| Common Name | Pink-footed Goose |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Anser brachyrhynchus |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 03/12/2025 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Kyle Jones |
| Mailing Address | 22 Blue Moon Rd South Strafford, VT 05070 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 03/13/2025 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Catherine Holland |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 44.092 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -72.047 |
| Place Name | Rt. 5 |
| Township | Newbury |
| County | Orange |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 02:20 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | 50 min in the field, after 20 min on the river |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 1000 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 1000 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Overcast, calm. |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | 8x42 B&L |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Observed once previously, also in NH. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Initially on the ice on the Connecticut River (New Hampshire), then relocated in a nearby flooded cornfield. |
| Behaviors Observed | Initially resting on the ice, then after relocating to the cornfield, swimming in a flooded area, little or no feeding noted. |
| Description of Vocalizations | Not heard. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | Birding on a farm, I noticed a large number of geese on the river ice. I went back to my car for the scope and returned to scan the geese and soon noticed a smaller, different goose (the pink-footed). I took some digi-scope shots and texted one to Wayne Scott and Catherine Holland for identification assistance. They immediately responded with Pink-footed ID. The bird soon left with other geese and I waited to see if it would return, but it didn't. When Catherine Holland arrived we headed north on Route 5 in Vermont and soon found a goose flock that had the Pink-footed in it. We stayed on it and Catherine was able to get loads of photos from a better distance. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Smaller and shorter necked than nearby Canada Geese, stubby bill. |
| Head | Brown head and neck without white cheek patches, etc. |
| Feet & Bill | Bright pink feet, fairly bright bill saddle with a dark tip. Stubby bill. |
| Upper Back | Gray back with white horizontal line, white crescents. |
| Lower Back & Rump | Only observed afterwards in photos. White rump and narrow gray bar across rump. |
| Wings | Only observed afterwards in photos. Dark flight feathers, white quills on primaries. Gray central upper-wing panel. |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Pale brown unmarked breast and belly. |
| Tail | White tail with a gray band. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Smaller and smaller billed than a Greater White-fronted Goose and lacked the white feathering around the bill (paler but still present in immature white-front). |
| Other Notes & Comments | Separate checklist submitted for prior observation in New Hampshire. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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