Black geese?

[Bill in IL]

Saw these Canada Geese yesterday. The 3 geese in the center of the frame appear to be black.

[shotgunner]

They are either real dirty or some kind of dark mutation. I used to raise pheasants and there was a fairly common dark or black variation. I never saw it in duck or geese however. Shotgunner

[Siskiyou]

One wonders what kind of cross breeding went on?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Goose

[dukkillr]

Looks like there's some domestic in their gene pool...

[calling4life]

You can still see a faint cheek patch, so you definitely have some canada there, whether it is a cross breed, or a family trio that had that off gene in it, who knows. 

[Empty Quiver]

What ? Choo sum kinda racist ? Trying to figure a way to repress these geese? Jesse  and The Reverand Al Sharpstuff is gonna be all up in this place soons they finds out.

 AND I'M TELLIN'

[bilmac]

Black Brant   P.40  Birds of North America.

[shotgunner]

They are not brant, they are Canada geese. I think they could just be dirty, but they look nothing like a brant. Shotgunner

[calling4life]

WOW, click on the picture, it will enlarge it... Brant... Dirty... come on guys

[Bill in IL]

Here is another pic. I think they have landed in the wrong pond a got coated with something. The black geese were constantly preening while I watched them, which is why I thought they may have got something on them. There are about 10 that are black and yes, if you look closely, you can see the cheek patch. As Calling 4life stated, click on the pics to enlarge

[shotgunner]

I was the first one to reply, right AFTER I clicked on the picture and enlarged it. And yes, I believe they are dirty and I know that they are not brant. Shotgunner

[Graybeard]

Maybe but I don't buy it. I think that's the color of their feathers. Why I dunno but enlarge that last one and look again.

You can clearly seen brown feathers and some white feathers and one that even looks to be yellow at the tail of the one to the left. My personal opinion and that's really all any of us can have is that this is one strange color phase of these geese.

Why they are that color and what kinda geese they are I got no clue but I'm personally not buying it's cuz they got into something that coated their feathers and made them look black.

[XD40SC]

There is a condition in nature called melanism. It's the opposite of albinism. Don't know if that's what caused these geese to be that color, but it's a possibility.

[huntducks]

There is a condition in nature called melanism. It's the opposite of albinism. Don't know if that's what caused these geese to be that color, but it's a possibility.

I agree....

Look how snow geese have turned into what is called a blue phase I have seen some younger blues with very dark bodies as they get older they get a white head hence being called eagle heads.