Cackling goose 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 is slightly lighter and has a different voice. Some are hard to distinguish from the Canada
Small cackling goose of cackling geese. Small cackling geese are known to summer in western Alaska, and winter in the Willamette Valley. It has also been known to occur in California and southern Washington. Small cackling goose The small cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii minima), also known as the Ridgway's goose, is the smallest subspecies of cackling goose and the smallest variant of white-cheeked goose. "Ridgway’s geese" are the smallest of the white cheeked geese and the second smallest goose in the genus Branta, following the red-breasted goose. It is only slightly larger than a mallard and has a culmen (bill) length of 32