Unusual Mix

[vle1170]

We have a park here that I love to go to so I can take pictures of the wild life and of the lake and such. And well last year there was some mixing of species. Apparently a duck and a goose had a baby, and we call him a Guck hehee
He was the only survivor of the clutch, and he hangs out with the goose side of his family.

[Birdy_Guy]

Hi. :D
Actually, ducks and geese cannot cross breed, they are far too gentically different to be able to. The 'Guck', to me, seems to be a cross of egyptian geese and either toulouse or canda geese which you can see in the picture. (I may be wrong.) That would be why it hangs out with geese, it is a goose/gander itself.. 100%.

[Monica]

Cockatiels and cockatoos can't hybridize either, but we still got the galatiel!!!

I wouldn't even be able to tell you what kind of hybrid it is, but I went to google!

Cryptozoology.com (Video of Goose x Swan? )
While some experienced zoologists say that they have never seen a goose-duck hybrid, one avian expert said it is rare but "absolutely possible."

Wingfield remembers the mother duck and the alleged father goose being an inseparable pair. The alleged father, she said, was protective of the couple's nest.

In the spring, when about 10babies hatched, Wingfield presumed they were ducklings. Six survived and as the six-pack's down gave way to feathers, the watchful director noticed that two of the offspring in particular had some gosling characteristics.

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v04...039-p0040a.pdf
(nother swoose, and not as pretty...)

Have there ever been any known offspring from a goose and a duck?
(says no duck/goose hybrids)

Harteman Wildfowl - Waterfowl Hybrids (crossbreeds)
(self explanatory - some links at bottom of the page)

Goose/Duck Cross? - BirdForum
(no hybrid pics, but one member mentions goose x duck hybrids?)


So as far as I see it, you never know for sure until it happens!

[vle1170]

I was just going off what we were told he was, there is nothing else out there at the park that he even resembles cept for the ducks but he is twice the size of the ducks.

[toneyart]

Hi,
Just wanted to let you know that I think your mystery bird is a young
snow goose- according to my bird book, the white color phase
with black wing-tips is most common in the east, while in the
west and on the gulf coast the "blue" goose- dark gray with
white head and neck is numerous.
I've never heard of a duck and goose mating and producing
young.
Hope that helps.
Ann

[Monica]

Can't say I know much about goose or duck species, but I'd have to agree with Ann here! Comparing pics with a snow goose, looks the same!





I wonder if perhaps a snow goose just laid an egg in a ducks nest?

[vle1170]

Wow that is freaky... but what would a snow goose be doing here in Georgia? They definitely arent from here. And I guess that so called bird person didnt know what they were talking about when they said it was a cross...good to know what he is.
Just weird that he's here and he's the only one too. Must have gotten lost.

[vle1170]

Oops forgot to say thanks for straightening out the mystery :)

[Lori~D]

Probably was a pet and flew off or was from a pet/farm breeding. definatly a snow goose and very pretty!!

[vle1170]

Oh he is definitely a pretty bird. I wonder if there are any bird associations or something around here. I bet they would be excited to see a bird not known to this area.

So glad this was all cleared up cuz I was sure wondering how 2 different species could breed. But the fella that told me sure seemed like he knew what he was talking about...or maybe he was just a know it all that doesnt know anything LOL

Thanks again for all your help on this.