Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusBranta (Black Geese)
- SpeciesBranta hutchinsii (Cackling Goose)
About the Cackling Goose
The cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) is a species of goose found in North America and East Asia. The genus name Branta is a Latinised form of Old Norse Brandgás, "burnt (black) goose", and the specific epithet hutchinsii commemorates English surgeon Thomas Hutchins who was employed by the Hudson's Bay Company.
The cackling goose was originally considered the same species or a subspecies of the Canada goose, but in July 2004 the American Ornithologists' Union's (AOU) Committee on Classification and Nomenclature split the two into two species, making cackling goose into a full species with the scientific name Branta hutchinsii. The British Ornithologists' Union (BOU) followed suit in June 2005.
The AOU has divided the many associated subspecies between both animals. To the present species were assigned: Richardson's cackling goose (B. h. hutchinsii) Aleutian cackling goose (B. h. leucopareia) Small cackling goose (B. h. minima)
Taverner's cackling goose (B. h. taverneri) †Bering cackling goose (B. h. asiatica)—doubtfully distinct from B. h. leucopareia; extinct (c.1929) The distinctions between the two geese have led to a great deal of confusion and debate among ornithologists... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Cackling Goose in Vatnajokull National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Vatnajokull National Park
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
Brant
Branta bernicla
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligula
Greylag Goose
Anser anser
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Common Eider
Somateria mollissima
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalis
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 10 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 11 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |