ML646557776

Podrobnosti k pozorování

Continuing from yesterday. I was very happy for the opportunity to properly see this bird in the daylight after last night’s visit. We can’t rule out some potential hybridization in this individual, but I believe the bird is best identified as a Ross’s goose as opposed to a ROGO x SNGO hybrid due to the preponderance of field marks in favor of Ross’s and a lack of features that fall outside the realm of intraspecific variability for Ross’s goose. The features that I believe are in favor of Ross’s goose are the triangular, short, stubby shape of the bill (close to as tall as it is long); a very clean white head and neck; the lack of a prominent grin patch; the gray base of the bill with pink nail; and the size and shape of the head which appears small and quite rounded with a steep forehead. Different angles of the bird from both my photos and those of others seem to show at times a mostly-vertical (though somewhat uneven) appearance of where the bill meets the face and at other times a slight curve. Birds of the World describes the interface between the facial feathering and the bill as “straight, or nearly straight.” I think “nearly straight” applies here.