Subject: Re: Canada Geese Species
Date: Oct 11 20:22:35 1997
From: "LIBOR MICHALAK" - pieris at netidea.com


Hi Yvonne,

Basically, in the field the major differences between the two (Dusky and
Cackling) is that the Dusky usually "lacks a neck ring" that can be visible
in the other forms of the area. In the hand this bird has a wing length
shorter than the most common race that we get here in BC ( a banders
journal). Also it has a much deeper forehead projection to the common BC
race of "fulva" which we get and is smaller. I have only seen this race
once before in the early fall in Nakusp on the side of Upper Arrow lake.
It took me a while to key it out. It was a lifer sub species for me.

The Cackling goose in my understanding from some of the literature that I
have read is the darkest of all the small forms (Richardson's, fulva and
Aleutian I believe they are) and it has the smallest neck of them all as
well with a TINY neck ring of white. The others have a larger neck ring.
I hear that it is quite distinguishable in the field (can't remember who
from CWS told me this) but I also read that it has a very tiny bill as well
when compared to the other small forms, with its neck being very small.
Stumpy comes to mind.

>From your field id notes it sounds as though your description fits the
Cackling Goose.

I hope this helps a bit?

Cheers
Libor

----------
> From: ravenn at premier1.net
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Canada Geese Species
> Date: October 11, 1997 2:05 PM
>
> Hi all,
> I just finished with an Audubon field trip to the Everett WTP. We
> relocated the Black-headed Gull and added a couple of interesting
> species to my list I posted on Thursday. We saw three Franklin's Gulls
> but did not see the Forster's Tern although someone else saw it.
>
> Today we added:
>
> Thayer's Gull
> Merlin
> Violet-Green Swallows (many of them)
> Ruby-crowned Kinglet
> Western Meadowlark ( Sitting high in a bare tree. A strange place for
> a Meadowlark)
>
> We also found a smaller race of Canada Goose. I could use some help in
> distinguishing the different races. This was a very small goose with a
> petite looking bill. It had a short neck and the black on the neck did
> not go down as far as the larger more familiar race I've seen. I looked
> up my notes on Canada Goose races. Besides the large Columbia Basin
> Canada Geese we should get Dusky, Lesser and Cackling. This goose was
> not dark enough to be a Dusky which I've seen pictures of. Could
> someone share info about the difference between Lesser and the Cackling
> subspecies. This goose looked very comfortable swimming around with
> Ruddy Ducks. Size wise it was larger but not that much larger.
>
> Thanks
> Yvonne
> Everett, Wa
> ravenn at premier1.net