| Common Name | Pink-footed Goose |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anser brachyrhynchus |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 03/15/2020 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Henry Trombley |
| Mailing Address | 245 Dan Sargent Rd Bristol, VT 05443-5292 United States Map It |
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| Date Completed | 03/17/2020 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Jim Mead, 44.1275513 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.1275513 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.3292255 |
| Place Name | Dead Creek WMA - Stone Bridge Dam |
| Township | Panton |
| County | Addison |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 10:30 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 5 min |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 200 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 400 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | 25 deg F, 10-20 mile north winds |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Kowa, 60X |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Seen on 3 previous occasions (twice in VT). Also familiar with Greater-white Fronted Goose. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Open water on Dead Creek. Cattails on edges of creek. PFGO was swimming with a group of ~25 Canada Goose. Many ducks were also present: Mallards, American Black Duck, American Widgeon, Green-winged Teal, Wood Duck |
| Behaviors Observed | The group of geese were mostly swimming away from me during most of the observation, but looking side to side |
| Description of Vocalizations | None |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | I noticed a small gray/brown goose swimming with Canada Goose upon arrival to Stone Dam. First impressions were that of a Greater-white Fronted Goose. This was quickly ruled out due to lack of white in forehead or base of bill. Head and neck were solid brown. Back was grayish-brown with white edging on feathers. Undertail coverts were all white. Bill was mostly dark, but with bright pink near the tip. While swimming away, the legs would be briefly exposed and were bright pink. The birds flew North when I moved to get views from a better angle. Searching locations to the north, I relocated the bird at Dead Creek confluence with Otter Creek. Jim Mead and I were able to observe the bird for ~60 minutes at this location. Here we were able to observe the white flank line and neck furrows of this species. Photos are available attached to the checklist entered for this location at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S65822760 |
| Relative Size & Shape | ~2/3 size of Canada Goose |
| Head | Head and neck all brown |
| Feet & Bill | Feet not seen, but legs showed bright pink. Bill was short and mostly dark, but with pink near the tip |
| Upper Back | brownish gray with white lines from feather edges |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | White flank line, white under tail coverts, breast a cream color. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Greater-white Fronted Goose ruled out due to no white on head, bill was not orange, and legs were not orange. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Immediately After |
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