{"id":2245,"date":"2011-04-27T03:48:58","date_gmt":"2011-04-27T10:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=2245"},"modified":"2025-09-12T12:54:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T17:54:04","slug":"cackling-goose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/04\/27\/cackling-goose\/","title":{"rendered":"Cackling Goose"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CacklingCackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii<\/em>) with Canada Goose (Branta canadensis<\/em>) behind it –\u00a0 Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1500, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light <\/span><\/p>\n

Last week I spotted a bird that isn’t usually here in Utah this late in migration, a Cackling Goose. I was getting set up to photograph some Black-necked Stilts when an goose caught my eye in a flooded field. I stopped looking at the stilts and focused on the goose. As you can see in the photo above the goose in the front is much smaller than the goose in the back and its bill is shorter too.<\/p>\n

\"CacklingCackling Goose with mallard behind it – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1\/1600, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

In the\u00a0image \u00a0above the goose is in front of a male mallard and it is not much larger than the duck. It was already late in the day so the light was not great. The images I took weren’t the best but I was trying to get images of it with other birds in the frames\u00a0so I could compare the sizes.<\/p>\n

\"CacklingCackling Goose walking along a flooded field – Nikon d200, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The goose swam towards the edge of the water\u00a0 and walked up in the ground giving me a better look at the length of the legs and the lower body.<\/p>\n

\"CacklingCackling Goose foraging – Nikon D200, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I suspected that the\u00a0bird was a Cackling Goose\u00a0so I posted a few images of it on the UBIRD<\/span><\/a> discussion forum and several people there told me that it was what I had suspected. A lifer bird for me.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0would love\u00a0to see more Cackling Geese, hopefully in great light.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see my Cackling Geese photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week I spotted a bird that isn’t usually here in Utah this late in migration, a Cackling Goose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":155543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,527,1022,26],"tags":[215,4021,2449,528,3981,531,530,4035,30,4082,4032],"class_list":["post-2245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-cackling-geese","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","tag-bird-id","tag-bird-photography","tag-branta-hutchinsii","tag-cackling-goose","tag-davis-county","tag-lifer","tag-migration","tag-nature-photography","tag-utah-2","tag-water-fowl","tag-wildlife-photography"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cackling-goose-regular-goose-utah-mia-mcpherson-0367.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-Ad","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55403,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/12\/25\/christmas-goose\/","url_meta":{"origin":2245,"position":0},"title":"Christmas Goose","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 25, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm happy that I was able to photograph birds on Christmas Eve in decent light and that somehow to me this is more than \"just\" a goose, it is a Christmas Goose and who am I to look a gift goose in the bill?","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Christmas Eve Goose on a pond, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/goose-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-7055.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/goose-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-7055.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/goose-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-7055.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/goose-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-7055.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43384,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/07\/adult-snow-goose-on-willow-pond\/","url_meta":{"origin":2245,"position":1},"title":"Adult Snow Goose on Willow Pond","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"There were several hundred Canada Geese on the pond and because I have seen reports of Cackling and Snow Geese in the area I scanned the pond with my lens and spotted a lone Snow Goose.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lone Snow Goose on Willow Pond, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-willow-pond-mia-mcpherson-8832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-willow-pond-mia-mcpherson-8832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-willow-pond-mia-mcpherson-8832.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/snow-goose-willow-pond-mia-mcpherson-8832.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4677,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/25\/canada-goose-on-glovers-pond\/","url_meta":{"origin":2245,"position":2},"title":"Canada Goose on Glover’s Pond","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are common in my area and I often overlook taking images of them because of that. I really shouldn't though because they are beautiful birds.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose paddling by, Farmington Bay WMA, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-mia-mcpherson-0094.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41909,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/09\/09\/sounds-of-the-impending-arrival-of-autumn-canada-goose-calling-in-flight\/","url_meta":{"origin":2245,"position":3},"title":"Sounds of the Impending Arrival of Autumn – Canada Goose Calling in Flight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this Canada Goose calling in flight six years ago as it flew over Glover's Pond at Farmington Bay.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose calling in flight over the marsh at Farmington Bay, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-calling-mia-mcpherson-6652.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-calling-mia-mcpherson-6652.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-calling-mia-mcpherson-6652.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-flight-calling-mia-mcpherson-6652.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":64555,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/02\/17\/adult-canada-goose-resting-on-ice-at-bear-river-mbr\/","url_meta":{"origin":2245,"position":4},"title":"Adult Canada Goose Resting On Ice At Bear River MBR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I shared a photo of a Bald Eagle resting on the icy marsh at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge and this morning I am sharing a Canada Goose doing exactly the same thing.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Canada Goose resting on ice, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-8690.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/canada-goose-on-ice-mia-mcpherson-8690.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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