Hyde Park London Waterfowl

Large, familiar goose with a black head and neck and white cheek patch; many feral flocks use Hyde Park lawns and lake margins. They can dominate feeding areas and drive displacement of smaller waterfowl during winter.

Large goose (body longer than a swan when on land), black neck and head with white cheek patch, honking calls and upright grazing stance on lawns.

Common Confusions

• Greylag Goose Anser anser Greylag is greyer overall with an orange bill and pale face, and lacks the black neck and white cheek of Canada goose.
• Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Barnacle is smaller with a white face and black forehead and is much rarer; overall more compact.
• Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca Egyptian has a distinctive dark eye patch and patterned chestnut tones; different face pattern to Canada goose.
• Hybrid Goose Hybrids may show mixed head or plumage patterns—look for inconsistent chevroning or intermediate bill colour.