Grey Goose Identification - Part One -
Greenland vs Russian White-fronted geese
Two first-winter and adult Russian white-fronted geese - Tom Wright
The Greenland white-fronted goose is a winter visitor to
Ireland each year in large numbers. Their main wintering grounds in
Ireland are located at the Wexford wildfowl reserve were 40% of the
worlds population winter. It is estimated that up to 20,000 birds winter in Co.Wexford.
This provides an excellent opportunity to study these birds.
Each winter on the reserve there is another race of white-fronted goose, known as
the Russian white-fronted in Ireland and the European white-fronted elsewhere.
This is the far rarer of the two, with small numbers wintering on the reserve most winters.
The main task is picking them out from their relatives! In this
identification paper I hope to help with doing so. This paper is from an Irish point of view.
(References: Greenland white-fronted wintering numbers per EcoFact
(Dr. Will O'Connor)
twitter page)
Things to take into account when trying to identify Greater White-fronted geese:
One of the most important issues to access when trying to identify white-fronted geese in the field is quite a simple factor. The light! The lighting situations cause most problems when trying to identify tricky birds. This is no different for this subject. In fact, this is probably the most important factor to take into account with these subspecies.
Photos - How the Camera lies:
While taking photographs of birds there are many factors to take into account.
Mainly, if you are a professional. But, if like me you just take image's
of birds for records and fun then these image's can often lie.
What do I mean by this? I will use these image's for example.
Harry HusseyGreenland white-fronted goose Anser albifrons flaviostris
The highest numbers of the Greenland race are found on the Wexford wildfowl reserve (North slob), (see introduction for more information on numbers). Numbers found elsewhere in Wexford are on a far smaller scale, with up to 180 birds wintering each year just north of the reserve at Cahore marsh. Many other sites in the county may have records of this race each year, though they do not tend to spend the winter, likely making their way to the Wexford wildfowl reserve. The Greenland white-fronted tends to be the bigger of the races, though this can be variable due to sexes.
Identification
When identifying Greater white-fronted geese in the field it is very important to remember the variations within the bill colour of both Greenland and Russian birds. This is a highly variable feature of both races. Some Greenland birds may show a pink wash to their bill which can cause confusion and lead to them being identified as albifrons. And some Russian white-fronted can show orange bills. The bill colour is just one of the many features that overlap between both races. In this piece I hope to make the identification of the Greenland and Russian white-fronted goose a little easier and enjoyable. I have spent many hours searching
through the thousands of Greenland birds at the Wexford wildfowl reserve for Russian birds,
and have been lucky to have seen several of these rare vagrants while doing so.
Key Features:
First-winters:
Orange bill (Averageing longer than albifrons) This vary's between sexes. Blaze developing with age. In some cases first-winter birds can show a prominent blaze.
Dark brown head and neck (Averaging darker than albifrons)
Dark brown upper-part tone (This is a highly variable feature)
Under-parts can vary from quite pale to darker brown
Narrow white tail edge
First-winter Greenland white-fronted geese - Richard Bonser
First-winter Greenland white-fronted goose - Will O'Connor
A rather classic first-winter flaviostris. Carrot coloured orange bill, dark brown head, neck flanks and upper-parts. The upper-parts not showing the grey/blue hue of albifrons. Narrow white tail edge.
Adult Greenland white-fronted geese - Will O'Connor
A lovely comparison image of a dark and pale flaviostris. Even though the right hand adult bird appears much paler and perhaps seems to show some albifrons features it is not one. The bill is orange (More so than the left bird), the head, neck, flanks and upper-parts are still slightly differing to that of an adult albifrons. The narrow white tail edge can just about be seen on the left hand bird. This image represent the differences within the flaviostris race.
Adult Greenland white-fronted goose - Richard Bonser
Over all this adult bird is dark, from the head, neck, flanks, under and upper-parts. The only feature that may cause some confusion is the bill colour. It is pinkish just like that of a albifrons. This is a feature that can overlap with both races, as discussed above. A feature to be wary of in the field.
Greenland white-fronted geese (five adult and two first-winter) - Cian Cardiff
This image shows the key identification features of the Greenland race which include; Orange bill, dark head and neck, brown washed flanks, solid black belly and under-part markings, browner upper-parts than albifrons. The bill colour of these birds is more carrot like orange than that of the light pink of albifrons.
