Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
Migrations: The Triumphant Comeback of the Aleutian Cackling Goose
Once thought extinct, this goose has rebounded.
© Always a Birder! / FCC
Aleutian Cackling Geese, which have a slighter build and shorter beak than Canada Geese, build their nests on a chain of islands off the western coast of Alaska. In the 1700s, fur traders introduced foxes to the islands, nearly wiping out the geese. For decades, they were believed to be extinct. But in the 1960s, a biologist discovered about 300 birds nesting on Buldir Island. Habitat protections have allowed their populations to recover.
BirdNote®
The Triumphant Comeback of the Aleutian Cackling Goose
Written by Ariana Remmel
This is BirdNote.
[Flock of Aleutian Cackling Geese calling https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/119465]
Cackling Geese may look a lot like Canada Geese, but their slighter build and shorter beaks give them away as a distinct species. And one subspecies in particular has a very special story.
Aleutian Cackling Geese build their nests on a chain of islands off the western coast of Alaska. In the 1700s, fur traders introduced an invasive species of fox to the islands with devastating consequences for the geese. For decades, Aleutian Cackling Geese were believed to be extinct.
But in the 1960s, a biologist discovered a group of around 300 birds nesting on Buldir Island. The fortuitous discovery allowed conservationists to put these birds on the endangered species list. And this paved the way for federal protections on their Alaskan nesting grounds and their wintering territories in Oregon and California.
Thanks to this habitat conservation, there are now more than 120,000 Aleutian Cackling Geese making the biannual journey between Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.
[Flock of Aleutian Cackling Geese calling https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/119465]
To learn how to conserve seasonal habitats and protect the future of migratory birds in your area, start at our website: BirdNote dot org.
I’m Mark Bramhill.
###
Senior Producer: John Kessler
Production Manager: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
Digital Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Cackling Goose (Aleutian) ML 119465 recorded by G. Keller.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2021 BirdNote October 2021 / September 2023
Narrator: Mark Bramhill
ID# ACGO-01-2021-10-18 ACGO-01
Reference:
US Fish and Wildlife article about the recovery
Official website of the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge
Update on the species status from USFWS
USFWS Migratory Bird Program
https://www.fws.gov/birds/bird-enthusiasts/threats-to-birds/habitat-imp…
Ariana Remmel
Writer
Mark Bramhill
NarratorRelated Field Notes
Did you know that the United States shares many migratory songbird species with our ne
Gregg Thompson spotted this Greater Yellowlegs near the Skagit Wildlife Area in western Washingto