Stuart/Dennis,

I imagine that a Size 8 band would have been placed on a Great Basin-
sized goose. The "small" races (Lesser B.c. parvipes; Taverner's B.c.
taverneri, etc) take a size 7B band that would have a XX7-XXXXX number,
rather than the XX8-XXXXX Stuart observed.

One of these days (I *have* been asked by Bill Tweit to do it, but
haven't yet gotten a Round Tuit) I'll get a Canada goose subspecies ID
article together for the WOS newsletter. Subspecies ID can be done - really!

Having spent several years separating out the subspecies in the
Willamette Valley got me over-confidant when once asked to ID a 'small'
Canada that then joined a flock of Great Basins/Westerns/B.c. moffitti
and was one of the largest birds in the flock....

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, WA
anderjda at dfw.wa.gov


On Thu, 8 Jun 1995, Stuart MacKay wrote:

> Dennis "the amazed" wrote:
>
> > Were these "Great Basin" Canada Geese or one of the smaller subspecies?
> > Any idea?
>
> Sorry Dennis, I'm not sure how to identify the different subspecies of canada
> goose, except perhaps the really small one which I have assumed up until now
> were the "cackling" variety.
>
> Anyone care to elighten me ?
>
> Stuart