Pale-bellied Brent Goose Branta (bernicla) hrota

Careful scanning of the flocks of Dark-bellied Brent Geese wintering in Norfolk will often reveal the presence of one or two individuals belonging to the Pale-bellied form, now considered to be a separate species by some of the less conservative authorities.

Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10

first-winter Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Salthouse (Norfolk, UK), 13th February 2010

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Salthouse (Norfolk, UK), 13th February 2010 - six photos showing the same bird, a particularly striking individual

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Salthouse (Norfolk, UK), 13th February 2010 - four photos showing the same bird but a different one from the six above

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Salthouse, 13-Feb-10  

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Salthouse (Norfolk, UK), 13th February 2010 - a different bird from the ones shown above

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Overy, 10-Jan-04 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Overy, 10-Jan-04

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Burnham Overy (Norfolk, UK), 10th January 2004

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Norton, 28-Feb-09 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Norton, 28-Feb-09

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Burnham Norton (Norfolk, UK), 28th February 2009

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Overy, 10-Jan-04 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Overy, 10-Jan-04

adult Pale-bellied Brent Geese (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Burnham Overy (Norfolk, UK), 10th January 2004. These two appeared to be different individuals from the one above.

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Docking, 16-Dec-03 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Docking, 16-Dec-03

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Pink-footed Geese), Docking (Norfolk, UK), 16th December 2003. Unusually, this elusive individual spent the winter with Pink-footed Geese rather than Dark-bellied Brent Geese. It moved with the Pink-feet to feed on harvested sugar-beet fields well inland in north-west Norfolk. The same bird has returned in subsequent winters and I saw it briefly at the same location in October 2006.

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Bircham, 18-Jan-08 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Bircham, 18-Jan-08

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Pink-footed Geese), Bircham (Norfolk, UK), 18th January 2008 - the same bird as above?

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Amner, 17-Nov-09 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Amner, 17-Nov-09

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Pink-footed Geese), Amner (Norfolk, UK), 17th November 2009 - still the same returning bird, or a new one?

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Cley, 5-Jan-08 Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Cley, 5-Jan-08

first-winter Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Geese), Cley (Norfolk, UK), 5th January 2008

 
Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Burnham Overy, 10-Jan-04  

adult Pale-bellied Brent Goose (with Dark-bellied Brent Goose), Burnham Overy (Norfolk, UK), 31st January 2009