Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 18:20:50 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: "Rob (Robert) Hilton" Subject: Black Hill Geese In-Reply-To: <000501c082d8$688d2040$5f6196d1@oemcomputer> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Hi Bob and Fred, I think the bird Fred saw has ancestry in both Canada Goose and Swan Goose, Anser cygnoides: I have seen this cross at Black Hill Park as well as other places. Last weekend (Jan. 14) at Schoolhouse Pond in Upper Marl. there was one (two?) wild-type Swan Goose among all the various geese and Mallards. This species is the only "gray" (Anser) goose with a black bill. It is also the only one in the genus that has a (rather) dark top of the head and back of the neck which contrast with the pale tan/creamy front and sides of the neck. The illustration in the Sibley guide shows a creamier chest and flanks than Graylag and Greater White-fronted Goose, and also a narrow white ring around the base of the bill. At 45 inches it is longer than wild Graylag (34" for barnyard type in Sibley), Barnacle (27"), and Greater White-fronted Goose (28"). Indeed Swan Goose is longer than most forms of Canada Geese (25-45" for the various forms in Sibley), and all other species of Anser (measurments in the recent Mullarney and Svensson or Collins bird guide for western Palearctic). Graylag is indeed the common barnyard goose, and is the ancestral species of the European white goose. Swan Goose is the ancestor of the Chinese goose (which is also white). Barnyard Graylag Goose can be much longer than 34 inches. On Jan. 14 at Schoolhouse Pond there were two (one?) gray Graylag Geese and one (two?) white Graylag Goose, each fully as long as the three Swan Geese (one or two wild-color and two or one white color). While they were about the same length, the Graylag Geese were clearly bigger as they are much more bulkier, with a thicker neck and larger head than the more swan-like Swan Geese. One can see both Graylag and Swan Geese in the DC area among other waterfowl--I have seen birds intermediate in color between (and hanging out among) the wild coloration and the pure white. I have also seen Canada X Swan Geese on a farm pond in West Virginia, among other places. Good birding, Rob Hilton robert@csa.com Bethesda, Md. At 06:59 AM 1/20/01 -0500, you wrote: > The hybrid goose most frequently seen in this area is probably a Canada >Goose X Graylag Goose. Graylag is the common barnyard species. It comes in >color variations from its true gray to all white and may even show white at >the base of the bill. Some of these Graylags and their hybrids seem to be >resident. I have seen them regularly at Black Hill Park, Piney Run Park, >Westminster Reservoir, and elsewhere. Of course, there is no proof that >this is actually what is producing the hybrids but it is the most likely >case. Even in England where there are feral populations of both species >these hybrids occur. > >Bob Ringler >Eldersburg > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Fred Shaffer >To: >Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 10:06 PM >Subject: [MDOSPREY] Black Hills Regional Park > > >> I visited Black Hills Regional Park in Montgomery County this >> afternoon in an attempt to see the Harlequin Duck. In the area around the >> visitor's center, while I didn't see this duck, there were large numbers >of >> geese, Ring Necked Ducks, Buffleheads, Canvasbacks, Coots, 2 Hooded >> Mergansers, and Common Goldeneye. My wife pointed out a "funny looking" >> goose very close to the shore among the many Canada Geese. I got good >> looks at the bird and it appeared to be a Barnacle X Canada Goose hybrid. >> It had a tan body, white rump, brown breast, black neck and top of head, >> large white face patch, and black bill. >> >> In other news, the Whooper Swan has continued at Schoolhouse Pond >> through yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. I did not check today. The bird >> always offers spectacular views in the open water by the boardwalk. The >> bird does not appear to have been banded. >> >> Fred Shaffer >> Crofton, MD >> pamthePT@aol.com >> >> ======================================================================= >> To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >> with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >> ======================================================================= >> > >======================================================================= >To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com >with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey >======================================================================= > ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =======================================================================