Hybrid Cross Between a Duck and a Goose: Do Gucks Exist?

[Camilla Chicken]

My friend said she saw a guck do they exist? If they do could someone show me a pic. also, I've heard a little about Swan X Duck cross or a Goose X Swan cross are those real too?

(ps sorry i'v been posting like crazy this is like my 3rd thread posted t-day

im addicted to BYC

XD )

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Join the BYC addicts club.

I am pretty sure they are distinct species that cannot produce offspring. But if anyone knows any different, I would like to see a photo, too. There is a breed of goose that is called a swan goose, but that is just because it is a large breed of goose, I think.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had a Muscovy duck sit on a Embden goose egg that I traded for some Scovie eggs, the gosling hatched and lived as a giant duck for 5 yrs. he mated with the ducks and they never hatched out any gucks. matter of fact because of their mating there were alot of duck eggs that never developed. I don't think it is possible for a duck and goose to reproduce. I think a swan goose is a chinese goose by the way. Okay just read your post, and I'll just say I will believe it when I see it.

 

[Frank Phinster]

For successful hybridization the species you want to cross need to be related, which means in other words that they should not have developed into different species too long ago.

Most ducks from the genus anas are believed to have developed quite recently ( spoken in terms of evolution) and thus have a lot of genes in common and thus easily cross and produce fertile offspring. Since the genus of anas may just have undergone radiation about 5 million years ago they are still closely related.

It becomes difficult when the genera are different - take the mulard as example. The two species you want to cross here belong to the genera of Cairinia ( still not certain whether dabbling duck or shelduck) and Anas (dabbling duck as dabbling duck can be). They still readily hybridize in captivity but offspring is infertil.

Geese and ducks do not only belong to different genera but also different subfamilies that have undergone seperate evolution for a long time so they are not related closely enough. When the two
genomes meet, they cannot merge because they are too different from each other.

For the same reason, a hybrid between duck and swan would also be very unlikely not to speak of technical difficulties...

 

[Tivona]

Copenhagen Zoological Gardens got one in July 1947. I have searched this a few times and can't find any photos of it unfortunately.


Morphological and Ethological Notes on a Hybrid between a Domestic Duck and a Domestic Goose

and on the same subject of hybrid birds...

Hybrid Ducks

Gamebird hybrids

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Copenhagen Zoological Gardens got one in July 1947. I have searched this a few times and can't find any photos of it unfortunately.


Morphological and Ethological Notes on a Hybrid between a Domestic Duck and a Domestic Goose

and on the same subject of hybrid birds...

Hybrid Ducks

Gamebird hybrids

See, I learn something new every day!
This link has even more info on the goose x mute swan hybrid:
http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/Swoose.php

This link has more info on the Mallard x Egyptian Goose: http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/EgyptianGoosexMallard.php

The photos are quite amazing. Thanks for the info, Tivona.

I guess it is possible to get a hybrid even though it is quite rare.

By the way, I did more exploration on the Egyptian goose It is a very cool looking water fowl species that is said to be in the Shelduck family, which sounds like it is an intermediate between geese and ducks. Thus, the Egyptian Goose might cross more easily with a duck than most geese.

 

[Miss Lydia]

See, I learn something new every day! This link has even more info on the goose x mute swan hybrid: http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/Swoose.php
I guess it is possible to get a hybrid even though it is quite rare.

Me too s'n'p I still would like to see some pics.

 

[Frank Phinster]

Now we would need some more evidence for the goose x duck hybrid to be certain. Single sources are not valid on their own and it appears rather odd to me that there seemed only to be a single occurence. Ducks and geese are commonly kept together, so hybridization should be a little more common.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Now we would need some more evidence for the goose x duck hybrid to be certain. Single sources are not valid on their own and it appears rather odd to me that there seemed only to be a single occurence. Ducks and geese are commonly kept together, so hybridization should be a little more common.

I just edited my previous post about the supposed mallard and Egyptian Goose cross. The photos in the link are really cool at least.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is a beautiful bird, love the coloring. http://www.gobirding.eu/Photos/EgyptianGoosexMallard.php