How to Identify Hybrid Geese

Geese willingly hybridize, both in captivity and in the wild. Identifying the offspring from a cross breeding is not always easy. Most hybrid geese show considerable variation in their physical appearance and some do not resemble either of their parents in looks. In select cases, a hybrid goose may resemble a species other than the two involved in its conception. The hybrid that will be identified is a presumed cross between a Ross's Goose and the Pink-footed Goose. This bird is wild living and accompanies a flock of wild pink-footed geese.

Things You'll Need

  • Binoculars (optional)
  • "Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World," by Paul A. Johnsgard
  • "Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World," by Eugene M. McCarthy (optional)
  • Note pad
  • Pen
  • Camera (optional)
  • Hybrid goose
  • Potential parents of hybrid goose
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Instructions

    • 1

      Observe the hybrid closely and decide on the possible species that were responsible for producing it. Watch the goose flying if possible, as markings under the wings can assist in identifying a hybrid.

    • 2

      View both potential parent species at close range and make notes of all the identifying characteristics of both birds. These characteristics will include bill and leg coloration, patterning on the feathers, size and the various vocalizations that both types make.

    • 3

      Take photographs of both parent species if the coloration is confusing or too detailed to capture in your notes. Make use of photographs or sketches in a goose identification book, if necessary.

    • 4

      Observe the hybrid to see if it is alone or part of a group of geese. The hybrid under discussion is always sighted in the company of pink-footed geese, which probably indicates that one of its parents was a Pink-footed Goose.

    • 5

      Look for identifying characteristics on the hybrid that align with those of a Pink-footed Goose. If no physical characteristics of the Pink-footed Goose can be found in the hybrid, its association with that species will be taken as evidence that one of the parents was indeed a Pink-footed Goose.

    • 6

      Look for physical characteristics in the hybrid that are similar to the other species that you think might be a parent. The pink bill or beak of the hybrid under discussion has a dusky area near the base. It is therefore similar in color and shape to that of the Ross's Goose. The coloration of the feathers is also reminiscent of a Ross' s Goose and on the strength of such evidence, Ross's Goose is taken to be the other parent.