Canada Goose (Greater Canada Goose) Branta canadensis

Canada Geese have recently been split into two species. The BOU include the larger forms (canadensis, fulva, interior, maxima, moffitti, occidentalis and parvipes) as races of 'Greater Canada Goose' and the smaller forms (hutchinsii, leucopareia, minima and taverneri) as races of 'Lesser Canada Goose'. Unfortunately the term 'Lesser Canada Goose' has also been used for the race parvipes which BOU includes under Greater Canada Goose! It is no exaggeration to say that the Canada Goose complex is a mess in terms of taxonomy, nomenclature and identification. David Sibley has written a useful article on their identification (note this uses the name "Cackling Goose" to represent the smaller species).

Wild Canada Geese from North America are now identified in the UK every winter and usually sightings include one or two among the Norfolk Pink-footed Goose flocks. The following individual was considered by some to be a Todd's Canada Goose Branta canadensis interior but others believed it to belong to the race parvipes. In this photo the neck is contracted - in life it often appeared rather longer-necked than this photo suggests.

Todd's Canada Goose, N of Stanhoe, 08-Jan-04
Canada Goose (race interior or parvipes), N of Stanhoe (Norfolk, UK), 8th January 2004

 

Feral birds

The following individuals are all feral birds - these are thought to be closest to the race maxima but may not be pure examples of this form.

Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 8-Mar-08 Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 8-Mar-08

Canada Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 8th March 2008

 
Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 16-Aug-08 Canada Goose, Leziate Pits, 2-Jan-05

Canada Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 16th August 2008

 

Canada Goose, Leziate Pits (Norfolk, UK), 2nd January 2005

 
Canada Goose, Titchwell, 07-Jun-04 Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 26-Apr-04

Canada Geese, Titchwell (Norfolk, UK), 7th June 2004

 

Canada Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 26th April 2004

 
Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 26-Apr-04 Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 26-Apr-04

Canada Geese, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 26th April 2004 (both different birds from the one above)

 
Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 3-May-08 Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 3-May-08

Canada Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 3rd May 2008

 
Canada Goose, Monterey Peninsula, 30-Apr-05 Canada Geese, Lackford Lakes, 2-Jun-07

Canada Goose, Monterey Peninsula (California, US), 30th April 2005

 

Canada Goose, Lackford Lakes (Suffolk, UK), 2nd June 2007

 
Canada Goose, Abberton Reservoir, 21-Aug-04 Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 8-Mar-08

Canada Goose, Abberton Reservoir (Essex, UK), 21st August 2004. The slightly pale eye-ring on this individual is not typical of the species, although often present on hybrids.

 

Canada Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 8th March 2008
Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 21-Jun-08 Canada Geese, Minsmere, 01-May-00

Canada Goose gosling, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 21st June 2008

 

Canada Goose with goslings, Minsmere (Suffolk, UK), 1st May 2000

 
Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 25-Aug-08 Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 25-Aug-08

Canada Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 25th August 2008

 
Canada Goose, Caerlaverock, 29-Dec-05 Canada Goose, Lynford, 22-Feb-09

Canada Goose, Caerlaverock (Dumfries & Galloway, UK), 29th December 2005

 

albinistic Canada Goose, Lynford (Norfolk, UK), 22nd February 2008

 
Canada Goose, Hockwold, 2-May-09 Canada Goose, Hockwold, 2-May-09

Canada Goose, Hockwold (Norfolk, UK), 2nd May 2009 - I assume the pale face and eye-ring on the Canada Goose are merely aberrant features but this bird also showed a noticeably smaller and more rounded head than the accompanying Canada Geese. Clearly not a first-generation hybrid but I'm not completely sure there isn't something other than Canada Goose somewhere in its ancestry, but more probably just an odd Canada.