On Feb 23, 2011, at 9:44 PM, Patricia Quyle Grainger wrote:

> Monday, Dave and I went to LaConner for 3 days, and visited Fir Island. The Snow Geese were fantastic to see! Among those Dave photographed was this 'red-headed' one. Any ideas why it has this look?
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/59981222 at N08/


On Feb 23, 2011, at 10:16 PM, Barry Ulman wrote:

> Pat,
>
> The reddish tint in the head is probably from rust deposits picked up from the water, perhaps from its summer habitat. I've often seen swans with this rusty tint on the head.
>
> Barry Ulman

Exactly.

This is typical of the population we see in the Skagit that summer on Wrangel Island. There is a lot of iron in the soil on Wrangel: that stains the feathers (literally) "rust" color.

This is rather different from the Eastern US Snow Goose populations that summer in northern Canada.
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Kevin Purcell (Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA)
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