Hybrid Geese
Geese hybridise readily, in captivity, among feral populations and among wild bird populations. Identifying hybrids is fraught with difficulties. Not only are they highly variable but they do not always simply show a mix of each parent species' features.
Regular visitors to this page will notice far fewer photos than before - it was getting unwieldy so I am now only showing examples of each hybrid here, with links to separate pages that contain more details and more photos of each type of hybrid.
(Greylag Goose x Swan Goose) x Mute Swan
(6).JPG "Swoose, Wool, 24-Oct-10") |
domestic goose (Greylag Goose x Swan Goose) x Mute Swan, Wool (Dorset, UK), 24th October 2010 |
For lots more photos and a full account of this very unusual bird, see the Swoose page.
Swan Goose x Greylag Goose
.JPG "Swan Goose hybrid, Whitlingham, 5-Feb-11") |
possible domestic Swan Goose x Greylag Goose hybrid, Whitlingham CP (Norfolk, UK), 5th February 2011 |
For more photos and comment on this bird, see the Swan Goose hybrids page.
Note: I 've not dealt with typical domestic Swan Goose x Greylag Goose hybrids here - these can be found on the domestic goose page. However the above bird individual is included here because its identity is uncertain and may possibly involve a different species.
Swan Goose x Bar-headed Goose
.JPG "possible Swan Goose x Bar-headed Goose, Swanton Morley, 25-Feb-07") |
possible Swan Goose x Bar-headed Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 25th February 2007 |
For more photos and comment on this bird, see the Swan Goose hybrids page.
Swan Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "possible Swan Goose x Barnacle Goose, Welney, 28-Mar-09") |
possible Swan Goose x Barnacle Goose, Welney (Norfolk, UK), 28th March 2009 |
For another photo and comment on this bird, see the Swan Goose hybrids page.
Pink-footed Goose x Tundra Bean Goose
.JPG "Pink-footed Goose or hybrid") |
Pink-footed Goose or hybrid Pink-footed Goose x Tundra Bean Goose, between Docking and Brancaster (Norfolk, UK), 17th November 2006 |
For a second photo and and some coment on this possible hybrid, see the Pink-footed Goose page (and scroll down).
Lesser White-fronted Goose x Ross's Goose
.JPG "Ross's x Lesser White-fronted Goose, Whitlingham,17-Jan-11") |
probable Ross's Goose x Lesser White-fronted Goose hybrid, Whitlingham CP (Norfolk, UK), 17th January 2011 |
For lots more photos and comment on this bird, click here.
Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "Lesser White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose, Swanton Morley, 27-Oct-07") |
probable Lesser White-fronted Goose x Greylag Goose, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 27th October 2007 |
For more photos and comment on this bird, click here.
White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose, Flitcham, 15-Jan-04") |
presumed White-fronted Goose x Greylag Goose, Flitcham (Norfolk, UK), 15th January 2004 |
.JPG "White-fronted Goose x Barnacle Goose, Raynham Lake, 10-Feb-12") |
presumed White-fronted Goose x Greylag Goose, Raynham Lake (Norfolk, UK), 10th February 2012 |
For more photos and comment on these and other birds, click here.
Greylag Goose x Canada Goose
.JPG "Greylag x Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 8-Mar-08") |
presumed Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrid, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 8th March 2008 |
.JPG "Greylag x Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 20-Sep-08") |
presumed Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrid (with Canada Goose), Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 20th September 2008 |
.JPG "Greylag x Canada Goose, Salthouse, 28-Oct-09") |
presumed Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrid, Salthouse (Norfolk, UK), 28th October 2009 |
For lots more photos of these and other individuals, click here.
domestic goose x Canada Goose
%20x%20Canada%20Geese,%20Thetford,%209-Feb-13%20(A..H10).JPG "(Greylag Goose x domestic Swan Goose) x Canada Goose, Drift, 1-Oct-05") |
presumed (Greylag Goose x domestic Swan Goose) x Canada Goose hybrids, Thetford (Norfolk, UK), 9th February 2013 |
.JPG "domestic Greylag x Canada Goose, Swanton Morley, 6-Mar-04") |
probable domestic Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrid, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 6th March 2004 |
.JPG "domestic Greylag x Canada Goose, Flitcham, 1-Oct-03") |
probable domestic Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrid, Flitcham (Norfolk, UK), 1st October 2003 |
.JPG "domestic Greylag x Canada Goose, Abberton, 21-Aug-04") |
probable domestic Greylag Goose x Canada Goose hybrid, Abberton Reservoir (Essex, UK), 21st August 2004 |
.JPG "(Greylag Goose x domestic Swan Goose) x Canada Goose, Drift, 1-Oct-05") |
probable (Greylag Goose x domestic Swan Goose) x Canada Goose hybrids, Drift Reservoir (Cornwall, UK), 1st October 2005 |
For more photos of these and other individuals, click here.
