Cackling Goose vs Nene

Cackling Goose

Branta hutchinsii

Huge2.8 kgGrassland

The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish this goose from all other geese except the larger Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and the similarly sized barnacle goose (B. leucopsis). There are up to five subspecies of cackling goose of varying sizes and plumage details. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter and has a different voice. Some are hard to distinguish from the Canada goose, with which the cackling goose was long assumed to form one species, the cackling goose and the smaller Canada goose subspecies being called the lesser Canada goose.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: TRinaud · CC BY 4.0

Nene

Branta sandvicensis

Huge2.0 kgShrubland

The nene is a large-sized goose at 41 cm (16 in) tall. Although it spends most of its time on the ground, it is capable of flight, with some individuals flying daily between nesting and feeding areas. Females have a mass of 1.525–2.56 kg (3.36–5.64 lb), while males average 1.695–3.05 kg (3.74–6.72 lb), 11% larger than females. Adults have a black head and hindneck, buff cheeks, and a heavily furrowed neck. The neck has black and white diagonal stripes. The adult's bill, legs, and feet are black.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Brenda Zaun of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters · CC BY 2.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Cackling Goose and Nene.