[NatureNS] Likely (Tundra) Bean-Goose, Windsor, Hants Co.

From: "Eric L. Mills" <e.mills@dal.ca>
To: ns-rba@yahoogroups.com, naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2011 18:30:58 -0300
Cc: ocotillo@ns.sympatico.ca
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Late this morning I watched as groups of Canada Geese began to accumulate in the pasture 
fields on the S side of College Road in Windsor, just past Kings-Edgehill School and more or 
less opposite the Manning retirement home. One group that arrived from the N contained a 
(probably Greater) Snow Goose and was likely part of the flock that has been reported from 
near the Manning Farm Market along Falmouth Dyke Road, just across the Avon River to the  
north. 

When I put my scope on the flock, one bird jumped out immediately. It was clearly a 
European gray goose, but a large one, about the average size of the Canadas. It showed a 
chocolate brown head and neck, grading into a paler brownish body with no sign of a silvery 
tint and was lightly barred below from upper breast to lower belly (and possibly to the vent). 
The bill had a dark tip and a dark base, setting off an orange region in mid-bill, and was very 
deep at the base, and relatively long, giving the head a long profile. The legs and feet were 
orange. When the bird stretched its wings, I could see no sign of lighter coverts, on the 
contrary, the coverts and mantle appeared to be pretty much the same colour. The tail was 
broadly white tipped.  

I watched this bird for a couple of hours, then was joined by Dave Currie and we checked out 
all its field marks again in various light intensities, and attempted some digiscoped pictures, 
which were not very successful. We saw enough to conclude (with some trepidation) that this 
is a Bean Goose, probably referable to the newly-separated species Tundra Bean-Goose. To 
see images of a very similar bird, see the first frames of 
www.naturalbornbirder/gallery/bean_goose.php.

The most likely confusion species are immature Greater White-fronted Goose and Pink-
footed Goose, particularly the latter. In my opinion, based on a lot of critical examination, 
Pink-foot can be excluded by the size of the bird, the size and pattern of the bill, the head 
shape, the absence of gray on the body, the absence of contrasting upper wing coverts, and 
especially the leg colour. But discriminating gray geese is tough at the best of times, and we 
really need some diagnostic photographs from those of you out there with the meter-long 
lenses. There are very few reports of Bean Geese outside Alaska, and the the proper 
identification of one in California last fall is still disputed.  

This group of geese finds feeding grounds in a farm that does not allow hunting. I urge 
anyone trying to photograph them to stay outside the roadside fence along College Road. 
The local residents have a proprietary interest in these birds and are likely to kick up a fuss, 
not to speak of the disturbance to the birds themselves, if birders attempt a close approach.    

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