One of these things is not like the others........

RobertBrown · Dec 17, 2012

Last winter, for the first time I found Canada geese on my pond, The high count was 21. I was impressed to see 21 Canada geese on my pond at first light. You just don't see this in Florida.
This winter I have seen up to 42 Canada geese, at one time here right in my front yard. They seem to like to spend the night here.Tonight I watched 42 of them come in to land in three groups, It's quite a sight, they are large birds, and you can hear the air rushing over their wings as they fly over your head.

A couple of weeks ago, on my way out I noticed that one of the geese looked to be a little lighter in color, I first thought it was a mutant goose, a pigment deficiency or albino of sorts, as it has the same general shape of a Canada goose.

Well..... I'm pretty sure I figured it out, thanks to the internet. See if you can too.....All I can say is: that goose is a long way from home.
Name that Goose!

JESSE1 · Dec 17, 2012

It looks like a domestic Toulouse goose but in general they're too heavy to fly.

davcog · Dec 17, 2012

Snow goose?

Gary Fowler · Dec 17, 2012

We have Canadian geese on our pond year round. Also have a couple of domestic geese same as in the photo (dont know the species name) but they have interbred with some of the Canadians and now the offspring only have a black streak down the back of their neck rather than being all black.
We had 2 nesting pair when we bought the place 4 years ago, now we have over 30. Every year they have nested on the small island in one of our ponds and I think they have forgotten how to get back to Canada. They migrate from pond to pond but never gone more than a couple of days. I planted a bunch of winter rye and they have grazed it to the ground for about 50 yards in any direction. I have to keep them chased off when I feed my chickens or they come up chase off the chickens and eat all the food. Wifes German Shepherd like to chase them whenever he sees them close so they keep a wary eye for him.
Oh and those domestic geese can fly very well, they just dont like to unless necessary. Wifes GS dog is a good incentive for them to take to the air when he heads out for them.

hchxoom · Dec 17, 2012

Looks like a white-fronted goose to me. AKA specklebelly goose.

Here is a pic I found of a couple hanging out with cackling geese.View attachment 293475

Could also be a graylag as Moss suggests below, but the graylags I've seen typically have a bright orange bill. Hard to discern colors on these pics.

Pete Judd · Dec 18, 2012

Don't encourage them to stay unless you are willing to putting up with the fact that geese poop once every 6 min. We have a lot problems with geese staying all year up here in the PNW. The game dept even has to go out and inject eggs to make them not hatch. They will scare off a lot of dogs, and chase people as well in areas that they have declared their place to live.

MossRoad · Dec 18, 2012

Choot em!

You will soon tire of stepping in goose poop. Get a pair of swans to keep them away.

The grey one is not a snow goose. It looks like a domestic european goose, like a greaylag perhaps. There are many of them wild now in the U.S. They hang around with the Canada geese and even seem to pair up with them at our local duck pond. However, I haven't seen the offspring of any of these pairs as of yet.

SPIKER · Dec 18, 2012

I agree with others get rid of em NOW, we have the dang things are work pond and destructive noisy $#|ters all over the place... Once established in a pond/area it is HARD to get rid of them they will eat out in the grass to bare ground and tare up a garden to boot...
MM

RobertBrown · Dec 18, 2012

There not causing any problems for me at the moment. I haven't seen any of them anywhere but in the air or in the water. They feed on the duckweed and that is a good thing.
I suspect that they would be fairly easy to get rid of should I decide to do so.
As for the interloper, my first thought was that a Toulouse was loose. I have since decided that this fowl is a hybrid whose lineage reaches to Eurasia. Yes........ it's a (Anser cygnoides) Swan Goose.
No doubt it's most likley a mix breed as geese have been domesticated since the early 1500's. Somehow I doubt it flew here from Mongolia.

hchxoom · Dec 18, 2012

Interesting find. You got me looking around. Here is a link you might find interesting... and perhaps a contact that could help you.
Confusing Domestic Geese