Thursday, January 10, 2008 - THE "LESSER" CANADA GOOSE AT TEGUISE (LANZAROTE): FIRST FOR THE CANARY ISLANDS

by J. Sagardía Pradera, F. J. García Vargas and A. Unquiles Cobos

On 07/I/2008 J. Sagardía detected a Canada Goose of the "lesser" race at Teguise (Lanzarote), in a plains next to Montaña de Saga, near to the Ancones area. The bird was seen again on 08/I and on 09/I it was seen by F. J. García Vargas and A. Unquiles Cobos.

The bird has a perfect plumage with intact primaries and is not ringed. It has appeared in the island after some days of bad weather.

Between 31/VIII and 02/IX/2003, F. J. García Vargas saw one bird of the "common" race at Puerto del Carmen, but that bird showed a horrible plumage and was very tame, staying at the port with domestic ducks. But the behaviour (quite shy) and the shape of this new bird is quite different.

Escape or genuine vagrant?

Canada Goose. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía

Canada Goose. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía. See the perfect primaries and the inctact plumage.

Canada Goose. Teguise. Photo: J. Sagardía. The bird shows a normal vehabiour for a wild bird, beeing quite shy.

Canada Goose. Teguise. Photo: F. J. García Vargas. The bird has no rings.

Canada Goose. Puerto del Carmen. Photo: F. J. García Vargas. The bird seen on 2003 with a very bad plumage and very tame, feeding with domestic ducks. An escape without any doubt.