Canada Goose with white eye ring and blaze, Germany, today (1 Viewer)

[Andy Hurley]

Hi,

I spotted this Canada Goose today at the Steinhorster Becken in Germany.
It has a strong white eye ring and a bit of a white blaze. Is this in the normal parameters for candensis?

Thanks very much

 

[fugl]

Depends what you means by "normal". See this--

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/sets/72157608895856798/comments/

 

[Andy Hurley]

Depends what you means by "normal". See this--

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/sets/72157608895856798/comments/

point taken. I meant pure as in not a hybrid

 

[stevethehydra]

I've seen a few Canadas with "extra" white on the face in various places - usually, although I might be imagining it, the bigger ones among UK feral flocks. I assume it's just leucism, nothing to do with hybridisation (if there was Barnacle influence, for example, I'd expect some other plumage features suggesting Barnacle, and Branta x Anser hybrids always show obvious things like odd bill and leg colours) - although I have wondered about possible evidence of other subspecies of Canada Goose (in particular B.c. maxima) having contributed to European founder stocks as well as the standard B. c. canadensis - but I guess no feral population can be really considered "pure" down to subspecies...

 

[Andy Hurley]

thanks steve, it appears that the canada geese are a mixed up bunch!