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Name: Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)
Range and typical habitat(s): Breeding range Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska; winters in Pacific Northwest, Midwest, east coast and Great Lakes region of United States and Canada; migrates through Midwest of North America, as well as along west coast.
Distinguishing physical characteristics:
Size/Shape/Proportions – The cackling goose is rather small for its kind, generally not growing much beyond two feet in length, with a wingspan about 42-44 inches across, and a weight of no more than about seven pounds. It has a comparatively small beak with a sharp slope to its forehead. It has a typically “goose-like” silhouette, with a heavy body, long neck, small round head and flat, tapering beak, all carried on skinny legs with wide webbed feet. Its neck is not as proportionately long as that of other geese, something that will come in handy when differentiating with similar species below.
Colors – Its distinctive coloration includes a dusky brown body, darker on the back and wings than on the belly, with a white backside. The neck and head are black, with a white chin strap and sometimes a small partial or complete ring of white at the base of the neck. The beak and legs are dark gray to black. Cackling geese have a black tail and rump with a distinctive white U or V shape on the top side in flight. There are four to seven recognized subspecies depending on who you talk to, all of which may show minor variations in coloration, but the above description is generally accurate. Female and male geese are largely the same color; goslings are fluffy yellow with light brown markings above, and juveniles have paler versions of their future adult plumage.
Behaviors – Like other waterfowl, cackling geese are highly gregarious, particularly outside of breeding season, and can be found in large flocks throughout winter. They are herbivorous, and throughout the year will subsist on various grasses, berries, grains and other seeds. They are less likely to eat aquatic plants than their Canada goose cousins.
These migratory birds engage in long-distance seasonal flights between their summer breeding grounds in the Arctic and wintering around in the United States. Once they reach their breeding grounds, they reunite with their lifemates, engaging in enthusiastic wing-spreading and vocal rituals with each other, after which they find suitable nesting sites near water.
Female cackling geese are largely responsible for building the nest, and each will lay anywhere from two to eight eggs. After about twenty-five days the eggs hatch, and the precocious young leave with their parents as soon as the last one has hatched and found its legs. They will stay with their parents for the next year, migrating with them as a family. The young geese will not seek out a mate until they are at least two years of age, sometimes even waiting another year before looking for just the right goose or gander to pair up with.
Cackling geese get their name from their distinctive high-pitched call. It sounds rather like a “yip” that starts low and rolls up several notes with a sharp ending. Some subspecies may have a lower-pitched call more reminiscent of a Canada goose’s honk.
Here’s a video I took of cackling geese in flight with social calls:
Movement – As with all waterfowl, cackling geese are mobile on land, in water, and in the sky. They are powerful fliers, with swift, strong, even wingbeats that can carry them long distances on their migrations. They mainly feed on land, and while they are not especially fast when walking, they can waddle for hours in search of food. They are quite buoyant in water, and when seeking aquatic food they will dabble, but not submerge themselves completely.
Other organisms it could be confused with and how to tell the difference: By far, the closest lookalike for the cackling goose is its larger cousin, the Canada goose (Branta canadensis). As a general rule, Canada geese are larger than cackling geese, though there is some size crossover between the largest cacklers and smallest Canadas. Both species have almost identical coloration and lots of variation within, but studying your local populations of both may reveal localized color patterns in each species.
Cackling geese also have a proportionately shorter neck and smaller beak, and a more pronounced stop to their forehead. Canada geese, on the other hand, have a more gradual, sloping transition from forehead to beak, and a long, graceful neck.
The brant goose (Branta bernicla) also looks similar to the cackling goose, being the same general size and shape, but it most tellingly lacks the white chin strap (many have a partial white ring further down the neck), and the black on its neck extends well onto the breast and upper back. The body may be a darker gray or brown, and the color of the primary feathers on the wings are darker as well. The white V on the tail and rump is often wider on Brant geese than cackling, though individual variations may occur.
Further Reading:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cackling_Goose/
https://ebird.org/species/cacgoo1
sibleyguides.com/2007/07/identification-of-cackling-and-canada-goose/
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/cackling-goose
