Idaho Bird Records Committee Rarities Report Form

(this form is available on www.idahobirds.net)

Species: Cackling Goose

Reporter: Lisa Hardy

819 W. Park Ave.

Kellogg, ID 83837

basalt@earthlink.net

Other Observers: none

Date Report Prepared: 29 October 2009

Date Sighting Occurred: 29 October 2009

Locality of Observation: River Road, near Cataldo, ID, Kootenai County

Habitat: flooded farm field

Conditions: overcast

Did you take notes…

during the observation? ____________

after the observation? ______________

the same day? _____________yes_______

another day?______________________

not at all? ________________________

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?

during the observation?____________

later the same day? _____yes__________

another day? _____________________

not at all? ________________________

What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult? Mlodinow et al. (2008) and Pyle part II (2008)

Description: A small white-cheeked goose with a dark breast, narrow white collar at the base of the neck, a short neck, a small stubby bill shorter than the front-to-back width of the white cheek patch, and a steep forehead. The white collar was narrow, distinct, and incomplete. This bird had an obviously shorter neck than all other geese present. I looked for a dark chin stripe dividing the white, but did not see one; it may have been present but unobserved because the bird did not turn to present a clear view of the underside. This was the smallest goose present, but it was clearly larger than nearby Mallards, at least 50% bigger.

Behavior: Foraging. Was in a group of five geese smaller than the other geese in a flock of about 100 "white-cheeked" geese. When a group of the larger, white-breasted, obvious Canada, geese moved by this small group in order to interact noisily with another group of larger geese, the group of five appeared to ignore the noisy confrontation, and continued foraging. Three of the other birds in this small group were dark-breasted, all of them were slightly smaller than the other birds of the whole flock. I am submitting only the smallest, shortest-necked bird of the group for consideration, though several of the others in the group had small bills and steep foreheads.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you? This seemed to be a good candidate for Cackling Goose, and I am submitting the photos for the record, and leaving them for the experts to judge.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? The choices are limited to Cackling Goose, small Canada Goose, or hybrid.

Experience with this species (and similar species): very little experience.

General birding experience: intermediate

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach) 3 photos attached. In photo 3458, note the small bill (4th goose from right). In photo 3460, the bird appears to be in alert mode, showing the full length of the neck (3rd goose from right). In photo 3462, note the short neck fully extended for foraging (3rd goose from right).

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