Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 11:35:22 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Marshall Iliff Subject: Re: Very small form Canada at Belle Haven MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gail et al., Maryland has no well-documented records of Cackling Canada Goose (B.c. minima). One photo of a supposed _minima_ does look very small but has a quite pale breast not really consistent with _minima_. A couple other reports have not included good descriptions of the breast color that the Belle Haven bird appears to show and which should be diagnostic for Cackling. This sets them apart from the more common Richardson's (B.c. hutchinsii) which has a breast paler than most resident (mutts) or migratory (B.c. canadensis) Canadas. For anyone who sees this bird in the future PLEASE PLEASE photograph it, video it, or at least submit a written description to the Maryland Records Committee. Especially if small Canada Geese are split out, we will want to track the occurrence of these smaller forms. The possibility of an escapee is not to be overlooked, especially since some other potential captives seem to be raoming the area...the presence of a _minima_ does not support natural vagrancy of the Barnacle Goose (while Richardson's and Greenland White-fronts in the area _would_ be slightly supportive...). Best, Marshall Iliff PS - Gail, any chance you can send me a copy of the Birtish goose article? *********************** Marshall Iliff miliff@aol.com Annapolis, MD ************************ ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================