Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose

Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrid (with Pink-footed Geese), between Anmer and Shernborne (Norfolk, UK), 12th January 2011 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0195)

Separation of Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrids from Barnacle Goose x Canada Goose hybrids can be very tricky.  Some birds may be obvious on size and/or structure but many may be best left undetermined.  The first bird shown here was small and its head shape recalled Richardson's Cackling Goose, the most frequent of the Cackling Geese to occur naturally in western Europe.  This individual was keeping company with a single Barnacle Goose among a large flock of Pink-footed Geese.  Although far from the main UK range of wintering Barnacle Geese small numbers of wild Barnacle Geese usually appear among the Pink-footed Goose flocks and it seems very likely that this hybrid was the offspring of a vagrant Cackling Goose in a Barnacle Goose colony.

Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrid (with Barnacle Goose and Pink-footed Geese), between Anmer and Shernborne (Norfolk, UK), 12th January 2011 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0196-0198)

Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrid (with Barnacle Goose and Pink-footed Geese, same bird as in photo IDs 0195-0196 above), between Anmer and Shernborne (Norfolk, UK), 10th January 2011 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0199-0200)

The next birds illustrated by Joern were structurally similar.  Joern writes that one had lighter flanks (showing a contrast between flanks and scapular feathers) and a slightly bigger white patch on the front while the other had a smaller white patch on the front and no contrast between flanks and scapulars.

Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrids, Waal en Burg, Texel (Netherlands), 3rd October 2010 - copyright Joern Lehmhus

(photo ID: 0551)

While a smaller form of Cackling/Canada Goose is suspected to be responsible for the next bird, the identification is not certain.

possible Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrid, Sweden, June or July 2002 - copyright Carl Gunnar Gustavsson

(photo IDs: 1103-1104)

The same bird paired with a Barnacle Goose and attending young:

possible Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrid (with Barnacle Goose and young), Sweden, June or July 2002 - copyright Carl Gunnar Gustavsson

(photo ID: 1108)

Another smallish bird below, so suspected as having a smaller form of Cackling/Canada Goose as its parent.

possible Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrid, Sweden, 24th July 2007 - copyright Carl Gunnar Gustavsson

(photo ID: 1106)

Here we have a bird with feral Canada Geese:

probable Barnacle Goose x Cackling Goose hybrid (with Canada Geese), East Fenton Farm (East Lothian, UK), 9th October 2009 - copyright Stephen Welch

(photo IDs: 2167-2169)

A nice photo of a not dissimilar bird from Sweden (photographed by Oskar Nilsson) appears here.


(See also: Barnacle Goose x Canada Goose)


Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
Richardson's Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii