Cackling Goose

How to identify

Field marks

1. Head and neck black, with a white “chinstrap” under the chin
2. Body brownish rather than gray

Male, female and young

Sexes almost identical in appearance; female slightly lighter in weight, with different calls.

Similar species

Canada Goose

Some are difficult to separate: the smallest subspecies, minima, is smaller than any Canada Goose, but the nominate subspecies can reach 3,000 g, matching some individuals of Canada Goose.

Barnacle Goose

Barnacle Goose has a black breast and a gray rather than rufous body.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Cackling Goose has been recorded at 577 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 22 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

1. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States10,855 records
2. Ridgefield NWR – River 'S' UnitUnited States6,402 records
3. Fernhill WetlandsUnited States5,934 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCanadaMexicoJapanBelgiumSwitzerlandChinaUnited Kingdom

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions