BirdWeb: Birds Connect Seattle's Guide to the Birds of Washington State
Bird of the Week
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsii
The Cackling Goose came to be in 2004 when the American Ornithologists' Union split the Canada Goose into two distinct species based on difference in size, voice, breeding habitat, and genetics. The smaller-bodied and tundra-breeding Cackling Goose winters in Washington State on both side of the Cascades, where it often co-mingles with large flocks of Canada Geese to feed on grasses and agricultural crops.
Birding Site of the Week
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Puget Trough
This jewel of the Puget Sound basin is a combination of estuaries, tideflats, freshwater marshes, woodlands, and grasslands. The Nisqually Delta is a major resting and feeding area for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. Over 180 species of birds have been recorded on the refuge, including high numbers of Canada and Cackling Geese and many species of ducks in winter.