![\"Canada](\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-4819.jpg\" "\\"Canada")
Canada Goose hybrid taking off from a pond – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\nAfter four days of not being in the field to photograph I felt I had to get out yesterday, my fingers were getting twitchy and cabin fever was setting in. The problem was the weather, it wasn’t all that great in the morning with clouds hanging overhead but when a break in the clouds appeared I got ready to head to the local pond but by the time I got there the sun was hiding behind the clouds again.<\/p>\n
Despite the cruddy light I scoped out the birds on the pond and spotted a white-headed goose. I knew that any images I took of it were going to be just for the purpose of documentation but I wanted photos of that white-headed goose to look at on my monitor at home so I fired away when it started to lift off from the pond.<\/p>\n
When I first spotted the white-headed goose I suspected that it might be leucistic but when I saw the pinkish colored legs I figured that the goose had to be a hybridization of a Canada Goose and some other goose species. Canada Geese have black legs and feet. The bill of the white-headed goose wasn’t pure black like it is on Canada Geese either.<\/p>\n
The light was awful and the image quality of these first two photos kind of stinks.<\/p>\n
After checking out another nearby pond and going back to the first one I relocated the odd white-headed goose but the light was even worse. The white-headed goose was resting in the water near some normal Canada Geese and American Coots. The odd goose lacks the distinct separation of blacks and browns on the necks of Canada Geese and the plumage on its neck is brown not black plus its chest feathers are darker than those of the Canada Geese.<\/p>\n Just after noon the sun peeked out of the clouds and I went back to the pond to see if I could find the odd looking white-headed goose again and scoped all the geese I saw on or near the pond and didn’t see it. Well, it must have been with the resting geese on the shoreline with its head tucked away because when about a dozen of those geese lifted off I spotted the white head of the goose among them.<\/p>\n I missed a few images of it because I couldn’t lock on right away but then I locked on and was able to take a few images of the hybrid in flight next to a normal Canada Goose before it flew out of sight.<\/p>\n This Canada Goose hybrid could be a Canada x Snow Goose or a Canada x Greater White-fronted Goose hybrid, those two species make the most sense to me, but I couldn’t be certain of its parentage. I searched and searched on line for images of other hybrid Canada Geese and asked for help in a Facebook group but don’t have a definitive ID at this time. More people thought it was a Greater White-fronted Goose hybrid than a Canada x Snow Goose. At this point I tend to lean more towards Canada x Snow Goose.<\/p>\n Perhaps by posting it here someone who knows geese hybrids better than I do can let me know what they think of this of goose’s parentage.<\/p>\n I hope this bird sticks around so I can take more images of this fascinating and odd looking goose. I think it is beautiful and unique.<\/p>\n Update: After hearing from many people the consensus is that this is a Canada x Snow Goose hybrid which is what I thought it might be. <\/em><\/p>\n Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n Mia<\/p>\n Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Snow Goose photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Canada Goose photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This Canada Goose hybrid could be a Canada x Snow Goose or a Canada x Greater White-fronted Goose hybrid, those two species make the most sense to me, but I can’t be certain of its parentage. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":120959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,28,5562,709,1971,26],"tags":[4004,4513,32,4343,5570,8299,4052,4775,5563,127,5565,156,5566,4156,1972,3792,8018,10524,10525,373],"class_list":["post-43987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-canada-geese","category-hybrid-geese","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-snow-geese","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-anser-caerulescens","tag-branta-canadensis","tag-canada-goose","tag-canada-x-snow-goose","tag-canada-x-snow-goose-hybrid","tag-flight","tag-goose","tag-greater-white-fronted-goose","tag-hybrid","tag-hybridization","tag-low-light-2","tag-parentage","tag-resting","tag-snow-goose","tag-take-off","tag-urban","tag-white-head","tag-white-headed","tag-winter"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-5010.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-brt","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44067,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/21\/canada-goose-lift-off-series-plus-more-photos-of-the-canada-x-snow-goose-hybrid\/","url_meta":{"origin":43987,"position":0},"title":"Canada Goose Lift Off Series Plus More Photos of the Canada x Snow Goose Hybrid","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning at my local pond I took a series of images of a Canada Goose lifting off plus more photos of the Canada x Snow Goose hybrid I found there.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose taking off from a pond, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-taking-off-mia-mcpherson-7259.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-taking-off-mia-mcpherson-7259.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-taking-off-mia-mcpherson-7259.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-taking-off-mia-mcpherson-7259.