Thursday, October 7, 2010

Cackling Goose

Yesterday I came upon a nice assemblage of waterfowl at the Prairie River Mouth Provincial Nature Reserve, a half hour drive west of Marathon. In addition to Green-winged Teal, Mallards and Canada Geese, there was lone Cackling Goose that very obligingly walked in front of a family of (local?) Giant Canada Geese, allowing an opportunity to contrast the sizes of two extreme members of the white-cheeked goose clade. Giant Canada Geese weigh close to five kg whereas Cackling Geese weigh less than two.

[click on images to enlarge]

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More on the Cackling Goose

Distinguishing Cackling and Canada Goose from Sibley Guides.

Cackling Goose, not new to Ontario by Ken Abraham [Published first in OFO News 23(1):2-6. February 2005.]

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