The distance and atmospheric conditions conspired for some fuzzy images of this Goose.

I have been looking for hutchinsii Cackling Geese all season in TN, and finally found one on 1/15/05 at Britton Ford in Henry Co. This has been a regular location for small Canada Geese in the past.

Though not a good image, note the short and thick neck and "sock", though this obviously varies with posture. When this bird was sitting, it appeared that the head was affixed directly to the chest, with no neck. The exact shape of the bill can't be made out, but it was short and stubby, so that it looked triangular, without the slope of larger forms. In the photo, it's apparent that the bill doesn't extend far at all past the white cheek.

If anything, this photo makes the bird appear larger than it did in the field.