Greater White-fronted x Cackling Goose (hybrid) - Sulli Gibson

ML226663541

Greater White-fronted x Cackling Goose (hybrid) Anser albifrons x Branta hutchinsii

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Location

Anchorage Coastal WR--Rabbit Creek
Anchorage Municipality, Alaska, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist
Map
Map Coordinates: 61.0785183, -149.8369717
Age
Not specified
Sex
Not specified

Observation details

*Rare | 1 adult and 2 backcross offspring Greater White-fronted x Canada/Cackling Geese (this taxonomic entry does not exist in eBird). The adult was paired with a pure GWFG. Cackling Goose heritage is probably more likely here due to the petite bill and overall size being smaller than the GWFG (at least for the adult), though there are some extremely petite Canada Geese in Alaska. I originally thought the white-headed bird was a SNGOxCANG, though after reaching out to Steve Mlodinow, he feels it is a better fit for GWFGxCANG/CACG. A Snow Goose hybrid typically shows white edging on the retrices and while the legs look dark in most of the shots, I do have a shot or two where they appear that they could be orange-ish, which would also bad for a Snow Goose hybrid. It is also more logical given the family structure.

Technical information

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