Full Continental coverage with summer nesting in Canada, winter in the southern states, and all year on the rest of the continent. Numbers are increasing in east and expanding to southeast. Endangered Aleutian subspecies rare in the west, but increasing.

Summer are seen on coastal marshes, shallow fresh water. Winters are seen in flocks on fresh and salt water, nearby fields, farmlands, parks. Sometimes bold. Flies in V formation.

Black head and neck with white chin strap. Several subspecies show white ring at base of black neck. Females are usually smaller than male. Large birds honk, smaller birds crackle or yelp.

10 to 24 years in the wild

Up very early and drive to the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge in northern California for a day of photographing the unbelievable number of birds here as well as the vast quantity of different types.

Upon arriving in Yellowstone, I immediately begin to see wildlife: an eagle in a high nest, two geese and their gosling, a Harlequin duck in the river, elk in the forest, a bison herd grazing on green grass and finally a calf bison nursing; all of these on the Madison River Flats in the first fourteen miles of the park.

What a grand place to view wildlife.