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Probably doesn't have a Canadian passport

By adamg on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 4:25pm
Weird goose in Jamaica Plain

Scott Tetreault wonders what kind of goose he saw in Jamaica Plain today.

Neighborhoods: 
Jamaica Plain
Free tagging: 
Wildlife
geese


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Comments

By Canadian Pirate Linguist on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 5:17pm.

A cross between a Snow Goose and a Greylag goose...or maybe even a Swan/Goose hybrid.

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By anon on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 5:18pm.

Snow Goose?

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By Turtlegeuse on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 5:35pm.

Judging from its orange feet and bill it could be a domestic goose displeased with the current political tenor and considering a move, or it could be a sport (an otherwise ordinary example of an animal but with a genetic abnormality), or a hybrid, probably of a canada goose with either a barnacle goose or domestic goose. My moneys on number 3.

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By Allstonian on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 5:54pm.

Yep, there's enough non-white markings to pretty strongly suggest Canada goose/domestic goose hybrid.

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By Stevil on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 7:45pm.

It's a frankengoose. Some nerds at MIT made it in a lab.

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By SwirlyGrrl on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 6:16pm.

Very possibly a "leucistic" Canada goose.

Leucism is a gene mutation arising naturally in many bird populations, akin to albinism, merle, etc. It could possibly result by crossing with a domestic goose as domestic geese are white and incomplete dominance is possible (which would explain the foot coloration).

http://ecobirder.blogspot.com/2008/12/leucistic-or...

IMAGE(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x29Pef-T4FQ/SURrsMl5rmI/AAAAAAAALVY/s-GB9my3Z5k/s1600/MN08+leucistic+Canadian+goose+107_0156.jpg)

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By anon on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 9:00pm.

A leucistic Canada Goose is still a Canada Goose, longer and thinner necked and legged than this bird.

It's definitely a hybrid and Canada is one of the parents. It doesn't look deep-bellied enough for the other parent to be domesticated (e.g. a "barnyard" Greylag Goose or a Swan/African/Chinese Goose). I suspect Canada x Snow Goose but I've never actually seen that combination. Here are some shots on Flickr that purport to be of Canada x Snow hybrids: https://www.flickr.com/groups/444365@N25/discuss/72157601880379256/ . Snow Geese vary a lot - they come in white and blue forms - so that their vary a lot as well is to be expected.

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By Dave on Mon, 01/02/2017 - 11:17pm.

Adorable

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By Elmer on Tue, 01/03/2017 - 12:57am.

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By foresthills on Tue, 01/03/2017 - 9:03am.

Forest Hills Cemetery, correct?

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By poster on Tue, 01/03/2017 - 2:43pm.

The state bird of Hawaii, who is incidentally descended from some Canada geese that got very, very, very lost about 500,000 years ago.

(It is not a nene, though. That'd be a hell of a commute.)

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