# ID this bird (UK, waterfowl) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441 "2007-07-19T20:27:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/1 "2007-07-19T20:27:34Z")
I went for a cycle along the canal towpath yesterday, and saw a bird (twice, once going, once coming back) that I’ve never seen before. The bird was big, bigger than a goose, but smaller than a swan, it had black and white plumage on its body, which looked to be “mixed” (i.e. there wasn’t a big patch of white with the rest black, it looked as if a few feathers were white then a few black etc. It’s bill was the most striking feature - it was bright red and looked liked the red bit went as far back as the eyes, so most of its face was red, too. The bird was quite close to a big gaggle of Canada Geese, which were hissing at me, so I didn’t get to stop near it. However, it was stood on the side of the towpath, so I passed quite close by it twice. I’ve tried searching Google for an image, but I’ve got nothing. Any possible IDs? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/2 "2007-07-19T20:34:47Z")
That sounds like a Greylag goose **Dominic** , if the bill was on the orangey side of red. Certainly there are often Greylags mixed in with the Canada geese around here. > **[Greylag goose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greylag_Goose)** > > The greylag goose or graylag goose (Anser anser) is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae and the type species of the genus Anser. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and pink legs. A large bird, it measures between 74 and 91 centimetres (29 and 36 in) in length, with an average weight of 3.3 kilograms (7 lb 4 oz). Its distribution is widespread, with birds from the north of its range in Europe and Asia migrating southwards to spend the winte... ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/3 "2007-07-19T20:49:12Z")
Nope. The bill was bright red, like a turkey’s markings (which I presumed it was, at first, coming at it from behind, but it didn’t have the “gorble”). The redness also extended onto its face, surrounding its eyes. It’s also much larger than a Greylag, too (which I’ve seen quite a few of, around here). What’s strange was that it was on its own. There were swans swimming with cygnets and geese obviously paired up (hence the hissing), but this was stood a short distance from the Canadas on its own. Thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/4 "2007-07-19T21:08:19Z")
[QUOTE=Dominic Mulligan] It’s also much larger than a Greylag, too [/QUOTE] Hmmm, OK a WAG then - could it be a [Black Swan?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Black_Swans.jpg) It’s not a native to Britain but the [wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_swan) states: > [@](#): > > The Black Swan is also very popular as an ornamental waterbird in Western Europe, especially Britain, and escapes are commonly reported. As yet the population in Britain is not considered to be self-sustaining and so the species is not afforded admission to the official British List, but the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have recorded a maximum of nine breeding pairs in the UK in 2001, with an estimate of 43 feral birds in 2003/04 (though that is undoubtedly an under-estimate given the level of monitoring undertaken). ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/5 "2007-07-19T21:40:28Z")
Yeah, I was looking at that before. It looks a lot like it, with the same bill type and colouring and same size. However, its body seems to be too black - there was also a lot of white as well, from what I saw (although this may have been underplumage sticking out). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/6 "2007-07-19T22:30:58Z")
I’ve seen some really ugly-looking geese with red bills and lumpy red bits on their heads; they were patchy black and white and quite big. I haven’t a clue what species, or if maybe they’re some kind of hybrid or naturalised domesticated strain, but I’m pretty sure it is geese of some kind you’re describing. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/7 "2007-07-19T22:33:28Z")
Then again, I just googled ‘big ducks’ and found [this](http://dns.advnet.net/stang/hobbies/animals/animals..php) - which is what I described above - so apparently not a goose, but not a true duck either. I think this is your animal. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/8 "2007-07-19T22:37:03Z")
Ah- beaten by moments! I think Mangetout has it-- a Muscovy. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/9 "2007-07-19T22:47:11Z")
Dang. What I came in here to say. [http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&safe=off&q=muscovy+duck&btnG=Search+Images](http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&gbv=2&safe=off&q=muscovy+duck&btnG=Search+Images) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/10 "2007-07-19T23:38:30Z")
Definitely sounds like a Muscovy. Muscovies are native to Latin America and were domesticated in some areas. The wild form is almost entirely black, while domestic ones range from black to white with many having an odd “pied” plumage of mixed black and white. Males have the prominent red facial wattles. It is considered a duck (rather than a goose) but is in a different genus (_Cairina_ ) than other domestic ducks, which are descended from Mallards (_Anas_). ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-bird-uk-waterfowl/412441/11 "2007-07-20T15:18:42Z")
Yep, that looks a lot like it. Thanks!