Good morning, There are 5 definitely diminutive white-cheeked geese on the pond in my neighborhood right now. In my opinion, 4 of them are Richardson's. They are quite small, with stubby bills, brighter white edges on their wing coverts, and "blocky" shaped heads. The fifth small white cheeked goose seems to have a different build: slightly larger than a Richardson's with a stouter neck and a noticeable black stripe on the throat separating the two white cheek patches. It's bill is not quite as stubby as the Richardsons', and it is colder gray on the breast/back. However, it's head also has a steep forehead and a "blocky" shape to it. From the reading/studying I've done in the past, I'm thinking this last one is either the "parvipes" or "taverneri" subspecies, but I could be totally wrong! In any case, I think all the different subspecies of Canada Geese are VERY interesting to study, and I've really enjoyed having a pond right across the street that is frequented by large numbers of geese to allow me to study live "specimens" of different subspecies. I owe Bill Whan some thanks for teaching me the basics about white-cheeked geese and showing me a number of preserved specimens at the OSU Museum of Biological Diversity, where he works. At the very least, I've gotten a lot better at picking out the "giants," the "non-giants but too big for Cacklings" (which I am calling "Lesser"), and the true Cackling Geese, which are usually Richardson's. My wife is out of town with our digital camera, so I can't take any pictures today--sorry! Also on the pond are the usual "Giant" Canada Geese (probably about 100) and some "Lesser" Canada Geese (hard to say, but maybe around 1-2 dozen). This pond is at the intersection of Crystalpond Rd. and Spindler Rd in Hilliard, just across the street from the soccer fields on Spindler. Take care! Nate Nye Hilliard ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]