Adult Greenland white-fronted goose - Will O'Connor
All round darker than albifrons. Orange washed bill, dark head, neck, under and upper-part tones. Again showing a typical narrow white tail edge.
Adult Greenland white-fronted goose - Mark Carmody
Adult Greenland white-fronted goose - Will O'Connor
An adult flaviostris showing broken and diffused belly and under-part barring. This is a highly variable feature within both races. Overall from this image it is clear that this bird is darker and more browner than albifrons.
Adult Greenland white-fronted geese - Mark Carmody
This image is quite dark, therefore these Greenland white-fronted geese show no features that would be characteristic of the Russian white-fronted. Whereas, if these birds were indeed Russian white-fronted geese in that dull lightning this is likely to cause an identification issue.
Russian White-fronted goose Anser albifrons albifrons
The Russian white-fronted goose, also known as the European white-fronted is a rare winter visitor to Ireland. Coming from the Baltic/North sea population which breeds in European arctic Russia and northwest Siberia. Wintering predominatly in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Sever cold winters are a factor in the increase of albifrons to Ireland. The Russian white-fronted goose is likely to be an under-recorded race each winter. This is mainly due to the fact of the lack of availability of identification papers. Some field guides have good comparison between both races.
References: (WWT Waterbird monitoring, European white-fronted goose) (https://monitoring.wwt.org.uk/our-work/goose-swan-monitoring-programme/species-accounts/european-white-fronted-goose/)
Identification
Key Features:
First-winters:
Short pink bill with a black tip (In certain individuals the bill colour can be more orange to fully orange)
Pale brown head (Substantially paler than flavirostris) with the white blaze developing with age.
Unmarked light brown under-parts, again developing with age.
Averages paler on the upper-parts than flavirostris. More in line with greylag upper-part tone.
Many birds show a lesser amount of black markings on the under-parts to their close relative, though this is a feature that over-laps between both races.
Orange legs, the same for both races.
Broad white tail edge
First-winter Russian white-fronted geese - Fred Visscher
These first-winter birds show an all round pale appearance. Ranging from the head to the upper-parts. With grey/brown flanks and under-parts. Broad white tail edge shown on these youngsters also. The bird on the left shows a more orange tinged bill to the right hand individual. Which on a darker bird may cause some confusion.
First-winter Russian white-fronted goose - Fred Visscher
First-winter Russian white-fronted goose - Fred Visscher
First-winter Russian White-fronted goose - Rasmus Strack
A rather typical first-winter albifrons. Short pink bill with a black tip, begging to form a white blaze, pale head and neck, pale brown scally upper-parts, clean light brown chest.
First-winter Russian white-fronted goose - Milosz Cousens
Key features on this first-winter include; Pink bill, with a black tip, pale brown head and neck, pale grey/brown upper-parts (Colder looking than flaviosris), pale flanks as the under-parts can not be seen. This bird shows a longer neck than many other birds in this paper. A longer bill and bigger body, this suggests that this bird is a male.
Three first-winter and adult Russian white-fronted geese - Janice Sutton
These three first-winter albifrons are rather classic in appearance. Showing the typical features such as; short pink bill, light brown head and short neck, brown/grey wash to the upper and under-parts, broad white tail edge.
Key Features:
Adults:
Short pink bill, averaging shorter than flavirostris. Regarding sexes. Lacking that black tip seen on first-winters.
White blaze above the bill
Pale brown head and neck
Pale brown, scally upper-parts
Diffused black markings on the under-parts (Tending to be less bold in size and shape to albifrons, though is a highly variable feature also)
Broad white tail edge
More typical straightforward birds:
Adult Russian white-fronted geese - John Leason
Two classic adult Russian white-fronted to find in the field. These individuals would be quite striking amongst a flock of Greenland birds. Mainly due to their over all paleness on the upper and under-parts. They also show a host of features that vary from Greenland which include: Pink bill, pale brown head and neck, lighter brown, scally upper-parts than flaviostris, Pale chest, diffused black belly and under-part makings, broad white tail edge.
Adult Russian white-fronted goose - Milosz Cousens
An all round pale adult albifrons showing a short pale pink bill, pale head, neck and chest. Lighter scally brown upper-parts to flavirostris, clean chest with diffused black blotching to the belly and under-parts. Also this bird is a rather short necked individual.
