It breeds farther northward and westward than does the Canada Goose. Foxes are efficient predators. When feeding in water, they submerge their heads and necks to reach aquatic plants, sometimes tipping forward like a dabbling duck. It was one of 122 species of animals, birds, and fish first documented for science by the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Corps of Discovery).[1]. Commonly kept in captivity in the UK, it is an unlikely vagrant. Often flocks with other species of geese. Sexes are similar; the male is larger. Hunting is seldom an overriding factor that negatively affects waterfowl populations, but it can be when extremely low numbers occur. All of these islands were within the sole breeding range of the Aleutian cackling goose. The Aleutian cackling goose has the typical black head and neck, white cheek patches, grayish brown back and wings, white rump, black tail feathers, legs, and feet of the species. Soon to follow was a near "gold rush" of trappers to harvest the bounty of the land and sea. Richardson's is farthest east, found in the central part of the continent. At the same time breeding birds were being decimated, other factors along the flyway further aggravated the situation. Cackling geese have occasionally reached western Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries. Though the taxonomic distinctness of the Komandorski and Kuril Islands populations, which used to winter in Japan, is controversial, it is without doubt that they disappeared around 1929. Often occurs in large flocks, and forages in grassy habitats. The smallest four of the eleven recognized races were recently determined to be distinct enough to be their own species. Aleutian geese were declared a federally endangered species in 1967. While they gladly steal eggs to eat, feed their young, or cache for future use, their main goal is to capture the nesting hens, which are a much larger bundle of groceries. Occurs in small numbers in eastern U.S.; more common in western U.S. and Canada. Occurs in small numbers in eastern U.S.; more common in western U.S. and Canada. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter and has a different voice. The Taverner's form has a longer neck and paler brown body, tending towards the shape of a Canada Goose. Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. The Aleutian cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii leucopareia), formerly known as the Aleutian Canada goose (Branta canadensis leucopareia), is small subspecies of cackling goose averaging 1700 to 2100 grams in weight. The smallest 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) Cackling geese (B. h. minima) are much smaller than any Canada goose, but the subspecies B. h. hutchinsii, at up to 3 kg (6.6 lb), grows to the same size as some Canada geese. Flocks of these birds often feed on leftover cultivated grains in fields, especially during migration or in winter. The story of the Aleutian goose starts with Danish-born Vitus Bering's discovery of the Aleutian Islands for Russia in 1741. These islands separate the Bering Sea from the North Pacific Ocean. The bill is small and triangular. In the mid-1700s, Russian fur traders first introduced nonindigenous foxes onto islands in the Aleutian chain. of the Cackling Goose in Arizona, including the Aleutian Cackling Goose. In flight shows a prominent white "U" on the dark uppertail, contrasting with the black tail. It is distinguished by a conspicuous white neck ring at the base of the neck that, in adult plumage, is usually greater than 10 mm wide and is subtended by a ring of darker feathers. The cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) is a North American bird of the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species. The cackling Canada goose was considered extinct until a colony was discovered on Buldir Island in 1962. Your Online Guide To Birds And Bird Watching. The white-cheeked geese of North America were long considered to make up just one highly variable species, Canada Goose. Strong deep wing beats. Confusingly, the "Lesser Canada Goose" is still a race of the Canada Goose. Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. The barnacle goose differs in having a black breast and grey, rather than brownish, body plumage. The cheek patches are usually separated by a black line under the throat and the breast is a pale grayish-brown color, although a small number of lighter and darker breasted birds occur. In some areas, migration routes have changed due to changes in habitat and food sources. The Aleutian Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii leucopareia, hereafter referred to as the Aleutian Goose, was removed from the endangered species list after recovering from a global population of only 790 geese in 1974 to c. 100,000 birds in 2007 (USFWS 2001; Trost & Sanders 2008). The British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) followed suit in June 2005. Variable head shape, with some showing a flat head. Includes four subspecies: Aleutian, Richardson's, minima, and Taverner's. The calls overhead from large groups of cackling geese flying in V-shaped formation signal the transitions into spring and fall. Eastern Taxa", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cackling_goose&oldid=981775302, Taxa named by John Richardson (naturalist), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Formerly considered the smallest subspecies of one variable species, recent work on genetic differences found the four smallest forms to be very different. Take Merlin with you in the field! Breeds farther north and west than Canada Goose. This proved a deadly change for the geese, which until that time had been nesting in a relatively predator-free environment—probably for centuries. It breeds in northern Canada and Alaska in a variety of tundra habitats. The primary threat to the Aleutian cackling goose has been the Arctic fox, introduced to the Aleutian Islands by Russian fur traders between 1836 and 1930. For example, California hunters enjoy a six-bird "small" Canada goose limit, which can include both cackling geese and Aleutians. The newly recognized Cackling Goose is a smaller version of the Canada Goose. The newly recognized Cackling Goose is a smaller version of the Canada Goose. The majority of the population goes right to its primary wintering areas in the Central Valley. Both arctic and red foxes were especially sought after, but on many islands, trappers found neither species. With improved game laws and habitat restoration and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations may still be declining, especially of the subspecies minima and leucopareia. Habitat loss on migration and wintering areas had occurred, and hunting was continuing to take a toll. As their name suggests, Cackling Geese have much higher-pitched voices than the familiar honking of Canada Geese. Their namesake and breeding range are a number of the Aleutian Islands, which extend west from southwest Alaska toward Russia. The release of captive birds was discontinued after a few years because their survival rates were low and the wild transplanted families were doing so much better. As of 2004, Humboldt County began receiving the majority of Aleutian geese on the northwest coast from January through April. They were removed completely from the threatened and endangered species list in 2001. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter and has a different voice. He had been banded in Alaska in 1987. Breeds farther north and west than Canada Goose. However, since 2002, a relatively small (1500-5000) number of geese spend fall and winter on the north coast. The only smaller white-cheeked goose is the true cackling goose, which weighs in at 3 1/2 pounds. Aleutian geese typically arrive in California in mid-October each year. However, the nest is usually located in an elevated area near water. Around late December, the geese wintering in the Central Valley begin moving north, and by mid-February, most of the Aleutian goose population is located in northwestern California until they depart for the Aleutian Islands in mid-April. The Aleutian cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii leucopareia), formerly known as the Aleutian Canada goose (Branta canadensis leucopareia), is small subspecies of cackling goose averaging 1700 to 2100 grams in weight. Some populations are darker breasted than most Canada Geese and have a prominent white neck collar. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. It was not until 2004 that four of the smallest forms were formally recognized as comprising a distinct species. The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish this goose from all other geese except the larger Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and the similarly sized barnacle goose (B. leucopsis). 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 westernmost population did not appreciably differ in color, except that the neck ring was always very wide and white in the few attested specimens. These four races are now recognized as a full species: the Cackling Goose. The oldest recorded Cackling Goose was a male, and at least 22 years, 8 months old when he was shot in Oregon in 2010. The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation. The population started recovering within a few years, and Aleutian geese were upgraded from endangered to threatened in 1990. Herbivorous. The "minima" form has a darker brown body and less contrast with the neck. [2], San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, "Lewis and Clark Expedition and Tribes Encountered", http://www.fws.gov/humboldtbay/DraftCCPEA.pdf, U.S. Although most Cackling Geese nest along ponds and streams in the tundra, the Aleutian form nests on south-facing turf slopes above rocky, cliff-bound shorelines. These four races are now recognized as a full species: the Cackling Goose.
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