Cackling Goose vs Red-breasted Goose

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

Red-breasted Goose

Branta ruficollis

Large1.2 kgGrassland

All the species of the genus Branta are distinguished by their dark sooty colour, relieved by white, and as a distinction from the grey geese of the genus Anser. This bird measures 53–56 cm (21–22 in) in length, 1.16–1.35 m (3.8–4.4 ft) in wingspan. It is sexually dimorphic, with males being slightly heavier than females, weighing 1.2–1.62 kg (2.6–3.6 lb) and 1.05–1.13 kg (2.3–2.5 lb), respectively. This brightly marked species is unmistakable, but can be surprisingly difficult to find amongst brant geese. At long distances, the red of the breast tends to look dark.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Grégoire Chauvot · Call, flight call · Genève, Genève, Genève, Switzerland · CC0

Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

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