color phase Canada goose

[H380]

Saw a very different goose today , no camera of course .. Flock of Canadas with a white one with them . At first glance I thought swan , but upon checking with binos , he was same size as the others . But this is where it gets weird , body and wings are white , legs and feet and neck are black . Has the white cheekpiece just like he should . My son in law is heading out today to pit on them , hope he gets lucky . Anybody else ever see one like this ?:thinking-006:

[crawfy]

Saw a very different goose today , no camera of course .. Flock of Canadas with a white one with them . At first glance I thought swan , but upon checking with binos , he was same size as the others . But this is where it gets weird , body and wings are white , legs and feet and neck are black . Has the white cheekpiece just like he should . My son in law is heading out today to pit on them , hope he gets lucky . Anybody else ever see one like this ?:thinking-006:

I see one like that one year when we were out at Powell River it was swimming in the salt chuck with a flock. I managed to get some pics I will see if I can find them and post them.

[Rockymtnx]

I seen one and hunted one like that in October 2010.
Same thing his body, wings, and most of his neck was white. His head was black with the white cheek piece. Never did get him though.

Also I am sure some of you read about “Snow Speck” in a issue of Alberta Outdoorsmen this year. This was a white phased Specklebelly I chased for almost a week in September 2010.
His body was pure white, dark colored wings and the normal head and neck of a Speck. He sure stood out and looked strange in a flock of 2000 Specks.

Good luck to your son. Please post pics if he does happen to get him.

[fish farmer]

What youre likely seeing is whats known as a quill lakes Canada, do a goole search. They arent very common in Alberta or western sask, but not rare in eastern sask, hence the Quill Lakes part of the name. They have white spots all over them, sometimes covering almost the entire body as you have explained. Here is a picture of one I shot a few years ago, doesnt have a whole bunch of white on it but still has a little bit.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/mikeo2/hunting_2007_008.jpg

[bighornram]

shot one that was mostly white 3 years ago at the atco resevoir near forestburg.Its still at starky's taxidermy.

[Rockymtnx]

This picture is pretty much a match to what we hunted for in October 2010.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLxsdy8deTvWp7E0IehWyW0iaoHrxDr 6xPMCisIpoPz4aQP9kzDhATAGc1

[H380]

This picture is pretty much a match to what we hunted for in October 2010.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLxsdy8deTvWp7E0IehWyW0iaoHrxDr 6xPMCisIpoPz4aQP9kzDhATAGc1

That's the bird , haven't heard back yet if theysaw him , but guessing not as I'm sure they'd have told me . .. Thanx for posting the photo Rockymtnx..

[hal53]

This picture is pretty much a match to what we hunted for in October 2010.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLxsdy8deTvWp7E0IehWyW0iaoHrxDr 6xPMCisIpoPz4aQP9kzDhATAGc1
WOW!!!!.....I have never seen one of those....

[220swifty]

Watched one like the goose that rocky posted lift off a crop near Pine Lake this fall. I only had a bow with me, and with the limited field time I had this year, I never got a serious chance to chase him.

[2 Tollers]

Here are two on their roost that I chased in 2009 (unsuccessfully)

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/hughwarren/10-29-09016.jpg

Yep I know this one is not the Canada cross you described -- just a neat looking large goose. I think domestic cross -- could certainly fly ok.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/hughwarren/10-29-09005.jpg

[Mhunter51]

That second picture is ( I beleive ) just a regular ' blue phase ' snow goose. We see hundreds of them here each spring and fall. First pic is very cool though.

[Pikebreath]

Second pictures shows a blue goose,,, just a colour variation of the snow goose, They are fairly common through eastern Sask and Manitoba durring the spring and fall migrations, less common as you go west.

[2 Tollers]

Second pictures shows a blue goose,,, just a colour variation of the snow goose, They are fairly common through eastern Sask and Manitoba durring the spring and fall migrations, less common as you go west.

Agreed it could be a blue -- problem / opportunity was the size as it was same size as the medium Canada's in the 10 lb range --- pretty nice for a blue.

