took these at a local city park pond. can anyone identify the birds? i know they arent anything exotic, but to a city kid like me....

thanks

[JCSullivan]

I believe it is none other than a snow goose. Bird ID can be aquired from the link in my sig.

[LED]

The second is the domestic goose (common goose). Or at least that's how we call them in my country.

[BPT]

This is another good bird ID site Birds of North America - Whatbird.com

[Lowell Goudge]

My first reaction was a greater white fronted goose, but this is not quite right.

It may be either a cross between the greater white fronted goose and a snow goose, or greater white fronted goose and canada goose.

[JCSullivan]

This is another good bird ID site Birds of North America - Whatbird.com

Thanks for the link - EXCELLENT

[SCGushue]

My first reaction was a greater white fronted goose, but this is not quite right.

It may be either a cross between the greater white fronted goose and a snow goose, or greater white fronted goose and canada goose.

Lowell,

Got to agree with you that it is a hybrid of some sort. Clearly nothing one can put on their bird count list.

Guess geese have an "any port in a storm" philosophy too.

Stephen

[Lowell Goudge]

Lowell,

Got to agree with you that it is a hybrid of some sort. Clearly nothing one can put on their bird count list.

Guess geese have an "any port in a storm" philosophy too.

Stephen

Stephen

I use Sibley's guide to birds. Author/illustrator is the son of one of the main ornothologists in establishing a coherent listing of bird species.

He shows illustrations of both immature and mature versions of all species, varients in populations for different birds, and also crosses between species, where known.

It is the best guide for north americal birds that I have, and it does not show these geese, but shows some very close to them crosses

As you suggest any port in a storm.

[craftsmansky]

are we talking about the dark beaked or orange beaked birds? is the protuberance on the forehead a dimorphism? i dont see it on the examples of white front or snow geese in the audubon guide.

thanks

[SCGushue]

are we talking about the dark beaked or orange beaked birds? is the protuberance on the forehead a dimorphism? i dont see it on the examples of white front or snow geese in the audubon guide.

thanks

Truth is that I don't think that these are any form of wild geese... at least here in North America. To the best of my knowledge and studies in college there are no native or migratory birds with cephalic protruberances.

When I saw these images (nice shot BTW) I thought of them (the Gicen... plural for goose ) as the barnyardvariety/type of geese that you see at a state fair or from some European backwoods farmyard breed.

Stephen

[craftsmansky]

that would explain much...i havent spent much time around barnyard variety anything.

which allows me to make another completely uneducated statement. i was not aware that some birds had such pronounced serations on the beak. i can see where it would be helpful in breaking tough grasses and such, but still a surprise.

[JCSullivan]

This is getting interesting. Since you say you shot these in a City Park - why not call the Parks Dept or Authority and ask.

[BrianK]

From what I could find searching online and what I remember when we kept geese. #1 is a Brown Chinese goose and the other two are domestic geese (Grey goose), possibly a pair.

There are so many crossbreed geese and ducks that it is almost impossible to tell for sure. Nice shots anyway. It looks like you had a bit of sunshine which is more than my area.

[Lowell Goudge]

From what I could find searching online and what I remember when we kept geese. #1 is a Brown Chinese goose and the other two are domestic geese (Grey goose), possibly a pair.

There are so many crossbreed geese and ducks that it is almost impossible to tell for sure. Nice shots anyway. It looks like you had a bit of sunshine which is more than my area.

going back through my books again, I indeed found photos of both, You have hit the nail on the head. Well done.

In my books, they are Swan (chineese) Goose and Greyleg (Barnyard) Goose. in the description is the following

"The common domestic forms below are found on farm ponds and city parks. Interbreeding produces a bewildering variety of plumages and sizes; some bear little resemblance to the parent species."

[craftsmansky]

thanks to all for helping this barnyard deprived city kid.

good detective work.