Cackling Goose

Cackling Goose

Branta hutchinsii

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at New York City

In 3 days <5%

412 Verified sightings at New York City
932 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

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: The distinctions between the two geese have led to a great deal of confusion and debate among ornithologists... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:51

United States · 2025

© Greg Irving · XC1046935 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:32

United States · 2020

© Steve Hampton · XC680975 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:18

United States · 2023

© Sue Riffe · XC841191 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
4 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ciudad Juárez 🇲🇽 México
~60%
2 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Anchorage 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
10 Las Vegas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Moscow Zoo 🇷🇺 Russia In captivity
2 Zoo d'Amiens 🇫🇷 France In captivity
3 Beijing Zoo 🇨🇳 China In captivity
4 Shubenacadie Wildlife Park 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
5 Novosibirsk Zoo 🇷🇺 Russia In captivity
6 Kyiv Zoo 🇺🇦 Ukraine In captivity
7 Saint Louis Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
8 Nyíregyháza Zoo 🇭🇺 Hungary In captivity
9 Chapultepec Zoo 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
10 Vogelpark Avifauna 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
11 Inokashira Park Zoo 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
12 Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden) 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
13 Belgrade Zoo 🇷🇸 Serbia In captivity
14 Zoo Lagos 🇵🇹 Portugal In captivity
15 Paupau Aqua Garden 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Cackling Goose in New York City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cackling Goose sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 412 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 251st most-seen of the 359 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Cackling Goose in New York City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Cackling Goose in New York City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Cackling Goose?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cackling Goose sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is New York City the best place to see a Cackling Goose?

19th of 26

Of the 26 cities where we can rate Cackling Goose sightings, New York City ranks 19th at under 5%. The best odds are in Ciudad Juárez (México, about 60%), Portland (United States, about 20%) and Denver (United States, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Cackling Goose live in New York City?

Same genus: Branta

The closest relatives of the Cackling Goose that you can see in New York City (genus Branta, Black Geese) are Canada Goose (about 60%) and Brant (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Cackling Goose sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Cackling Goose is recorded against all the birds logged in New York City (412 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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