Canada Goose Facts and Information
Branta canadensis
Introduction to Canadian Goose
The Canadian Goose is very popular and very well liked. It offers a great physical appearance and there are many that enjoy hunting it. They are easy to distinguish from other species of Goose based on their heads and necks being black.
Canada Goose Description
The body of the Canadian Goose is round and it offers gorgeous feathers that are various colors. They can be cream, black, and tan. They tend to have darker feathers along the tail region. The breast area of the bird is white and they have a long neck that is black with a black bill. They have short legs with webbed feet that are also black.
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Anseriformes |
| Family | Anatidae |
| Subfamily | Anserinae |
| Tribe | Anserini |
| Genus | Branta |
| Conservation status | Least Concern |
They can be from 30 to 43 inches long with a wing span of 50 to 70 inches. The males are about 10% larger in size than the females.
Canada Goose Distribution
They tend to live around the temperate regions of North America. Some of them are living around the Arctic where it can be very cold. Of course they are found mainly in Canada which is where their name comes from. They live in a variety of habitats both in Canada and around the USA.
They live around various types of water bodies including lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds. They have even been found around various beaver lodges. While most Canadian Goose do migrate, not all of them do so. In many locations they remain for the winter if there will be enough food for them to survive on.
Canada Goose Behavior
The Canadian Goose is known to be very aggressive when they feel that their territory is being invaded. They can become very loud and they can spread out their wings. At the same time they may be trying to use their bill to peck at what is around them. Both the males and females make a honking sound. However, the type of sound varies based on their gender.
Canada Goose Feeding
They are very versatile in terms of where they will go to find food. They rely on food to help them survive. If they aren’t getting it then they will find a new habitat location or migrate for a period of time before coming back. When humans put out food for the Canadian Goose they will find that they come back for it over and over again.
They find a variety of types of food in their environment for them to survive upon. Most of what they consume consists of plants and berries. However, they will also consume small insects as well as small fish. They will take the opportunity to dine on any food that they find. They aren’t going to pass it up and then risk not finding anything better.
Canada Goose Reproduction
The Canadian Goose is old enough for mating when they are 1 year of age. The males often call out to the females and will do various dancing rituals to get their attention. They select their mates carefully as that will be their mate for life.
The female will lay her eggs around the shallow areas of a body of water. She will use grass and other materials to try to protect her eggs. The male will help her to gather materials but she will be the one to organize all of it. She can lay from 2 to 9 eggs at a time.
Both parents can incubate the eggs but typically the female will do it most of the time. The male will bring back food to her. In the wild their average lifespan status is 1 year, but the range status are 24 years.
Canada Goose Conservation
In the past the Canadian Goose has experienced very low numbers. However, they seem to be increasing in a variety of locations. In fact, there are many areas where they are considered to be a nuisance. They tend to be very loud and they can also cause a great deal of destruction due to the amount of acid in their bodily excretions.