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49430,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/11\/15\/wondering-if-my-canada-x-snow-goose-hybrid-will-be-back-this-winter\/","url_meta":{"origin":43987,"position":1},"title":"Wondering If “My” Canada x Snow Goose Hybrid Will Be Back This Winter","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been wondering if \"my\" Canada x Snow Goose hybrid will be back this winter, if it will show up at the same pond and if I will be able to photograph it again.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada x Snow Goose hybrid on a bright winter morning, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-x-snow-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-6409.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-x-snow-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-6409.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-x-snow-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-6409.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-x-snow-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-6409.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50654,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/01\/11\/an-immature-snow-goose-in-salt-lake-county\/","url_meta":{"origin":43987,"position":2},"title":"An Immature Snow Goose in Salt Lake County","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I can't be certain this is the same goose that I saw on December 26th but I found an immature Snow Goose feeding with some Canada Geese in the grass across the pond.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Preening immature Snow Goose, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-juvenile-preening-mia-mcpherson-4502.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-juvenile-preening-mia-mcpherson-4502.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-juvenile-preening-mia-mcpherson-4502.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-juvenile-preening-mia-mcpherson-4502.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":48570,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/09\/23\/pair-of-canada-geese-in-flight-over-willow-pond\/","url_meta":{"origin":43987,"position":3},"title":"Pair of Canada Geese in Flight Over Willow Pond","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This pair of Canada Geese in flight had taken off and flew in front of a leafless willow when I photographed them close together while they were on the wing.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Canada Geese in flight, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-geese-willows-mia-mcpherson-9182.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-geese-willows-mia-mcpherson-9182.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-geese-willows-mia-mcpherson-9182.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-geese-willows-mia-mcpherson-9182.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55353,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/12\/20\/flying-canada-goose-with-the-snow-covered-wasatch-mountains-in-the-background\/","url_meta":{"origin":43987,"position":4},"title":"Flying Canada Goose With The Snow Covered Wasatch Mountains In The Background","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The light was best when the geese flew in front of the snow-covered Wasatch Mountains which is when I photographed this flying Canada Goose with its wings above its body.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose flying past the snow-covered Wasatch Mountains, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-wasatch-mountains-a-glow-mia-mcpherson-5431.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-wasatch-mountains-a-glow-mia-mcpherson-5431.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-wasatch-mountains-a-glow-mia-mcpherson-5431.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-wasatch-mountains-a-glow-mia-mcpherson-5431.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":55622,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/01\/11\/lone-canada-goose-flying-in-front-of-the-snow-covered-wasatch-mountain-range\/","url_meta":{"origin":43987,"position":5},"title":"Lone Canada Goose Flying In Front Of The Snow Covered Wasatch Mountain Range","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In the case of this photo of a lone Canada Goose flying in front of the snowy Wasatch Mountains I took the photo because I liked how nicely lit the goose was in contrast to the darker, snow and cloud covered mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lone Canada Goose Flying in front of snowy Wasatch Mountains, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5047.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5047.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5047.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-wasatch-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5047.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43987\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Canada](\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-4867.jpg\" "\\"Canada")
Canada Goose hybrid in Salt Lake County – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/640, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Canada](\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-5010.jpg\" "\\"Canada")
Canada Goose and Canada Goose hybrid in flight – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Canada](\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-hybrid-mia-mcpherson-5011.jpg\" "\\"Canada")
Canada Goose hybrid in flight with a normal Canada Goose – Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 400, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n