Greylag Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "Greylag Goose x Barnacle Goose, Holkham, 22-Nov-04") |
presumed Barnacle Goose x Greylag Goose, Holkham Park (Norfolk, UK), 22nd November 2004 |
For more photos and comment on this bird, click here.
Ross's Goose x Emperor Goose
.JPG "Ross's Goose x Emperor Goose, S of Brancaster Staithe, 30-Nov-04") |
probable Ross's Goose x Emperor Goose, S of Brancaster Staithe (Norfolk, UK), 30th November 2004 |
This bird was identified at the time as a Ross's Goose x Pink-footed Goose hybrid by many observers but it now seems more likely to have been a Ross's Goose x Emperor Goose.
For lots more photos and comment on this bird, click here.
Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose, Snettisham, 17-Mar-09") |
presumed Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Snettisham (Norfolk, UK), 17th March 2009 |
.JPG "presumed Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose, Blakeney Collection, 12-Feb-11") |
probable Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Blakeney Collection (Norfolk, UK), 12th February 2011 |
.JPG "possible Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose, Salthouse, 4-Dec-10") |
probable Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Salthouse (Norfolk, UK), 4th December 2010 |
.JPG "possible Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose, Burnham Overy, 12-Jan-13") |
probable Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Burnham Overy (Norfolk, UK), 12th January 2013 |
.JPG "possible Ross's Goose x Barnacle Goose, Amner - Shernborne, 9-Jan-11") |
probable Ross's Goose hybrid, between Amner and Shernborne (Norfolk, UK), 9th January 2011 |
For more photos of these and other individuals, click here.
Snow Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "Snow Goose x Barnacle Goose, Buckenham, 1-Jan-10") |
probable Snow Goose x Barnacle Goose hybrid, Buckenham (Norfolk, UK), 1st January 2010 |
For more photos and comment on this bird, click here.
Canada Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "Canada Goose x Barnacle Goose, Hickling, 10-Aug-09") |
Canada Goose x Barnacle Goose (with Barnacle Goose), Hickling Rushill Scrape (Norfolk, UK), 10th August 2009 |
For more photos of this bird, click here.
Cackling Goose x Barnacle Goose
.JPG "Cackling Goose x Barnacle Goose, Amner - Shernborne, 12-Jan-11") |
Cackling Goose (probably Richardson's) x Barnacle Goose, between Amner and Shernborne (Norfolk, UK), 12th January 2011 |
For more photos and comment on this bird, click here.
Barnacle Goose x Red-breasted Goose
(11).JPG "Barnacle Goose x Red-breasted Goose, Whitlingham, 1-Jul-11") |
presumed Red-breasted Goose x Barnacle Goose, Whitlingham CP (Norfolk, UK), 1st July 2011 |
For more photos of this bird, click here.
Dark-bellied Brent Goose x Red-breasted Goose
.JPG "Dark-bellied Brent Goose x Red-breasted Goose, Whitlingham, 1-Jul-11") |
presumed Dark-bellied Brent Goose x Barnacle Goose, Oare Marshes (Kent, UK), 26th December 2012 |
For more photos of this bird, click here.
Black Brant x Dark-bellied Brent Goose
.JPG "Black Brant x Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Wells, 22-Nov-06") |
Black Brant x Dark-bellied Brent Goose hybrid, Wells (Norfolk, UK), 22nd November 2006 |
For more photos and comment on this and other individuals, see the Black Brant page.
Dark-bellied Brent Goose x Pale-bellied Brent Goose
.JPG "possible Dark-bellied Brent Goose x Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Overy, 3-Jan-11") |
possible hybrid Pale-bellied Brent Goose x Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Overy (Norfolk, UK), 3rd January 2011 |
I'm not certain this one's a hybrid but for another photo and comment on this bird, see the bottom of the Pale-bellied Brent Goose page.
Egyptian Goose x Mallard
.JPG "Egyptian Goose x Mallard, Swanton Morley, 21-Sep-07") |
Egyptian Goose x domestic Mallard, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 21st September 2007 |
.JPG "Egyptian Goose x Mallard, Swanton Morley, 9-Aug-08") |
Egyptian Goose x domestic Mallard, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 9th August 2008 |
.JPG "Egyptian Goose x Mallard, Swanton Morley, 24-Mar-08") |
Egyptian Goose x domestic Mallard, Swanton Morley (Norfolk, UK), 24th March 2008 |
For more photos and comment on this group of 4 birds, click here.
Many thanks to Joern Lehmhus, Carl Gunnar Gustavsson and several others for their valuable input on the hybrids shown on this page.
%20T.JPG "Pochard x Tufted Duck hybrid")
%20T.JPG "Domestic Greylag Goose")
%20T.JPG "Domestic Mallard")
%20T.JPG "Hybrid falcon")