Canada geese are some of the easiest birds to spot. They’re big, they’re loud, and they have unique coloring. It’s hard to mix them up with other species – or is it?
You might be surprised to learn that we have more than one species of goose in the Pacific Northwest that is grayish-brown with a black neck and white chinstrap. In fact, we have two species and at least five distinct subspecies that are common to this area, and they all look very similar. The two similar-looking geese are the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and the cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii), and until 2004, they were actually considered to be the same species.
Identifying different species correctly is an important part of effective goose management, since they have very different behaviors (especially seasonally) complicating an already complex situation.
Categorization and Classification (Taxonomy)
Both Canada geese and cackling geese are in the genus Branta, which comes from an Old Norse word meaning burnt or black, since all members of this genus have distinctive black markings1. Other members of this genus include the Nene (Branta sandvicensis), barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) and brant (Branta bernicla).
There are seven subspecies of Canada geese2, but only two are common to the Pacific Northwest: western (or Moffitt’s) Canada geese (Branta canadensis moffitti) and dusky Canada geese (Branta canadensis occidentalis).
There are four subspecies of cackling geese2, all of which may visit our area: lesser cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii minima), Taverner’s cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii taverneri), Aleutian cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii leucopareia) and Richardson’s cackling geese (Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii).
So, how do you tell the difference between Canada geese and cackling geese?
We look for 5 clues: time of year, flock size, call, size and color, and overall impression.
Note: it’s not always possible to tell the difference just from appearance because there are some natural variations in size and coloring between individuals within each species. For example, a large Taverner’s cackling goose may look almost exactly like a small Western Canada goose. For this reason, we often rely on time of year, flock size, and call when differing between Canada and cackling geese.
Time of Year
Many western Canada geese stay in the area year-round, so if you see a wild goose between May and September, it’s probably a “western”.
Cackling geese, or “cacklers”, breed in Canada and Alaska (as far west as the Aleutian Islands) during the summer, then come south for the winter. They’re generally only here from October to May, although there can be a few early birds in late September and some stragglers into early May. Occasionally a cackling goose will be temporarily unable to fly right before or during migration, in which case they will often find a group of resident Canada geese to hang out with until their flock returns the following migration season. This is fairly rare.
Flock Size
Western Canada geese usually hang out in small flocks, ranging anywhere from 2-30, and can form groups of up to 100 goslings and adults during late spring and summer. Bigger western flocks are commonly seen in grassy fields near water, conditions often found at parks and golf courses.
Cackling geese are generally found in large flocks ranging from 100-10,000 birds, or even more! If you can’t count them all, they are probably cacklers, and you can bet they’ll be making a huge mess wherever they go.
Call
A western Canada goose’s primary (main) call is a deep honk that sometimes starts low and ends high. Call frequency tends to be lower (fewer calls per minute).
A cackling goose’s primary call is a higher-pitched sound that is similar to a yelp. Call frequency tends to be higher (more calls per minute).
Both species make a variety of other sounds, but their primary calls are usually very different to the trained ear and are a good way to tell them apart.
Size and Color Differences
Western Canada geese
Size: they are the biggest water birds in our area, and everything about them is huge, including their droppings! They have long bills and long necks. If they are taller than your average toddler, it’s probably a western. While there is some natural variation in size between individuals, in general they will always be significantly larger than cackling geese.
Color: strong contrast between the neck and the body colors – dark black neck, silvery breast.
Western Canada geese.
Cackling geese:
Size: these are petite, dainty little birds. They’re about the size of a duck, and they have short bills and necks in proportion to the rest of their bodies. They are like the toy version of a Canada goose.
Color: they may have a white ring at the base of the neck. If they don’t have a white ring, there is often less contrast between the dark black of the neck and the lighter body than is seen in westerns. Cacklers are usually a bit darker overall, and more brown especially where the body and neck meet.
Aleutian cackling goose: small, often have a white ring at the base of the neck
Lesser cackling goose: smallest, darkest, sometimes has white ring at the base of the neck
Taverner’s goose: tallest cackling goose, silvery in color, no white ring
Richardson’s goose: small, paler than the Aleutian and Lesser
Cackling goose with a larger western Canada goose just behind it.
Overall impression
In the birding world, we call this the “general impression of shape and size”, or GISS for short. Think of this as the overall vibe you get from a bird, including things like posture, body proportions and behavior. With a little practice, you can actually develop an intuitive feel for which species is which, and you’ll start to just know which is which without having to think about why you know.
Canada geese: generally big with long necks and pointy bills. Bold, can be aggressive towards each other and other larger species, especially in late winter and early spring. Displays can be intimidating, even to people outweighing them by a hundred pounds or more.
Cackling geese: small, stubby proportions. Shy, generally not aggressive when seen in the Pacific Northwest, skittish even.
What about when they’re flying?
Geese regularly fly in mixed groups so this can be tricky even with binoculars. Look at the neck length relative to the body (long for westerns, short for cacklers). Another way to tell is the wing beat frequency: the larger Canada geese usually flap their wings much more slowly than cacklers do.
Bonus Geese:
Sometimes you’ll see a flock of Canada or cackling geese and notice there’s one or two that don’t quite fit with the rest. Here are a few of the usual suspects:
Greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons): a stocky brown goose with white vents (under tail feathers) and a white patch around its bill
Snow goose (Chen caerulescens): a white-bodied goose similar in size to the cackling goose, with black wing tips. They also come in a dark morph “blue goose.”
Emperor goose (Anser canagicus): a stocky goose with a blue-gray body and a white head.
Tundra Bean-Goose (Anser serrirostris): very rare visitor to the Pacific Northwest, usually found only in Europe and Asia.
Hybrid and domestic geese: Hybrid geese usually have a mix of characteristics and it’s not always possible to determine their exact parentage just based on appearance. Domestic geese have escaped or have been released from domestic stock and will often gravitate towards their wild brethren. For photo examples, refer to this article entitled Confusing Domestic Geese (and hybrids). Some common hybrid goose examples include:
Cackling goose crossed with a greater white-fronted or snow goose
Western Canada goose crossed with domestic goose (often Greylag)
Whichever goose you may be dealing with, Geese Guys can help find a solution that will work for all parties involved, even the geese! All Goose Management Plans are custom-designed, taking all wildlife into consideration, not just goose species. We do this because we care about animals, and we strive to treat them fairly while still making our clients’ properties cleaner and safer for people. If you have issues with geese and live in the Pacific Northwest, Geese Guys is here to help in any way that we can.
It’s safe. It’s humane. It works.
Got geese?
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Jobling, J. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names: from aalge to zusii. Great Britain. Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd.
Clements Checklist, 2019 https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/. Accessed 23 June 2021.