Here is a blue that I did take that fall -- wish I would have got both :sHa_shakeshout:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/hughwarren/10-11-09Falltrip032.jpg

[whitetail Junkie]

Awesome thread.i never knew of these white phase canadas.id love to have a chance at one!

[2 Tollers]

Awesome thread.i never knew of these white phase canadas.id love to have a chance at one!

The canada's are leucistic -- rare to find them with the neck and check patch in the strong base color. I have hunted two different birds over time pretty hard with no success yet I saw a post of a fellow in the states that had harvested two in one hunt -- right spot at the right time.

Here is a site with a few variations on other wild birds. The ducks are pretty neat.

http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/leucistic_birds&page=all

[whitetail Junkie]

The canada's are leucistic -- rare to find them with the neck and check patch in the strong base color. I have hunted two different birds over time pretty hard with no success yet I saw a post of a fellow in the states that had harvested two in one hunt -- right spot at the right time.

Here is a site with a few variations on other wild birds. The ducks are pretty neat.

http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/leucistic_birds&page=all

Thanks for the link! Heck you learn something everyday.So this Leucistic coloring can happen with all kinds of birds from what I can see!!! very interesting!

My dad shot a very oddball duck about Ten years ago.we figured out that it was a hybrid cross between a wood duck and a Mallard.I have a picture of it,but it's a smaller kind of chitty picture,if someone knew how to blow up pictures on the internet,maybe we could see it better???

[H380]

The canada's are leucistic -- rare to find them with the neck and check patch in the strong base color. I have hunted two different birds over time pretty hard with no success yet I saw a post of a fellow in the states that had harvested two in one hunt -- right spot at the right time.

Here is a site with a few variations on other wild birds. The ducks are pretty neat.

http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/leucistic_birds&page=all

Thanx for the link .. explains alot .. Couldn't believe it when I first spotted the goose , wish I had a licence as he was in a very approachable location .

[2 Tollers]

Thanx for the link .. explains alot .. Couldn't believe it when I first spotted the goose , wish I had a licence as he was in a very approachable location .

Lots of interesting birds out there when you take the time to look them over. I have harvested quite few like the one fish farmer is showing in the Hanna area. The one white body phase that I was chasing was a fair ways east of Edmonton, the other was down south of Carolside. The large blue was in the Stettler area.

[jking2986]

I shot a goose like you are talking about but without the real dark neck. He was flying with a group of canadas in formation and they were too high to shoot. I decided to take a chance and try a shot. He sort of bobbled in the air and kept on flying. A few seconds later after I thought I had missed he slowly started gerting lower and went into a spiral. Had to hunt for him for a while but we found him. It was a lucky shot and I wish I would of had the money to get him mounted. I've never been able to find any info until this. I have a dew pictures if I can get them uploaded

[jking2986]

Pictures

[H380]

Thanx for the pics jking . I'm no expert but that bird looks more like a snow .Definitely cool .

[Hunter Trav]

I shot a goose like you are talking about but without the real dark neck. He was flying with a group of canadas in formation and they were too high to shoot. I decided to take a chance and try a shot. He sort of bobbled in the air and kept on flying. A few seconds later after I thought I had missed he slowly started gerting lower and went into a spiral. Had to hunt for him for a while but we found him. It was a lucky shot and I wish I would of had the money to get him mounted. I've never been able to find any info until this. I have a dew pictures if I can get them uploaded

That is a juvie snow, sometimes they get mixed up with other birds being young and foolish...:cool:

[Canuk]

Yup, what they said. A young snow goose.

[drake]

Pictures

minature swan (signet) / young seagull/albatross

[jking2986]

I thought snows have orange feet and bill? It has the same markings as a canada just lighter color and a dark bill and feet

[jking2986]

Possibly a hybrid?

[Mike_W]

Immature snow geese can have dark beaks and feet

[drake]

Possibly a hybrid?

ah yes.....the elusive hybrid.

It is nothing more and nothing less than a juvenile snow goose. Google some images.

[Hunter Trav]

I thought snows have orange feet and bill? It has the same markings as a canada just lighter color and a dark bill and feet

Having cleaned more than my share of them things, you have just a plain ol' juvie snow. The feet and bill will lighten as they get older. Nothing special unfortunately...