Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Cackling Goose

Reporter: (include address, phone, e-mail)

Steve Bouffard

Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge

961 E. Minidoka Dam Rd

Rupert, ID 83350

(208) 436-3589

fax (208) 436-1570

steve_bouffard@fws.gov

Other Observers: none known

Date Report Prepared: 8/18/2006

Date Sighting Occurred: Nov 1979

Locality of Observation: Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge or immediate vicinity; Cassia County, Idaho; lati-long 26. The exact location is not known, but had to be on the southwest part of the refuge or nearby. This is the only area open to hunting on the refuge.

Habitat: wetlands

Conditions: unknown

Did you take notes… See NOTE below

during the observation? ____________

after the observation? ______________

the same day? ____________________

another day?______________________

not at all? ________________________

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work? See NOTE below

during the observation?____________

later the same day? _______________

another day? _____________________

not at all? ________________________

What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult? See NOTE below

Description: See NOTE below

Behavior: dead

NOTE: The only information on these two birds are the pictures in an old refuge report and their captions. The person who took the photos is deceased and was not known for taking many notes. The names of the hunters who shot the birds was not recorded. The report did not include any additional information on these two birds. By virtue of the fact that the photos were in the annual refuge report strongly indicates that they were shot on the refuge or nearby, most likely on the refuge. I think they were probably shot on the refuge, because the former manager who took the photos frequently set up a check station at the access road leaving the refuge hunting area. Hunters outside the refuge would not have been checked. The birds would be in Cassia County and lati-long 26 either way. The photo date is November 1979.

The hunting area on the refuge includes all or parts of T9S; R26E; Sections 2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? I saw the pictures some years ago and looked them up recently, thinking they might be cackling geese. Size, & head & bill shape match cackling goose. Photo shows good comparison with larger subspecies of Canada goose. Weight also suggests cackling goose. When you consider that a large duck (mallard or canvasback) weighs about 4 lbs, you realize how small these birds were.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? Size, head & bill shape match cackling goose.

Experience with this species (and similar species): Not much experience with this species, but have seen them in OR & CA.

General birding experience: advanced birder

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach): Scan of photos taken in 1979 is attached to email message