícheál]

Has anybody heard of this race?

104 views........and.............silence............nothing.

I thought UK-based viewers of this page would be familiar with Dark-bellied brent. We don't get many in my part of Ireland, so I will join in the collective vow of silence.

Sssssssshhhhhhhh

Mícheál

 

[Hotspur]

Its a Dark-bellied Brent. What a load of crap. dark-bellied light bellied high arctic Brent. Sounds stringy to me.

 

[Twite]

Its a Dark-bellied Brent. What a load of crap. dark-bellied light bellied high arctic Brent. Sounds stringy to me.

Hmmm. Yeah, I know what it is. Just wanted other opinions. Not everyone agrees though http://www.binocularface.co.uk/2011/01/21/ireland-coots-ducks-and-hybrid-gulls/

 

[dan houghton]

Looks like a Dark-bellied to me. Can't see it on the photos but I'm assuming the dark pigmentation on the underparts extends to the rear of the legs? Nothing is suggesting Pale-bellied to me, even the darker end of the spectrum....

 

[Twite]

Looks like a Dark-bellied to me. Can't see it on the photos but I'm assuming the dark pigmentation on the underparts extends to the rear of the legs? Nothing is suggesting Pale-bellied to me, even the darker end of the spectrum....

Heres a pic showing it. Also a link to a page with several good shots of it.

http://www.sligobirding.com/RaghlyBrentSp.html

 

[dan houghton]

Cheers for the link Twite. I still think it looks like a pretty bog standard Dark-bellied Brent. There are greyish tones to the upperparts, flanks too dull etc etc. Also, the photos give the impression of it being slightly larger than the Pale-bellieds. Was this obvious in the field? When we get a Pale-bellied amongst a flock of Dark-bellied down here they almost always look that little bit smaller.

Hope that helps.

 

[Twite]

Cheers for the link Twite. I still think it looks like a pretty bog standard Dark-bellied Brent. There are greyish tones to the upperparts, flanks too dull etc etc. Also, the photos give the impression of it being slightly larger than the Pale-bellieds. Was this obvious in the field? When we get a Pale-bellied amongst a flock of Dark-bellied down here they almost always look that little bit smaller.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for having a look Dan.

No, can't say I got the impression of it being a larger bird. It did get a fair bit of scrutiny, it being a local rarity and all that.

 

[cates]

This bird has been identified by locals as a Dark-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla bernicla, a rare bird in the area where B. b. hrota occurs in large numbers each winter. However some visiting birders are identifying it as being from a “Canadian race of Low Arctic Light-bellied Brent Geese” This would constitute a fifth type of brent goose, if you include “Gray-bellied Brant”.

Has anybody heard of this race? We have requested information or references to support this claim, but nothing so far. Internet searches haven’t turned up anything either.

The bird has also been commented upon by some extremely competent birders, who favour its identification as Dark-bellied Brent.

This query probably has less to do with the identity of the bird and more to do with finding out if a “Canadian race of Low Arctic Light-bellied Brent Geese” actually exists in this dark form.

Other opinions very welcome and I would be very grateful for any info.

More photos here.

http://www.sligobirding.com/December2010Gallery.html
http://www.sligobirding.com/RaghlyBrentSp.html

a mixture of light and dark phases; they do sometime overlap.

 

[Twite]

a mixture of light and dark phases; they do sometime overlap.

Where?

I don't believe they exist.

 

[Mícheál]

a mixture of light and dark phases; they do sometime overlap.

This sounds more like astrology than ornithology.

Where do they overlap, cates?

Mícheál