Made a mistake - I checked the reference and the Canadas in question were identifed as minima Cackling and Lesser (parvipes), not Richardson's although as everyone knows separation of these forms is not always easy.
Regards
Clive Harris
Cabin John, MD
Clive Harris <> wrote:
Walter
You might be aware of this but Richardson's, plus apparent Richardson x Barnacle hybrids have been photographed in flocks of Barnacle Geese wintering in Scotland. This was written up in Birding World (UK) in 2003. I don't know whether any educated guesses were made about the provenance of the mixed pairings and hybrid birds. It might be worth double-checking all of your Richardson's to see if any of them had slightly darker breasts or white forehead patches which might indicate a hybrid.
Regards
Clive
Clive Harris
Cabin John, Md |