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Chequamegon Bay at Bayview Park (Tern Island), Ashland County, 26 October 2006
Duskiness on the head, neck, and back indicate a first-winter bird but the plumage is too white to be an immature Snow Goose. The bill appears to be intermediate in shape, not quite triangular and stubby like a Ross's but not as bulky as a Snow. The bill is also pink - not dark - with a faint bluish tint to the base and lacks the bold grinning patch of a Snow Goose. The cheek feathering at the base of the bill is fairly straight from top to bottom and not nearly as curved as seen in Snow Geese. Body size was nearly that of associated Cackling Geese and only slightly smaller than nearby Snow Geese.
All images copyrighted to Ryan Brady and cannot be used without permission
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