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
Aleutian cackling goose Aleutian cackling goose 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. It was one of 122 species of animals, birds, and fish first documented for science by the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Corps of Discovery). The Bering cackling goose ("B. h. asiatica") is the name given to cackling geese on the Komandorski and Kuril Islands. This population was not markedly distinct from the Aleutian one and is usually included with them. By about 1920 or so (last seen