Anser caerulescens x Branta CANADENSIS
Status: Rare regular winter west and central, rare casual east.
Winter: There are 20 records from 26 Oct- 23 Mar, including three easterly reports in Buffalo Co, two at Stoneridge Lake 31 Dec 2023, a series of reports of up to six centered on Cottonmill Park 14 Dec 2024-8 Feb 2025, and one at Stoneridge Lake 3 Jan 2026. The only eastern record is of two at Glenn Cunningham Lake, Douglas Co 26-27 Oct 2018.
One remained at Scottsbluff WTP, Scotts Bluff Co 23 Mar-27 Jul 2023.
This hybrid closely resembles Snow Goose X Cackling Goose but is larger than the smaller forms of Canada Goose, presumably parvipes in western and central Nebraska where most reports originate. Reports are expected to increase as awareness of hybrid waterfowl and their identification has increased since Nebraska’s first in 2018.
A prudent way to report the group of hybrids, Ross’s or Snow as one parent and Cackling or Canada the other, is ROGO/SNGO x CANG/CACG. Such reports are often of birds too distant to identify; there are three records for Nebraska, four at Lake Minatare, Scotts Bluff Co 30 Nov 2020, and singles at Scottsbluff WTP, Scotts Bluff Co 13 Dec 2021, and at Barnett Park, Red Willow Co 28 Dec 2021 (eBird.org accessed Dec 2024).
A discussion of this and other hybrid waterfowl can be found at Bird Hybrids: Snow Goose x Canada Goose.
Images
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2026. Snow x Canada Goose (hybrid) (Anser caerulescens x Branta canadensis). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
last updated 6 Mar 2026