[cobirds] Ross's Goose - a 2 for 1 discussion in SW Denver

Since David asked, here’s a bird sighting that highlights both the bird name debate as well as actual bird discussion threads.  We had an adult ROSS’S GOOSE fly over our house in southwest Denver (Athmar Park neighborhood, Denver Co.) yesterday (Thurs., 7 Dec.’23) morning with a large flock of both “Richardson’s” CACKLING and “lesser” CANADA GEESE.  Followed up a little later in the day and refound the Ross’s amongst ~1,500 “white-cheeked” geese up at Huston Park, a huge flock for this park made up of mostly Cacklings.  I didn’t post earlier as these wandering goose flocks can be hard to repeat, but there are very large numbers currently in this part of town, so checking any of the local SW Denver parks, Overland Golf Course, or along the adjacent South Platte should turn up any number of fun geese.

 

Now on to the Ross of Ross’s Goose.  I’m not going to get into which side of the fence I’m on in the eponymous bird name debate (this is not the forum), but do have to admit that I too fall in the category Ken Kauffman highlights in that I very seldom delve into the history of the person immortalized for now in the bird’s common name.  In this case, the name given to this sweet little white goose from the Canadian Arctic, Anser rossii or Ross’s Goose in English is named for Bernard Rogan Ross, an Irish fur trader and naturalist for the Hudson Bay Company in the mid-1800s.  As Mr. Kauffman points out, Bernard is not the same Ross of Ross’s Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) fame, that would be Sir James Clark Ross.  I have no idea, yet, if Bernie was a good dude or not, but plan on doing a little further research on both of these guys to become informed.  This has actually been a positive consequence of this issue surfacing now, it’s making many of us read a little further about the folks behind the names, good, bad, and ugly.

 

So keep your eyes peeled on our large goose flocks currently, you might even find a much less controversial Snow or White-fronted Goose out there.  Need to figure out who Richardson was next.

 

Good Birding,

Doug

Denver (until tomorrow)