Graylag Goose, A “Definite Maybe”, East Providence, RI, December 2016

When a report of a Graylag Goose is published, most birders just dismiss it as a farm goose.  That too was my first thought when one was reported in RI at Watchemoket Cove in East Providence.  But the observer, Gabe Cohen-Glinck, mentioned that he thought it could be a wild Graylag.  I asked him for his pictures, and soon I was drooling over photos of what looked very much like a wild Graylag Goose.  I didn’t chase after the one that was seen near New Haven, CT back in 2009.  That bird was eventually accepted by the CT review committee, and then by the ABA as the first Lower 48 record (even though the bird stayed from the winter well into the summer).  I’ve kicked myself ever since.  So I didn’t want to pass on this one if it might be a “countable” bird.

The next day an eBird Needs Alert popped up and the Graylag was seen again, along with another photo, though the sighting was now a day old.  None of the “experts” had weighed in on this bird yet, but I had some spare time, and the trip to Watchemoket Cove was just a little more than an hour long.  Plus I’ve had good success chasing rarities at Watchemoket Cove in the past, with my first RI sightings of Mew Gull in 2006 and Black-headed Gull back in 1994 occurring there.  So I decided to give it a try. 

As I pulled up to the cove I could see a large flock of Canada Geese swimming about – maybe 400 birds.  So I was hopeful that the target bird was still there.  I did a quick scan with my binocs and one of the very first birds I spotted was this sleeping goose – without the black neck “sock” I was pretty sure I had the bird. 

A few minutes later it woke up and showed its characteristic orange bill – it was the Graylag.  It was a bit smaller than the Canadas, with no excessive heaviness of the neck/bill.  So it sure seemed like it could a wild bird to me. 

Now I needed some better views – it would especially be great if it would step out of the water and I could see its body shape.  As if on cue, just then it swam up to an exposed rock and perched up on it.  No pot belly look of a domestic goose!  And no bands on the legs.  Again it looked like a wild bird. 

While it stood on the rock it stretched its wings, and showed no excessive feather wear, or pinioned feathers.  (I didn’t get a photo though)  Others saw the bird in flight the day before, which again would be unlikely for a farm goose.  Everything was looking good for a wild bird.  One other feature for a bird that is in captivity is that some aviculturalists will clip the birds’ hind toes.  But check out this photo of the bird hopping off the rock - I just happened to snap it when its left leg was extended and you can see the hind toe on its left foot.  Others saw both hind toes when the bird was foraging on the adjacent golf course.

A bit later the Graylag swam to some shallows and stood on the bottom.  Though its legs were still in the water, it gave more views of the body shape, including a direct comparison with a nearby Canada that I was just barely able to squeeze into the frame.

Now that I felt good that this might actually be a wild bird, I called Rachel Farrell to tell her my opinions.  She too had noticed the earlier posts, but until then wasn’t quite ready to pass along the news.  But with at least one vote of a “definite maybe” that this could indeed be a countable Graylag Goose, she began to spread the word. 

The bird continued to be spotted the next day, but became less reliable thereafter.  During that time not surprisingly many birders weighed in on whether they thought it was a countable bird or not.  On the positive side –

• Not structurally like a farm goose – no pot belly, no long heavy neck, able to fly strongly
• Not at all tame – no more so than its 400 Canadian cousins it was swimming with
• No bands, pinioned flight feathers, excessive weather wear, or missing hind toes suggesting being in captivity
• Mixed in with migrant Canada Geese likely of races that could mix with Graylags in their breeding range
• Graylags are undergoing a population explosion in Iceland like the other Eurasian geese
• The numbers of Eurasian waterfowl (Pink-footed and Barnacle Geese and Shelducks) in the northeast this winter are the highest ever, with 30 birds at 28 locations in 2016 so far.  That compares to 18 birds at 16 sites in that same period in 2015.  And this includes record numbers of Pink-footed Geese.  (all based on eBird data)

However on the negative side, a couple birders with extensive knowledge of wild Graylags in Europe suggested the bird’s bill could be heavier, and neck thicker, than a wild bird.  They thought that maybe this could indicate there are some farm geese genes involved.

As I posted on the RI list serve, none of us should add this to our state and life lists until the RI review committee makes its decision.  But it sure would be nice to think about this being a new lifebird, especially as I close in on #750 for my ABA list.  I’ve actually flirted with that threshold all year.  Back in March I saw a Redwing in Hollis, NH as #748.  And then the ABA split the western Scrub Jays to give me #749 as an “armchair tick”.  But then the TX review committee decided not to accept the long-staying Striped Sparrow I saw there in 2015, so that dropped me back to #748. 

I guess I’ll have to wait to see if the Graylag Goose will become ABA #749.  Then again maybe I’ll reach #750 in the meantime with some additional “armchair ticks” as other splits occur.  That’s certainly more likely than actually seeing new species in the near term, but who knows.