CACKLINCGOOSE 99 



Cackling Goose 



Branta canadensis minima 

 (bran-ta, kan-a-de-sis, min-i-raa) 



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, minima, Latin, 

 meaning smallest, least. 



COLLOQUIAL NAMES 



IN GENERAL USE: Brant. IN LOCAL USE: Brown brant; bullneck; bullneck goose; 

 cackler; chornie goose; crow goose; greaser; little grey goose; little squeaking goose; 

 yelper. 



DESCRIPTION 



ADULTS, BOTH SEXES. (A western suspecies.) Very small, about size of 

 Mallard, somewhat smaller than Richardson's Goose. Markings and pattern similar 

 to Common Canada Goose but coloration much darker, same as Western Canada 

 Goose, the other western variety of this species. Differs in markings from others of the 

 species in that feathers of upper chest at base of black "stocking" are darker 

 than rest of chest, causing black of neck to merge into colour of lower neck 

 instead of being sharply demarked as in the other varieties of this species. White 

 cheek patches frequently divided by black of throat; this subspecies is often found 

 with white collar at base of black "stocking." 



JUVENILE. Moults and plumages similar to those of Common Canada Goose. 



SPECIMEN IDENTIFICATION 



See Common Canada Goose. 



FIELD MARKS 



Same as for Common Canada Goose, of which it is a dark miniature. 

 VOICE. A loquacious bird, uttering a frequently-repeated luk-luk, luk-luk, even 

 more high-pitched in tone than the voice of the Lesser Canada Goose. 



LIFE STORY 



The tiny Cackling Goose, like the Western Canada Goose, is a dark- 

 coloured variety of the Canada Goose species. These two birds are ex- 

 clusively western in their range, and, like so many of the birds of the 

 damp west coast, have developed a heavy, dark, saturated plumage-col- 

 oration. The Cackling Goose is somewhat smaller than the other small, 

 eastern variety of this species, Richardson's Goose. It derives its name 

 from its oft-repeated high-pitched call, luk-luk, luk-luk, which is so dis- 

 tinctive that it affords one of the best field marks for this bird. 



The following interesting account of the arrival of Cackling Geese 

 on their breeding grounds in Alaska is given by Nelson (1887): "As 



