Canada Goose on the Shoalhaven River

[Phil Hansbro <>]

Hi Anthea

Thanks for your comments.

It is a Canada Goose.

Phil.


> Phil Hansbro wrote:
> >  I received a call last night and found out that a fully-winged Canada
> >  Goose has been inhabiting the mouse of the Shoalhaven River for the
> >  past 10 days.
>  The bird was large had a clear demarkation between the neck
> >  and breast, the breast was pale and contrasted with the belly. The
> >  head had a distinctive profile with a peaked crown somewhat
> >  reminiscent of a Magpie Goose. >
> >   Phil Hansbro
> Dear Phil,
>    It would certainly be very exciting if the bird does turn out to be a
> Canada Goose.
> But I do wonder if you may have seen an escaped domestic Branta species,
> the Chinese Goose, whose wild progenitor is the Swan Goose of China.
> These sometimes have quite a strongly raised peak to the crown of th
> head. Markings are very similar to a rather brown-toned Canada. They are
> quite popular as a potential table-bird and as watchdogs - they make a
> tremendous fuss when strangers appear, so much so that in the UK they
> are kept in the grounds of nuclear power stations!
>   Wild-type Swan Geese have a rather flat-looking head, sloping back in
> almost straight profile from the beak. I don't know if any of them are
> kept in Australian collections, but we saw some at Slimbridge in the UK.
>   Anthea Fleming
> I hope your bird does turn out to be a Canada though.

--
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Dr Phil Hansbro
Discipline of Immunology & Microbiology
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences
University of Newcastle
Newcastle NSW 2308
Australia
Tel: +61 2 49236819 or 49522201
Fax: +61 2 49236814
Email: 
http://www.birdingtours.com.au/
http://www.tandayapa.com/
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