Cackling goose

Description:

The black head and neck with white chinstrap distinguish this goose from all except the larger Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and the similarly sized Barnacle Goose (B. leucopsis). There are up to 5 subspecies of Cackling Goose, of varying sizes and plumage details. Some are hard to distinguish from the Canada Goose, with which the Cackling Goose was long assumed to form one species, the Cackling Goose and the smaller Canada Goose subspecies being called the Lesser Canada Goose. The smallest 1.4 kg-Cackling Geese (B. h. minima) are much smaller than any Canada Goose, but the subspecies B. h. hutchinsii, at up to 3 kg, grows to the same size as some Canada Geese. The distinctness of the extinct population of the Komandorski and Kuril Islands B. h. asiatica is controversial. The Barnacle Goose differs in having a black breast and grey, rather than brownish, body plumage.

The Cackling Goose was originally considered to be the same species or a subspecies of the Canada Goose, but in July 2004 the American Ornithologists' Union's (AOU) Committee on Classification and Nomenclature split the two into two species, making Cackling Goose into a full species with the scientific name Branta hutchinsii. The British Ornithologists Union followed suit in June 2005. (information from Wikipedia)

Habitat:

Small pond at a local park

Notes:

I had been watching these geese for a while, hoping to get a good look at them after seeing clues that there might be a cackling goose or two among the Canadas. I snapped a ton of photos, and as I finally got a chance to approach this little one, it gave me several opportunities to shoot it next to a larger goose. Having only heard about this species, it was really exciting to finally see one in person and get shots good enough to share here on Project Noah. :-)