Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose

Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Turku (Finalnd), 27th May 2008 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo ID: 2499)

Although the parents of this bird are not known, the structure, especially the tiny bill, seems to point strongly towards Lesser White-fronted Goose x one of the short-billed white-cheeked geese.  The head and breast pattern point to the latter being Barnacle Goose and the yellow eye-ring supports Lesser White-front.

 Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (same bird as in photo ID 2499 above; with Barnacle Geese), Turku (Finalnd), 27th May 2008 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo IDs: 2500-2505)

Branta hybrids often show a wholly dark tail.  In some views this bird may have seemed to be like that but the photo of it landing showing the spread tail from behind confirms that it has small white spots near the tip of each tail feather.

 Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Turku (Finalnd), 24th September 2009 - copyright Henry Lehto

(photo IDs: 2554-2558)

Steve tells us that the next bird was much smaller than Canada Geese it accompanied (perhaps the size of a Barnacle Goose).  The very dark and bluish body plumage gives an impression of blue phase Snow Goose but the head and bill structure resembles Lesser White-fronted Goose.  Steve also notes the highly contrasting orange feet and pink bill.  It also shows a yellow eye-ring.  To my eyes the bill looks a tad longer than I'd expect and that made me wonder if Canada Goose might be involved instead.  However the blue-grey bases to the wing feathers and the darker breast are perhaps supportive of Barnacle Goose being the Branta parent.  I still wonder though - some Canada Goose hybrids do show a darker breast.  Alternatively it could perhaps be that Greater White-fronted Goose is involved, not Lesser.  As always, comments welcome!

 probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Chorlton Water Park, Manchester (Greater Manchester, UK), March 2010 - copyright Steve Graby

(photo ID: 1923-1924)

The next picture of the same bird taken a different day shows the tail pattern.

probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Chorlton Water Park, Manchester (Greater Manchester, UK), March 2010 - copyright Steve Graby

(photo IDs: 1926-1927)

Some more taken later in the month:

probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (with Canada Geese and Mallards), Chorlton Water Park, Manchester (Greater Manchester, UK), March 2010 - copyright Steve Graby

(photo IDs: 1928-1932)

By April it seemed to have paired up with quite a small Canada Goose:

probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (with Canada Goose), Chorlton Water Park, Manchester (Greater Manchester, UK), April 2010 - copyright Steve Graby

(photo ID: 1933)

It was still (or again?) present in November:

probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (with Canada Goose and Mallard), Chorlton Water Park, Manchester (Greater Manchester, UK), November 2010 - copyright Steve Graby

(photo ID: 1969)

The following February what was presumably the same bird had relocated to nearby Sale.

probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (with Canada Geese), Sale Water Park, (Greater Manchester, UK), February 2011 - copyright Steve Graby

(photo ID: 1970)

The identification of the next bird is also uncertain, but there seem to be two contenders: Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose or Lesser White-fronted Goose x Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii. It was a tiny bird and I favour the former as the most likely solution - the bird differed from White-front x Barnacle hybrids mainly in having a shorter, stubbier bill and in its very tiny size.

probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (with Greylag Goose), Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 27th October 2007 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0126-0128)

We don't have a clear view of the legs of the next two birds but I think what we can see is consistent with this hybrid.

Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (with Barnacle Geese), Ballum enge (Denmark), 7th April 2009 - copyright Rasmus Strack

(photo ID: 2413)

Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid (with Barnacle Geese), Dijkmanshuizen (Texel, Netherlands) ), 21st March 2015 - copyright Diederik Kok

(photo ID: 3009)

(See also: Greater White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose) 



Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis 
Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii