Cackling Goose "Richardson's" subspecies Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa, Ontario 2 November 2008

Cackling Goose "Richardson's" subspecies Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii Andrew Haydon Park, Ottawa, Ontario 2 November 2008 The cackling goose was originally considered a subspecies of the Canada goose, but eventually reached specieshood rather recently.  Although visually it is very similar to the Canada goose, it is much smaller, approximately mallard-sized as compared to a regular Canada goose.  Make special note of the small head and stubby beak. Cackling geese breed in the Arctic, and are more popular on the western half of North America, but during every waterfowl migration cackling geese are spotted mixed with the enormous flocks of Canada geese.  This goose, however, would not associate with any other bird, preferring to be on its own despite the multitudes of Canada geese massing on the Ottawa River off-camera.

Wood Duck (female) Aix sponsa Rideau River, Ottawa, Ontario 1 September 2008