weird honker

[MN Shutterbug]

I'm in Kentucky right now, and ran across this strange goose at a NWR. It's got to be a Canada goose because his wife is in the second pic. An Old timer I talked to says he has never seen a Canada that looked quite like this either. He also told me that this female sat on this same nest last year, with no luck. This year, she has been on her nest every day for 2 months. Something isn't quite right.

[bobbymalone]

That looks like an escaped domestic goose or a canada X domestic hybrid to me. Whatever it is, it ain't a pure canada. the no luck on the nest stuff might point towards hybrid too... sterile like a mule.

[The Hammer]

Looks like it could be a mix of a snow or blue goose. It might even be a cross with a spec. The bill looks like a snow. It might be a domestic goose. I have shot some weird cross breeds before and that one looks like it is cross bred.

[bobbymalone]

here is a canada x greylag goose hybrid

[dockothebay]

I hear banjo music!

[Raider4ever]

I hear banjo music!

C'mon now, squeal like Teal

[half-dutch]

We've got one like that on the Mississippi here in Minneapolis, too. He seems to have no luck keeping a mate or raising gooslings either. I'll have to have a closer look at his bill, to see what the color is, but best guess is a sterile hybrid, a mule, like was suggested. That happens more often in the wild than most realize.

[Steve Foss]

Kentucky? Kentucky!

Dude, pay no attention to Jackie's banjos. "Deliverance" wasn't set in Kentucky anyway.

You are in a photographer's paradise right now. Hope you're getting some full CF cards. I'm especially interested in seeing some photographs of he!!benders and sirens. Don't get those nasty things up here in the boreal forest. Heck, long as you're down there, I bet you are busy noodling for flathead catfish.

Wild geese and some dabbling ducks seem to interbreed with domestics pretty darn easily. To me, that means the domesticated varieties haven't evolved too far from their wild ancestors. If you can cross a wolf with a dog, you can cross a wild goose/duck with a domesticated goose/duck.

Whether the resulting goose and duck crosses are sterile or fertile I don't know, but often in the animal world an individual that looks quite different has a hard time being accepted, so it may simply be that the oddball can't find a willing mate. Hmmm, not so different from the human world, when you think about it.

[gatorhunter]

Looks like a cross between a Canada and a Speckle Belly (White Front). Very unusual indeed!

[wahoohendoo]

agree with the honker/spec mix. the pink bill,feet and the neck feathers leans this way.