| Canada Goose: |
Scientific name: Branta canadensis
Registered by Linnaeus in 1758.
The following subspecies are recognized:
(Branta canadensis canadensis) Atlantic Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis interior) Interior Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis maxima) Giant Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis moffitti) Great Basin or Western Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis parvipes) Lesser Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis fulva) Vancouver Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis occidentalis) Dusky Canada Goose |
| Distribution: |
North America including Greenland. Introduced in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Scandinavia and New Zealand. |
| Flight: |
Strong, capable of long journeys. |
| Status: |
Common. |
| Movements: |
Some populations are migratory, others are sedentary. |
| Habitat: |
Tundra during nesting. Lakes and their shores. Rivers and other water deposits, which can be in prairies type vegetation, forests and even in cities. Freshwater and brackish water marshes. |
| Behavior: |
Sociable when not breeding. Territorial during breeding. |
| Pairs: |
Bond suspected to be for life. |
| Nesting: |
Nests solitary and in spread out colonies. |
| Nesting Season: |
Spring, starting date varies with location. |
| Nest: |
Marshes, islands, risks, tree platforms, rivers and the tundra.
Made from grass. |
| Clutch: |
From one to twelve eggs, usually six. |
| Incubation: |
25 to 30 days,
Done by the female - male remains by the nest. |
| Adulthood: |
From two to four years of age. Some breed at one. |
| Food: |
Roots, seeds and grass. |
| Description: |
Sexes are alike except for males are bigger (on average but there is overlap in the measurements). |
| Weight: |
Please see the Taxonomy page for the weight on each of the subspecies. |
| Head: |
Small in proportion to the body. Covered with feathers. |
| Beak: |
Black. |
| Neck: |
Long, but not as long as in the swans. Covered with feathers. |
| Legs: |
Short. Dark gray. |
| Molt: |
Once a year. |
| Other names: |
| English: | Local: “Canada” and “Honker” |
| Spanish: | “Barnacla Canadiense”
“Ganso Canadiense”
“Ganso de Canadá”
“Ganso del Canadá” |
| French: | “Bernache du Canada” |
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