The following guide to Canada Goose sub-species is copied nearly word for word from "Pacific Northwest Goose Management" the publication produced by ODFW and WDFW and given to goose hunters during their course in goose identification, now required to get a goose hunting license.
Any complaints about the generalizations and descriptions made in this
table
should be directed to either the Oregon or Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife.
Western | Vancouver | Dusky | Lesser | Taverner's | Aleutian | Cackler | |
SIZE | Largest | Similar to Western | Large | Medium to large | 20-30% smaller than Dusky | Slightly larger than Cackler | Smallest, Mallard sized |
WEIGHT | 8-12lb | 8-11lb | 6.5-10lb | 5-6lb | 4.5-6lb | 3-4lb | 3.3.5lb |
NECK/BREAST | Very bright breast, very distinct break between neck and breast | Dark breast | Dark breast, but color varies. Neck seems to merge with breast. | Lighter breast than Dusky | Light breast, but color varies. Distinctive break between neck and breast. | Grayish-brown breast. Broad white neck ring. | Short, stubby bill and "puffy" head. Neck seem to merge with breast. |
COLLARS | White collars | No collars | Red Collars | Blue Collars | No collars | Color Leg bands and gray, green and blue collars | Yellow collars |
VOICE, CALLS | same | same | same | same | same | same | High-pitched yelping |
FLOCK SIZE | small flocks, variable | Small | Small flocks, usually less than 40, variable | Small | Large flocks, often 200 or more, variable | Small | Large flocks, variable |
POPULATION STATUS | Increasing | Low Numbers | 12,500, depressed | Moderate numbers | 50,000, stable | Increasing | Increasing rapidly, 100,000+ |
BEHAVIOR | Not always wary. Likely to fly low and can decoy small flocks | Similar to Western | Not very wary. Likely to fly low, come right in. Decoys to small brushy fields. | Similar to Taverner's | Wary, circles many times before coming in and likes open fields. | Not very wary. | Down right friendly. |
WING SHAPE & BEAT | Relatively slow wing beat | Similar to Western | Wing appears broader in proportion to length compared to Taverner's | Similar to Taverner's | Wing appearance narrow and long in relation to body. | Similar to Cackler | Relatively rapid wing beat. |
Kortright, F.H. 1943. Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America.
American Wildlife Institute. Washington, DC.
Madge, S and H. Burn. 1988. Waterfowl: an identification guide to
the ducks, geese and swans of the world. Houghton
Mifflin Co.
Boston.
Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife. 1997.
Pacific Northwest Goose Management. ODFW, Portland.
Sibley, D.A. 2000. Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New
York.