Due to the recent split of this species from Canada Goose, the occurrence and abundance of this species is not entirely clear, as past reporting primarily referred to Canada Goose without reference to the different subspecies. This species probably migrates over Sitka in some numbers, and may be more common on the ground off the road system.

J. Dan Webster (for Canada Goose)
Common migrant and resident. Based only on collected, carefully identified specimens, (cf. Delacour 1951 and Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959) the race B. c. fulva nests locally and remains throughout the year (Willett 1914); B. c. minima migrates through in numbers (Webster 1941). Probably other subspecies, also, occur as migrants. The species was recorded on 19 of the 28 Christmas counts.

My Comments:
I first noticed Cackling Geese at Swan Lake in late November 2005. I was a little surprised to see they were no larger then the gulls, and actually seemed a bit smaller.

Observation Notes:
24 Sept - 16 Oct (at least) 2007: 1 bird observed at Swan Lake.
13 May 2007: 1 bird observed at Swan Lake.
29 April 2006: 1 Cackling Goose with a flock of 12 Canada Geese on Port Krestof mud flats.
28 November 2005: 4 birds observed at Swan Lake.