[wisb] Re: Dark Adult Snow Goose - Ephraim Door Co.
- From: "Erdman, Thomas" <erdmant@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "'suechick@xxxxxxxxxxx'" <suechick@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "doorcobirding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <doorcobirding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 18:54:46 +0000
Sue, this is a long story. They aren't that uncommon along Green Bay/Lake
Michigan. This dark morph was more common in the past. What you describe is a
full blood "Blue Goose". Blues and Snows were considered separate species for
many years being isolated in their breeding areas. Snow geese from Hudson's
Bay westward and Blue Geese in Eastern Hudson Bay/Baffin Island. The actual
nesting location for Blue Geese wasn't found (by Caucasians) until 1928 when
Dewey Soper found them at Bowman Bay.
The Blue Geese migrated straight south down Lake Michigan with most east of the
Lake, and wintered in Louisiana. The Snow Geese also migrated south further
west and wintered on the Texas Gulf. As early as 1884 the area from
southwestern Louisiana to southeastern Texas was eyed for growing rice. By the
1920's this area expanded and became major rice producing region. Well the
Snow Geese which had wintered in Texas spread east, and the Blue Geese in
Louisiana spread west, until they met each other and recognized "a long lost
cousin"!! The populations probably had been separated since the last ice age,
~ 8-9 thousand years. Well, geese pair up on wintering grounds, and soon we
had mixed pairs. Then in a few years we started observing white breasted, Blue
Geese, which were considered hybrids at the time. DNA research since has shown
the two to be one species. Undoubtedly this blending of the two gene pools has
probably enhanced the population and may be reflected in the tremendous
increase, especially of Snow Geese in the west.
This is an example where man's activities altered the genetic drift and brought
them back together. If given enough time without range changes they have
become distinct species. One thing to note in old Wisconsin bird records the
Blue Goose, especially the young of the year often were called "Brant" by
market gunners and later duck hunters.
Tom Erdman, Curator
Richter Museum of Natural History
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
-----Original Message-----
From: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Sue Peterson
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 11:37 AM
To: doorcobirding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [wisb] Dark Adult Snow Goose - Ephraim Door Co.
The Eagle Harbor in Ephraim has a flock of about 45 Canada Geese, with one DARK
ADULT SNOW GOOSE among them. (South end.) It is colored just as Sibley’s Guide
shows the dark adult morph. Orange legs and bill, bill with a “grin patch”.
Dark gray body with silver feathers at back above rump, white head with some
black at back of neck and head. Smaller than the Canada Geese, larger than the
Mallards nearby.
How unusual is this dark adult morph, compared to the white Snow Goose? I don’t
remember seeing one before.
Sue Peterson
Ephraim
Door Co.
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