Canada Goose
Branta
canadensis
Description
Small races, 22-26" (56-66 cm); large
races, 35-45" (89-114 cm). Brownish body with black head, long black
neck, conspicuous white cheek patch. The smaller Brant has a shorter
neck and lacks white cheek patch.
Endangered Status
The Aleutian Canada Goose, a
subspecies of the Canada Goose, was on the U.S. Endangered Species
List until March 2001, when it was delisted. Although Canada Geese
are generally plentiful, the small Aleutian Island race was reduced
to under 1,000 individuals in the 1960s, when Arctic Foxes were
introduced on their breeding islands by fur interests. The geese
were wiped out on all but two islands. Thanks to recovery efforts,
Aleutian Canada Geese now breed on eight islands and number about
15,000.
Voice
Rich musical honking in larger races;
high-pitched cackling in smaller races.
Habitat
Lakes, bays, rivers, and marshes. Often
feeds in open grasslands and stubble fields.
Nesting
4-8 whitish eggs in a large mass of grass
and moss lined with down; usually on the ground near water or on a
muskrat lodge, but sometimes in a tree in an abandoned Osprey or
Bald Eagle nest.
Range
Breeds from Alaska east to Baffin Island
and south to California, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Winters south
to northern Mexico and Gulf Coast. Widespread as a semi-domesticated
bird in city parks and on reservoirs.
Discussion
Well known for their V-shaped
migrating flocks and rich, sonorous honking, Canada Geese are among
the most familiar of North America's waterfowl. There are 11
geographical races, ranging in size from the "Giant Canada Goose" of
the northern prairies to the diminutive "Cackling Goose," scarcely
larger than the Mallard, which nests in the Yukon and winters mainly
in California. The most abundant race is the one that nests south of
Hudson Bay, which numbers well over a million, while the rarest is
the Aleutian Islands form, which nests on only two small islands and
numbers barely over a thousand. Like other geese, these birds are
chiefly grazers, feeding on stubble fields and eating marsh
vegetation. Increasingly tolerant of humans, some Canadas even nest
in city parks and suburbs. They are especially noticeable in late
summer and early fall, when they form molting flocks on golf courses
and large lawns; at such times, they have come to be regarded as
pests.
