Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid (with Feral Pigeons), St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 15th July 2013 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo ID: 0004)

This individual has been present in this park for a few years.  The silvery wash to the plumage and yellowy tone of the bill are typical features of Bar-headed Goose hybrids.

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid (with Feral Pigeons), St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 15th July 2013 - copyright Dave Appleton

(photo IDs: 0005-0009)

Joern has asked what taxon of White-fronted Goose might be involved here.  He thinks it looks a bit large-billed so wonders if Greenland White-fronted Goose (flavirostris) might be involved.  Does anyone know the answer?  As there's a resident flock of Bar-headed Geese here I guess it's likely to have hatched in the park, so maybe someone knows what White-fronted Geese have been there too?

We now have a series of photos of presumably the same bird taken over several years including when it was a gosling:

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 25th May 2006 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2690)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 29th June 2006 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2691)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 6th July 2006 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2692)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 13th July 2006 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2693)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 11th September 2006 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2694)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 19th October 2006 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2695)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 2nd March 2007 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2696)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 12th September 2013 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2697)

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 2nd September 2015 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2698)

This hybrid is fertile and has apparently produced the following backcrossed hybrid, I presume with Bar-headed Goose, of which there are several in the park.  I also presume it's in juvenile plumage here - will be interesting to see how it looks now...

(Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose) x Bar-headed Goose backcrossed hybrid, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 2nd September 2015 - copyright David Darrell-Lambert

(photo ID: 2699)

It appears that the hybrid bred with Bar-headed Goose again in 2016 producing two goslings.

Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose hybrid with Bar-headed Goose and two presumed backcrossed hybrid goslings, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 24th May 2016 - copyright Mike Tyler

(photo ID: 2993)

Mike phtoographed the goslings again five weeks later:

presumed (Greater White-fronted Goose x Bar-headed Goose) x Bar-headed Goose backcrossed hybrid goslings, St James's Park (Greater London, UK), 27th June 2016 - copyright Mike Tyler

(photo ID: 2994)

There are more photos of this family group, taken in August I think, on Twitter.

Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons

Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus