Canada Goose - Sierra Club BC
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Canada Goose

CAN BE FOUND IN:

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis 

Appearance

Canada geese have patchy grey and white feathers on their back and a belly that can be white, brown or almost black. Their neck, head and tail feathers are black, and they have a solid white patch across their cheeks and chin. Adult Canada geese weigh up to eight kilograms, and their wingspan can be almost two metres. 

Range & Habitat

These geese are found across Canada and in parts of the US and Mexico at different times throughout the year. They migrate north to breed in the summertime and go south to spend the winters. In a few places, there are Canada geese that stay year round. Canada geese spend much of their time in swamps, wetlands and lightly wooded moist areas. 

Reciprocal relationships

Canada geese play an important role in ecosystems across the country. They feed on grasses, small plants, berries and water weeds. In the summer, they put on a lot of fat to insulate them through the winter months, and they can spend a long time without eating. Canada geese return to the same breeding grounds every year. They fly from their southern wintering grounds to the northern US and Canada to nest. Once the chicks and adults can fly, they join up with other geese and begin the long journey south.  

Canada geese fly and nest in large flocks and are particularly aggressive birds while protecting their young and their habitats. Canada geese are threatened by hunting, some predation, and in some places, habitat loss. In other places though, there are almost too many geese and they have become nuisances in parks. 

Canada geese are important to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples across Turtle Island. They are a food staple, included in many cultural stories, and can be important foods at weddings and events. For the Cree of James and Hudson Bay, springtime goose hunts are a time when knowledge is shared, and values are passed down throughout generations. Hunting is a lifestyle, and an important time for teachings.  

status

COSEWIC: Not Reported 
CDC: Most populations are Yellow, but some subspecies are Blue because of habitat loss and over-hunting. 

more information

If you belong to a First Nation with a story or piece of information not represented here and you would like to share more about this species, please email us at education@sierraclub.bc.ca

photo credit

Mya Van Woudenberg

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