IBRC 16-B-10

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: Cackling Goose
HOW MANY: 1

REPORTER: Darren Clark 114 Elm Avenue Rexburg, ID 83440 208 356-0026
REPORTER EMAIL: clarkd@byui.edu
OTHER OBSERVERS: Steve Butterworth Cliff Weisse

DATE REPORT PREPARED: 1/31/2010
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: 1/29/2010

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: Hagerman, WMA near Hagerman, ID
HABITAT: freshwater pond
CONDITIONS: Nikon Venturer 8x32, Nikon Field Scope 20x85, Canon 7d with 400mm lens

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: No, not at all
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: Yes, another day after the observation
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: Sibley Guide to Birds

DESCRIPTION: The bird was obviously smaller than nearby Canada Geese. It had a short neck and a stubby bill. It seemed slightly darker on the chest than the Canada Geese, but not as dark as some I've seen in person and illustrated in field guides.
BEHAVIOR: It was freely interacting with the large numbers of Canada Geese and Mallards. It was mostly swimming and/or resting.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? We all felt it was a good candidate for Cackling based on the size, the size and shape of the bill, and the length of the neck.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? Canada Geese are bigger, have longer necks, and are lighter underneath.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): I'm not really experienced with Cackling Goose. I've seen 3-4 others. I'm not terribly comfortable with all of the intricacies of identification of this species either. This seems a pretty straightforward individual however.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: I've been birding for 18 years and consider myself a good birder.

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: Photo

Photos taken on 29 January 2010 by Darren Clark using a Canon 7D with a canon 400mm f/5.6 lens.
The photos were cropped and resized by the webmaster.  To view original files click and image.