Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii)

Cackling Goose [in comparison with two Canada Geese in foreground]. Photograph Credit: Roseanna M. Denton; Conley Bottom Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Wayne County, Kentucky; 5 January 2013.

Abundance: Rare; 7 records in 5 Regional counties, 4 in Kentucky and 1 in Tennessee (Map of UCR Distribution); data from the Regional bird-monitoring efforts are too few to determine a trend in the population wintering in the Region (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Visitor during winter (7 records); photographs (see above and link below).

Regional High Count: 5 (see fifth record below).

Information on Records: 

9 December 1997 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman). 

4 January 1999 (3) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

19 January 2009 (1) Mt. Zion, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo).

12 December 2010 (2) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer).

5 January 2013 (5) Conley Bottom, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo), a CBC record.

22 January 2013 (1) Miller Pond, Russell County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton), an eBird record.

4 February 2017 (7) L Springs Pay Lake, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo), an eBird record (S34159326).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: During winter, similar or identical to that of Canada Goose (i.e., open grassy fields, usually with a water source nearby).

Remarks: The individual observed in Putnam County, Tennessee, associated with a large number of Canada Geese in a fairly large grassy field near a small lake.

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Literature Cited