Cackling and Canada Geese (click to see the larger version)

A tried and true method for finding unusual birds is to look through flocks of common birds. Want to find an out of range California Gull? Sort through groups of Herring Gulls. How would you look for an Arctic Tern? By carefully scanning flocks of Common Terns. This same approach applies to geese. Rare geese tend to associate with the common geese of an area, and in much of Illinois Canada Goose is the expected goose. This uncommon Cackling Goose fell in with the local wintering Canada Geese at Montrose Harbor in January 2023. Cackling Goose is the toy version of its larger relative.