Rare Bird Report #: 4-B-07

Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

Species: Cackling Goose (3 individuals)

Reporter: Jay Carlisle

6105 Kirkwood Rd

Boise, ID 83709

jaycarlisle@boisestate.edu

Other Observers: none

Date Report Prepared: 1-8-07

Date Sighting Occurred: 12-16-06; about 245-3pm (on the Boise CBC)

Locality of Observation: Julia Davis Park, Boise, Ada Co.

Habitat: pond

Conditions: cloudy and calm; I used naked eye and Swarovski EL 10x42 binoculars.

Did you take notes? not at all

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work? after the observation

What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult?

Sibley & National Geographic

Description: Three small geese with Canada Goose-like patterning but a smaller bill, a steeper forehead, and a narrow white line between the dark neck and grayish-brown chest. My best guess is that these birds are either of the subspecies ‘taverneri’ or ‘leucopareia’ based on the moderate darkness to the chest, moderate size (larger than ‘minima’), and the apparently narrower white cheek patch (any comments welcome).

Behavior: The birds were swimming in the company of many Canada Geese, including several of the Lesser (‘parvipes’) subspecies.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? I quickly noticed the size in comparison to the nearby Canadas and then focused in on the smaller bill and different forehead shape.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? Canada Goose is the only similar appearing species but is larger and differentiated by the above-mentioned features.

Experience with this species (and similar species): I have observed many Cackling Geese during migration and winter in California and have observed several others at nearby Ann Morrison Park in recent years.

General birding experience: extensive; 14+ years in US and Latin America

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach) Yes – I took a number of digital pictures through my binoculars (I was in a rush on the CBC & did not have time to go back to my car for the scope). On none of the pictures was I able to capture all 3 individuals in the same frame. However, all birds appeared similar and are likely of the same subspecies.

# 484 (below) shows 1 Cackling with a Lesser Canada

# 486 (below) shows 1 Cackling (front left) with a Lesser Canada (right) and a larger Canada

# 488 (below) shows 2 Cacklings with a (probably Lesser) Canada

#s 489 & 490 (below) each show 2 Cacklings together