WESTERN CANADA GOOSE 91 



signs and the first to feel the restless impulse to be gone; they congre- 

 gate in flocks and show their uneasiness by their constant gabbling and 

 honking, as if talking over plans for their journey, with much preening 

 and oiling of feathers in the way of preparation; at length a flock or two 

 may be seen mounting into the air and starting off northward, headed 

 by the older and stronger birds, the veterans of many a similar trip; 

 flock after flock joins the procession, until the last have gone, leaving 

 their winter homes deserted and still" (Bent, 1925). Those that have 

 wintered farthest south are the first to start on the journey and often by 

 the last week in February are on their way. March, however, is the 

 month of greatest movement. 



Before the beginning of September the flocks once more become 

 restless and start gathering in large numbers along the coasts and on 

 the larger bodies of water preparatory to the journey south. While many 

 flocks may be seen in September, the period when they move in greatest 

 numbers is through October and the first half of November. They winter 

 in southern Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and along both coasts of the 

 United States, being particularly abundant in the coastal regions of 

 North Carolina where extensive shallow sounds and smaller bodies of 

 water, fresh and salt, provide excellent feeding-grounds. They also 

 winter inland as far north as they can find suitable food and large bodies 

 of open water. 



Western Canada Goose 



(White-cheeked Goose. A. O. U., 1931) 



Branta canadensis occidentalis 

 (bran-ta, kan-aden-sis, ok-si-den-tal-is) 



Colour Plate No. 2. Downy Young No. 32.) 

 (A subspecies of the Canada Goose) 



SCIENTIFIC NAME 



Branta, a corruption of Greek brenthos, being the Aristotelian name of an 

 unknown bird, canadensis, Latinized form, meaning of Canada, occidentalis, Latin, 

 meaning western. 



COLLOQUIAL NAMES 



IN LOCAL USE: Brant (and possibly some of the names applied to the Common 



Canada Goose). 



DESCRIPTION 



ADULTS, BOTH SEXES. (A western subspecies.) Of the same dimensions and 

 general plumage pattern as the Common Canada Goose, but is somewhat darker 

 on upperparts and has very dark, mouse-colored underparts. It is more frequently 

 found with white collar near base of "stocking" than is the Common Canada 

 Goose, which, however, occasionally has this marking; white cheekpatches generally 

 divided, or partially so, under throat by black of neck; this feature only occasional 

 with Common Canada Goose. In some birds cheekpatch brownish, barred with dusky. 



