ML611915143

Observation details

Flying in V with Tundra swans. Appears too small for Snow Goose, and although scale is unreliable with airborne birds, there are a number of other features that indicate it is Ross's: Wings appear slender compared to Snow Goose; and the neck is proportionally shorter in relation to its body. Head is small and bill appears to be on the short side. I spent quite a while sifting through photos of both species in Macaulay looking for shots from directly below--including this one of my own: ML280163531 What I have noted is that from directly below the Snow Goose's jaw usually appears wider and its neck appears more slender--or tapers in more towards the middle than the neck of Ross's. The goose I photographed here appears to have a short, relatively thick neck that transitions smoothly to a small head without much differentiation of width. Theoretically it could still be a hybrid, so if these photos are not conclusive enough I can change it back to Snow/Ross's

Additional species

• Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus