Hybrid Goose - what’s the make-up?

[blueridge]

Have any of you seen one like this?? Greylag x Canada hybrid? Escaped barnyard concoction?? Said to be fraternizing with canada geese. 42” long, black feet, black beak tip, no nose hump. Weird combination.

 

[Sask hunter]

Neat looking bird. Looks pretty big too

 

[glass eye]

Juvenile swan

 

[F250]

Young mute swan

 

[F250]

Actually an invasive species

 

[Doublecluck]

Juvie swan

 

[Nick87]

Juvie swan

I'd agree.

 

[blueridge]

I think ya’ll have it right. Juvenile Mute Swan. Thanks for the identification! It was driving me crazy.

Even though I didn’t personally get it, I was glad to see that there are no take restrictions. In fact, as @F250 pointed out its being an invasive species, my state is very against their propagation and has a year round open season.

 

[seeth07]

@F250 What makes you say that is juvie mute swan? I was looking at photos of all the young trumpeter swans from my backyard and it appears to be a match

 

[Hunting Wife]

I’m pretty sure it’s an immature tundra swan. Immature Mute would still have a fleshy knob on the bill. Immature trumpeter would be much larger and have black at both the base and tip of bill, with pink center. Immature tundra is smaller, and have a mostly solid pink bill, lighter at the base.

Edit: I tried to attach pics for each showing the differences, but it won’t let me for some reason.

 

[seeth07]

I’m pretty sure it’s an immature tundra swan. Immature Mute would still have a fleshy knob on the bill. Immature trumpeter would be much larger and have black at both the base and tip of bill, with pink center. Immature tundra is smaller, and have a mostly solid pink bill, lighter at the base.

Edit: I tried to attach pics for each showing the differences, but it won’t let me for some reason.

I'm basing it off the grayish head and neck. Tundra juvie typically don't have the darker head and necks, just the body I thought while trumpeter swans are grey throughout

 

[Hunting Wife]

I'm basing it off the grayish head and neck. Tundra juvie typically don't have the darker head and necks, just the body I thought while trumpeter swans are grey throughout

We get thousands every year and they are routinely all gray.

 

[seeth07]

We get thousands every year and they are routinely all gray.

Either way I think we are on the same page that it isn't a mute swan.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Finally got this to work…

Tundra

Trumpeter


Mute

 

[BenP]

Finally got this to work…

Tundra
View attachment 302508
Trumpeter
View attachment 302505

Mute
View attachment 302506

Interesting, all the tundra juivies I see and have shot here in NC have never had pink on there bill. Is that due to them being an older juvenile at that point around November-January timeframe? At what point does the bill go all black?

 

[Hunting Wife]

Interesting, all the tundra juivies I see and have shot here in NC have never had pink on there bill. Is that due to them being an older juvenile at that point around November-January timeframe? At what point does the bill go all black?

That makes sense. By the time they molt to adult plumage it should be black, but they are long gone here by then so I don’t have a good guess when or how fast that transition occurs. Here they often look kind of dusty gray when they come through, but it’s going to vary somewhat by individual. I suppose late hatchers would be behind the curve.

 

[BenP]

That makes sense. By the time they molt to adult plumage it should be black, but they are long gone here by then so I don’t have a good guess when or how fast that transition occurs. Here they often look kind of dusty gray when they come through, but it’s going to vary somewhat by individual. I suppose late hatchers would be behind the curve.

They are still grey when they make it down here which is how we tell they are the tender ones. I think I met someone on another forum that did a study on them, wonder if he will know.

 

[phutch30]

Prob shouldn't have shot it unless you have a swan tag

 

[D4570]

YUP swan