CACKLING GOOSE 235 



Distribution in California — Common winter visitant to interior localities, 

 especially in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys; occurs also as far south 

 as San Diego County (A. O. TJ. Check -list, loc. cit.)- Arrives about mid- 

 October and leaves about the middle of April. 



The Cackling Goose is believed to be about as abundant a winter 

 visitant to California as the Hutehins Goose. Belding (MS) states 

 that, on Butte Creek, Butte and Sutter counties, a favorite resort for 

 these geese especially when they first arrive from the north, he has 

 seen a half million of them in a single day. But this was over twenty- 

 five years ago. At the present time, although reduced at least ninety 

 per cent, this is to be still considered a common species of goose in 

 favorable parts of California. The Cackling Goose appears to arrive 

 before the Hutehins Goose; for Belding (MS) states that at Gridley, 

 Butte County, October 12, 1892, the former was abundant though the 

 Hutehins Goose had not arrived, and at Stockton, San Joaquin 

 County, November 25, 1881, the Cackling was common whereas the 

 Hutehins Goose had not yet appeared. The earliest records of arrival 

 for the Cackling Goose are Gridley, October 1, 1884 ; Gridley, October 

 12, 1892 ; Stockton, October 10, 1894 (heard at night) ; Stockton, 

 October 12 (year not specified). For spring a late record is April 25, 

 at Stockton (Belding, MS). A specimen was taken at Los Banos, 

 Merced County, on March 21, 1911 (Mus. Vert. Zool.). 



The Cackling Goose is the smallest of the geese belonging to the 

 Canada group, and it is but slightly larger than even the Ross Goose. 

 The high pitch of its call-note, which resembles the syllables luk-luk, 

 is about the best character to use in the field after recognizing the 

 bird to be of the Canada type. In the hand, measurements, particu- 

 larly of bill and of tarsus, the latter being generally longer than the 

 middle toe and claw, are the only satisfactory characters to use in 

 separating this from the Hutehins Goose (compare figs. 32-37). As a 

 rule, the Cackling is decidedly darker-colored than either the Canada 

 or Hutehins. 



During the breeding season the Cackling Goose is confined to 

 western Alaska. It breeds abundantly on the Bering Sea coast, from 

 the Seward Peninsula to the north side of the Alaska Peninsula, and 

 has also been reported from the Aleutian Islands. Nelson (1887, p. 

 86) says that many of these geese are already mated when they return 

 north to the Yukon mouth in the spring. Others appear to be still 

 unmated and such males fight hard and long for the possession of the 

 unmated females. Of these combats he says: 



The females kept to one side and dozed, or dabbled their bills in the mud; 

 the males were scattered about, and kept moving uneasily from side to side, 

 making a great outcry. This would last but a few minutes, when two of the 

 warriors would cross each other's path, and then began the battle. They would 



