next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --Boundary_(ID_qxr6Ao0q/791IPXuitIWNg) Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT My fear about possible escapees were as it turns out well founded! The Greater White-fronted Geese I reported yesterday are in fact probably a rare domestic escapee known as Pilgrim Geese. I can find no information on the genetics of the Pilgrim Geese but folk culture has them coming over with the pilgrims although some say they were bred during the great depression. The identification give away is the larger bill, thick necks and short wings. Interestingly, on my very first trip to Cape Sable Island a little over nine years ago I spotted a Bar-headed Goose swimming off shore, but I got that one right. Here are some comments from Ronald G. Arsenault. Hans, I think you are right when you wonder about possible escapees. The triangular beak, resulting in a straight sloping profile (like an eider), the heavy appearing bodies, rather thick necks and short wings all suggest domestic birds. These look like female Pilgrim Geese (the only sexually dimorphic breed of geese), the breed most likely to be confused with White-fronted Geese as they do have white patch at the base of the bill (although quite variable) and are relatively "light" for a domestic breed. However, it may not be the only breed which might resemble a White-fronted Goose. The White-fronted Goose does not have as large a beak and thus it does not have the straight line profile, resulting in a "forehead", though perhaps not as pronounced as in some other species. I would also expect the birds to be slimmer and with longer wings. Compare a White-fronted Goose here: http://www.1000birds.com/latest2007114GWFG.htm with a Pilgrim female here: http://performancepoultry.com/assets/images/duck2.jpg Hope this is helpful. Ron Ronald G. Arsenault Memramcook, N.B. _________________________________ Hans Toom Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada Website: http://hanstoom.com _________________________________ --Boundary_(ID_qxr6Ao0q/791IPXuitIWNg) Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16809" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My fear about possible escapees were as it turns out well founded!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The <STRONG>Greater White-fronted Geese</STRONG> I reported yesterday are in fact probably a rare domestic escapee known as <STRONG>Pilgrim Geese.</STRONG> I can find no information on the genetics of the Pilgrim Geese but folk culture has them coming over with the pilgrims although some say they were bred during the great depression. The identification give away is the larger bill, thick necks and short wings. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Interestingly, on my very first trip to Cape Sable Island a little over nine years ago I spotted a <STRONG>Bar-headed Goose</STRONG> swimming off shore, but I got that one right.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Here are some comments from Ronald G. Arsenault.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <DIV><EM>Hans,</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM></EM> </DIV> <DIV><EM>I think you are right when you wonder about possible escapees. The triangular beak, resulting in a straight sloping profile (like an eider), the heavy appearing bodies, rather thick necks and short wings all suggest domestic birds. These look like female Pilgrim Geese (the only sexually dimorphic breed of geese), the breed most likely to be confused with White-fronted Geese as they do have white patch at the base of the bill (although quite variable) and are relatively "light" for a domestic breed. However, it may not be the only breed which might resemble a White-fronted Goose.</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM></EM> </DIV> <DIV><EM>The White-fronted Goose does not have as large a beak and thus it does not have the straight line profile, resulting in a "forehead", though perhaps not as pronounced as in some other species. I would also expect the birds to be slimmer and with longer wings.</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM></EM> </DIV> <DIV><EM>Compare a White-fronted Goose here: </EM><A href=""><EM>http://www.1000birds.com/latest2007114GWFG.htm</EM></A></DIV> <DIV><EM>with a Pilgrim female here: </EM><A href=""><EM>http://performancepoultry.com/assets/images/duck2.jpg</EM></A></DIV> <DIV><EM></EM> </DIV> <DIV><EM>Hope this is helpful.</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM></EM> </DIV> <DIV><EM>Ron</EM></DIV> <DIV><EM></EM> </DIV> <DIV><EM>Ronald G. Arsenault<BR>Memramcook, N.B.<BR></EM></DIV></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>_________________________________<BR>Hans Toom<BR>Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR>Website: <A href="http://hanstoom.com">http://hanstoom.com</A> <BR>_________________________________</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> --Boundary_(ID_qxr6Ao0q/791IPXuitIWNg)--
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects