Birding Killdeer Plains

[Lukas Padegimas]

Yesterday, March 14, 2009, I joined the Kirtland Bird Club in going to Killdeer Plains... The waterfowl was very abundant. At the end of the day, I had seen all the common migarants save for the Greater Scaup.
During the trip, one strange species of note was a bird that looked like a Canada Goose, but had an orange bill, orange feet, and 3 white streaks on each side. Some belive that this must be a crossing between a Canada Goose and a Greater White Fronted Goose. However, could it be something unusual from Europe - afterall, it was larger then the other Canada Geese in the Pond.
After most of the people on the trip dispersed, a few of us remained and saw some truely exceptional birds.
They inclueded, Henry and Olivia Burton, Jason and Jaimie, two other people, and me.

Highlights inclued:
5 Short Eared Owls (both males and females)
1 BOBWHITE (a female, that flew from under my feet)
1 Female Long-tailed Duck at Lake Medina

Here is a list of all the birds we saw:
Red-winged Blackbird
American Crow
Northern Cardinal
Canada Goose
Red-Tailed Hawk
European Starling
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Common Grackle
Blue Jay
American Kestrel
House Sparrow
Red Shouldred Hawk
Wood Duck
Mallard
Horned Lark
Bald Eagle
Downy Woodpecker
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Northern Harrier
Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Eastern Meadowlark
Hooded Merganser
Canada/White Fronted Goose hybrid?
Mute Swan
Northern Pintail
Horned Grebe
American Wigeon
Ring Billed Gull
Common Goldeneye
Red Breasted Merganser
Ring-Necked Duck
Northern Shoveler
American Coot
Northern Flicker
Green Winged Teal
Turkey Vulture
Tundra Swan
Canvasback
Blue-Winged Teal
Wilson's Snipe
Pied Billed Grebe
Ruddy Duck
American Black Duck
Lesser Scaup
Trumpeter Swan
Gadwall
Rough-Legged Hawk
Sandhill Crane (Heard)
Song Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
Bufflehead
Northern Bobwhite
American Woodcock (heard)
Short Eared Owl
Carolina Wren (Heard)
Dark Eyed Junco
Long-tailed Duck
Redhead
Hairy Woodpecker
White Breasted Nuthatch

[Lukas Padegimas]

I put the whole list in a neuteral tone becuase i was posting for a larger audience then, but it was amazing to have people offer me thier scopes to find them something unusual. I found and identified the most interesting waterfowl quicker then others and had an awesome day.
The unusual hibrid was the first bird i noticed
Then i was the one that accidently scared up the Bobwhite when i went to this one place i thought might be good for sparrows
Then as it was turning dark at Media Lake and all hope was given up by everyone of finding the Long-tailed Duck, i found it. The whole experience was great and i finally got to see my Short Eared Owls

[Phil Chaon]

Sounds like a great trip with some great birds Lukas. Wish I could have made it, it has been a long time since I have seen a lot of those birds. As far as your goose, I would lean more towards a Canada x Greylag Hybrid over Canada x Greater White-fronted . Good observation that it was larger than everything else, Canada x Greater White-fronted tend to be distinctly smaller than most of the Canada Geese we see around here. But who knows what it was in the end. Good birding.

[Lukas Padegimas]

That is what i thought when i observed it. Thanks for telling me about the possibility of this being a hibrid between Canada and Graylag phil. I looked up that goose on the internet and the hybrids shown there look really simular to what i saw even though none had some white markings. Do you think one of its parents was a wild bird or just a domestic one.

[Phil Chaon]

Lukas Padegimas said:

That is what i thought when i observed it. Thanks for telling me about the possibility of this being a hibrid between Canada and Graylag phil. I looked up that goose on the internet and the hybrids shown there look really simular to what i saw even though none had some white markings. Do you think one of its parents was a wild bird or just a domestic one.

I'll never say never but the parents were most likely domestic birds. Especially considering how much agricultural land there is right around Killdeer the possibility of Domestic Greylags mixing in with resident Canadas is very probable. Also a domestic bird could explain why there was so much white in your bird. No matter what though, hybrids are always fun. Check out this for more hybrids. http://www.flickr.com/groups/444365@N25/