Anthony Hertzel - ahertzel@qwest.net
This morning Peder Svingen, Dave Cahlander, and I had a
chance to study the small goose that has been associating
with a group of Tundra Swans on Deer Lake in Aitkin
County. This bird is unquestionably an immature blue
phase (or possibly an intermediate phase) Snow Goose. The
bill is large and Snow Goose-like with an evident "grinning
patch", unlike the finer bill you would expect for
Brant. The under-wings are very pale -- almost white --
with darker primaries. This is consistent with Snow
Goose, whereas Brant would show entirely dark under wings.
There is what appears to be a pale, partial, whitish
"necklace" which suggests Brant, but it is
incomplete, present only on one side of the neck, and the
pattern is more of a series of vertical stripes rather
than the distinctive web-like marks of a Brant. There are
several additional field marks that also suggest Snow
Goose.
Whether or not this was the same bird reported earlier in
the week is anyone's guess.
Dennis Martin - dbmartin@skypoint.com
I would like to urge other birders to take a good look at
this bird. I am not certain that this is a juvenile
Snow Goose. It may turn out to be so but at this
point I am not convinced of that fact. There are a
couple of marks that cause me to have questions.
First of all is the size of the bird. When it was
next to a female Mallard it was barely bigger. It
was so close in size that if one took a quick look it was
hard to tell them apart by size alone. Secondly I
am not sure that the fact that the white patch on
the side of the neck was only clearly visible form one
side is a reason the consider it a Snow Goose. As a
juvenile bird of one ot the other species it seems to me
that both sides do not have to develope at the same pace.
A number of other field marks of the bird could be
indicative of either species and Tony has detailed some
marks the do seem to indicate Snow Goose. Is it possible
that this could be a hybrid? I haven't found any
information that indicates whether they do or do not
hybridize.
Hopefully some other birders will get permission from the
farmers who own the hay fields on either the north or
south sides of the lake to cross their land to get closer
to the bird to study the shape and defination of the
white on the side of the neck, the bill size and style,
and all the other marks.
Ric Zarwell zarxzar@salamander.com
Lansing, Iowa
Thanks for sharing your photos of this bird. This is a
wonderful use of the Internet. My vote is against the
bird being a Brant. Blue phase of Snow Goose seems to fit
better.
Jim Williams twojays@sirentel.net
Dave. Did you see the underwing? That key mark answers
the question, right? Maybe you could have reached out and
tickled the bird or something, made it raise its wings.
"Hands up! Don't move!"
Terence Brashear - birdnird@yahoo.com
Having seen a significant number of brant in California
while living there I would have to say that this does not
look like a brant.
The overall feel I get for this bird is a blue snow goose.
The plumage and jizz is not consistant with any of the
juvi brant I have seen.
Nice to have a puzzler though.
Jim Mattsson - mattjim@earthlink.net
As a wildlife biologist / birder who has worked with and
studied waterfowl (including arctic geese) for much of my
career , I offer the following comments. In my humble
opinion, the bird shown in these photos by D. Cahlander
shows typical characteristics of an immature snow goose (blue
phase), i.e., smoky-gray overall plumage, largish head
and bill
with black grin patch, (Brant looks small-headed with
very small bill - imm. blue phase Ross's Goose also has
small bill with no grin patch and more rounded head shape),
and light borders to greater secondary and tertial
coverts, giving a striped (on the same axis as the body)
appearance to the back of the bird (Brant is mostly
uniform dark on the back with faint light bars that are
more perpendicular to the axis of the body). This is
quite evident in the lower photo. The undertail coverts
also appear dull, dusky white (juvenile Brant would look
whiter in contrast). The white neck mark refered to by
others is not evident in these photos; however, there is
much variation (due to intergrades between blue and white
phases) in the amount of white markings on juvenile snow/blue
geese, e.g. some show neck markings with stippling,
streaks, blotches, etc. Although possibly distorted
by the telelphoto lens, the size of the goose compared to
the Tundra Swan in upper left photo seems to me more
consistent with snow goose than the smaller Brant. The
fact that Tony Hertzel noted pale underwings with dark
primaries is fully consistent with snow goose and, to me
at least, rules out Brant which shows all dark on the
under wing.
Now, the question I have - are we all talking about the
same bird?
Chris Benson - chrisb@fullcircleimage.com
My vote is for Snow/Blue Goose. No doubt about it
at all. The bill is way too big. The pattern on the
wings is way off. Etc. Etc. Etc. I'll let you know when a
Brant does show up in Rochester. Hopefully on Silver Lake
and not in a hunter's bag. Good Birding,