Adult Russian white-fronted geese with barnacle geese - Fred Visscher
Three rather classic adult albifons. The darkest of the three being the left hand individual. Showing a slightly darker brown head. In terms of the upper and under-parts of all three birds they are quite equal. The left hand bird shows an extremely broad white tail edge.
These adult Russian white-fronted geese in the dull lightning they are photographed in above may not be quite as obvious when mixed with a flock of Greenland birds. The bird on the extreme left is the darker of the three birds. This particular individual (if alone) would certainly be a bird that would be easily overlooked within a Greenland flock.
Adult and first-winter Russian white-fronted geese - Fred Visscher
Adult Russian white-fronted geese - Fred Visscher
These adult albifrons contradict the key field identification feature of the diffused black under-part markings that has been used as a feature separating both races for many years. Apart from the heavily marked black belly and under-parts of these birds (The left bird in particular) there is not much else that would suggest flavirostris on this individual.
More subtle Adult albifrons:
Adult Russian white-fronted goose (Greylag right) - Will Scott
This particular individual is a little more like a flaviostris. Though lighting and what the image was taken with, wheather it was with a DSLR, Bridge camera or didgiscoped these are all factors of identifying not just white-fronted but all birds. In this image the bird appears darker headed, darker on the upper-parts than many of the other albifrons in this paper. Though this is a factor in albifons, the light is most likely making this bird appear quite dark. The short pink bill, paler brown head and less bold belly and under-part markings all favour albifrons of flaviosris. And along with all of these features, not to forget one of the key, key features the broad white tail edge. This particular individual maybe a little trickier to pick of a large flaviosris flock.
Adult Russian white-fronted goose - Harry Hussey
This adult bird would not be quite as striking within a large feeding flock of flaviosris. Though this bird is extremely short-necked and billed which would be quite eye-catching features in the field. This bird shows a dark head, neck, flanks and upper-parts. Many images which show darker looking albifrons maybe taken in poor lighting situations. Though this particular bird does appear darker than many other albifrons, though this is likely just due to the image. The camera can lie about a lot of things regarding bird identification (See above for more on this)
Adult Russian white-fronted geese - Fred Visscher
The extreme left hand bird is quite dark on the head and neck from what we consider of a typical albifrons. This is likely to be a male due to its large size. The relativly short pink bill and grey/brown upper-parts, along with the broader white tail edge all suggest that this is a albifrons over flaviosris. Both the adult bird being discussed and the adult on the extreme right both show quite a narrow white tail edge for albifons. Something to be wary of when in the field!
Adult Russian white-fronted geese - Fred Visscher
This adult albifrons, on the right is a bird that again could be over-looked while scanning through a large flock of flaviosris. This bird shows a slightly darker head, neck and flank pattern to a more typical albifrons. The bill shows an orange tint also. The under-part and belly markings are thick and not as barred and diffused as many albifrons. Though this is often a regular feature to see on this race.
First-winter and adult Russian white-fronted geese - Fred Visscher
This first-winter (Center bird with orange bill) Russian white-fronted is one of the rarer birds that show an orange bill. Rather than the typical pink washed bill. There are no other features that are highly in favour of flavirostris. This individuals head colour is quite dark, as is the upper-part tone. Though this bird is still well within the albifrons race. The broad white tail edge can be seen clearly from this image also.
In Flight
Both white-fronted geese race can be identified when seen well in flight. One very important factor to take into account when trying to identify white-fronted geese, not only in flight but on the deck also. Is the light, strong light can make some flaviosris appear a lot paler than they actually are, and likewise with poor light in terms of albifrons.
Greenland white-fronted geese - Conor O'Brien
This three o of flaviosris show a classic range of features in flight which include; Over all dark brown tones, orange bill, dark brown head and neck, under-parts are darker than that of albifrons, dark under-wing, narrow white tail edge.
Russian white-fronted geese in flight - Simon Carrington
Over all a much paler bird than the above flaviosris flock. These particular albifrons show quite short necks, bills and wings. Pale flanks with diffused black belly and under-part markings. The under-wing colour of albifrons is more typical of greylag or pink-footed goose.
No comments:
Post a Comment