October 23rd 2006. Turner's Falls, Franklin County, MA.
(Richardson's) Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii.
Another Cackler at Turner's! This one perhaps the smallest and palest of all.
The breast of this bird was very clean, seemingly lacking any sandy tones at all, being
either very light gray or off-white. It remained on the canal between 16:00 - 17:20 hrs when it departed
south with a small group of Canada Geese. I was amazed to see another or the same Cackling Goose fly in
from the north at 17:59 hrs, just as I was about to leave the site. I watched this bird until 18:20 hrs
when it departed north with Canada Geese. I can't say for sure that two individual birds were involved.
Despite regular checking of the Canada Goose flock at Turner's by myself and some birding friends
this was, to my knowledge, the first sighting here since October 14th.
  • Images of the Turner's Falls Cackling Geese from October 12th - 14th can be seen here.

Images taken through Canon Powershot A540 through Swarovski HD telescope.


  • Essential web-references on the identification and taxonomy of 'white-cheeked geese' :
Harry Kruger              David Sibley              Angus Wilson









Barely bigger than an American Black Duck.








Looked incredibly slight and slim in flight, about 1/3 of the body bulk of most of the surrounding
Canada Geese, batting along with 'rapid-fire' wing beats.