Cackling goose some quarters; Richard Banks of the AOU urges caution before any of Hanson's proposals are accepted. Cackling goose 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 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"). There are up to 5 subspecies of cackling goose, of varying sizes and plumage details. The female looks virtually identical but
Canada goose urban and cultivated areas, which provide food and few natural predators. The success of this common park species has led to its often being considered a pest species because of their depredation of crops and their noise, droppings, aggressive territorial behavior, and habit of begging for food (caused by human hand feeding), especially in their introduced range. Canada geese are also among the most commonly hunted waterfowl in North America and northwest Europe. The Canada goose was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus in his 18th-century work "Systema Naturae". It belongs to the "Branta" genus of geese,