Bird identification is so fucked up in a really fun way you can’t understand until you get into it. For example, there is a type of goose called the cackling goose that looks exactly like a Canada goose except smaller and “cuter”. The cackling goose is way, way, more rare in most places than its relatively common cousin, so it’s on tons of birders life lists. Everyone wants to see a cackling (look in any bird ID group to see lots of hopeful people posting petite Canada geese). The two species regularly commingle, so sometimes a flock of those common parking lot birds will have the equivalent of a Pokémon shiny just hanging out in the middle of them.
How ridiculous and fun is that? I can never look at a big group of Canada geese without scrutinizing their ranks for an adorable little extremely rare cutie pie cackling goose. It reminds me a bit of mushroom harvesting minus the risk of death if you get it wrong
shiny on the left
Look, the first time you see a cackler, you think your glasses are out of date, or, the species of Canada Goose, not being pithy or battle-seasoned enough, have spawned their own dwarven race.
Because they are flipping TOUGH BOIDS that go NORTH, NORTH UNTIL YOU RUN OUT OF NORTH to lay their eggs and nest and do all that stuff that is normally in the warmer climes, because, ya know, birds are usually all about Self Care. But no, not these guys. No.
