Personal opinion only:  I like Harry Krueger's Idaho Birds website the best for Cackling Goose identification.
 
Matt Hafner
Bel Air, MD
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Davis <>
To: 
Sent: Fri, 16 Dec 2005 20:41:45 -0500
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] DC Cackling Geese


Hi John: 
 
Unfortunately, size alone is not diagnostic for Cackling Goose since there can be some fairly small Canada Geese. Field marks details such as head and bill shape and plumage coloration are necessary for a finding of Cackling Goose. "Richardson's" Cackling Goose would be the expected form to show up, although some of the other forms are also possibilities. If you see them again, please let MD Osprey know since we still do not have a record of Cackling for DC. Photographs would be great, too. 
 
There are a number of good references on the web ... here are some of them ... 
 
  http://www.oceanwanderers.com/CAGO.Subspecies.html 
 
  http://www.sibleyguides.com/canada_cackling.htm 
 
  http://www.utahbirds.org/RecCom/NewGoose.htm 
 
  http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/CACG_CANG.html 
 
  http://www.idahobirds.net/identification/white-cheeked/subspecies.html 
 
  http://www.ohiobirds.org/news.php?News_ID=134 
 
Thanks. I hope you can nail one down for DC for us! 
 
Phil 
 
At 15:45 12/15/2005, John Sherwood wrote: 
>Spotted a group on the Potomac today at 0800 neat the Lincoln Memorial. >I've seen this same group before near the Kennedy Center at about the same >time. Their size in relationship to Canada Geese (also seen) indicates >that they are probably cackling geese. 
 
=================================================== 
Phil Davis, Secretary 
MD/DC Records Committee 
2549 Vale Court 
Davidsonville, Maryland 21035 USA 
301-261-0184 
mailto:[log in to unmask] 
 
MD/DCRC Web site: http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html 
===================================================