The Branta Canadensis, better known as the Canada Goose is a magnificent
bird which can be found all over North America. People from all over North
America look towards the sky when the Canada Geese go honking overhead in
their trademark "V" formation, and because they nest all over Canada and some of
the United States many people have a chance to witness the birds migration to the
nesting grounds and back to the wintering grounds. The Canada Goose is
respected by so many of us because of it's dignity and courage and refusal to give
up. Over the years the Canada Goose has picked up many slang names, some of
these are: Canadian Goose, Canadian Honker, Honker, Honker Goose, Big
Honker, Old Honker, Boy Goose, Bernache (French for Barnacle Goose), Big
Mexican Goose, Blackee, Blacknecked Goose, Brant, French Goose, Northern
Goose, Reef Goose, Ringneck, Wavy, and White-cheeked Goose (Wormer).
The Canada Goose has excellent eyesight which makes it difficult to hunt
because the Goose can see the hunter well before the hunter ever sees the goose
(Wormer). This eyesight is essential for flying though, a Canada Goose can see
three quarters of a sphere without moving its head (Wormer). The Canada Goose
also has an acute sense of hearing, it's ears are positioned on the side of it's head
(Wormer). They have either no sense of smell or a very poor one, but this does not
impede the goose in any way (Wormer). Although there is a large variation in size
all subspecies of Canada Geese look the same physically (Wormer) The male and
female Canada Goose look almost exactly the same except the female can usually
be recognized because it is smaller and less aggressive (Wormer). Colors also vary
but, the color pattern is generally the same for all the subspecies (Godfrey). The
head and neck are dark black with a large white patch on each cheek which meet
under the chin, this is the Canada Goose's most easily recognized characteristic
because it is unique to the Canada Goose (Wormer). The upper parts of the body
as well as the wings are greyish brown, the feathers tipped with brownish white
(Godfrey). The tail is black with the upper tail coverts white and the under tail
coverts are white also (Godfrey). The under body is brownish grey with paler
feather tips, the sides being the darkest and the lower belly is white (Godfrey).
The feathers of the breast commonly called down are broad and square tipped
(Godfrey). The bill and legs are dark black, and the iris of the eye is brown with a
black pupil (Wormer). The Canada Goose in it's first Autumn and Winter is
similar to the adults but breast feathers are narrower, softer and more rounded, the
outer primaries on the other hand are less rounded than those of a mature adult
(Godfrey). The Canada Goose color pattern works as a great disguise, when lying
flat with the neck outstretched the Canada Goose looks like a clump of grass and
dirt and difficult to distinguish as a goose even on snow or ice (Wormer). All
goslings of all subspecies of the Canada Goose look identical (Breen). Goslings
are bright yellow and weigh less than one pound when hatched, after two weeks
they way two pounds, after one month their weight is three to four pounds and
their color is a dull grey, after six weeks a color pattern can be seen and inclination
to fly i.e.. running on top of the water flapping it's wings, after eight weeks they
look like adult and weigh six to seven pounds and some are able to fly others begin
to fly in their ninth week, further growth depends on the subspecies (Breen).
There are eleven subspecies of the Canada Goose but the characteristics that
separate them usually cannot be seen from a distance (Wormer). Branta
Canadensis Minima, also known as the Cackling Canada Goose is the smallest of
all subspecies weighing only two and a half to four pounds (Wormer). It is the
darkest in color and has the highest pitch call (Wormer). Branta Canadensis
Hutchinsii, also known as the Richardson Canada Goose weighs three to seven
pounds and is light in color, it's call has a pitch slightly deeper than that of the
Cackling Canada Goose (Wormer). Branta Canadensis taverneri, also known as
Taverner's Canada Goose weighs three and a half to five pounds and is dark in
color (Wormer). Branta Canadensis leucopareia, also known as the Aleutian
Canada Goose also weighs three and a half pounds and is identical to Taverner's
Canada Goose except it has a narrow white ring separating the black neck from the
dark grey-brown body (Wormer). Branta Canadensis Parvipes, also known as the
Lesser Canada Goose weighs six pounds and is light colored (Wormer). Branta
Canadensis Occidentalis, also known as the Dusky Canada Goose Weighs five to
twelve pounds and is dark brown almost chocolate covered (Wormer). Branta
Canadensis, also known as the Atlantic Canada Goose weighs six to eleven pounds
and is light colored (Wormer). Branta Canadensis Interior, also known as Todd's
Canada Goose also weighs six to eleven pounds and is medium colored (Wormer).
Branta Canadensis Moffiti, also known as the Western Canada Goose weighs
twelve to fifteen pounds and is medium colored (Wormer). Branta Canadensis
Fulva, also known as the Vancouver Canada Goose weighs six to thirteen pounds
and is dark in color, ninety percent of this species do not migrate and live in British
Columbia all year round (Wormer). Branta Canadensis Maxima, also known as
the Giant Canada Goose is said to be the most beautiful of all the subspecies but it
is known that they are the most easily domesticated (Wormer). Giant Canadas
Weigh eighteen to twenty pounds and are medium colored. Their diagnostic
feature is that there is a small backward projecting hook on the white cheek patch
(Wormer). The Canada Goose has ten vocalizations or calls which it uses to
communicate with other Canada Geese, honking, long distance call, greeting,
alarm, short distance call of mate, short distance call to goslings, special greeting
for female, adult distress, gosling distress, and gosling contentment call as well as a
scream of pain when the bird is bitten (Wormer).
It takes a female goose a day to a day and half to lay an egg (Wormer).
Each goose lays and average of five to six eggs, sometimes only two and
sometimes one goose may lay eleven to twelve eggs (Wormer). With sixty percent
of all eggs laid hatching tow Canada Geese produce an average of three goslings
per year (Wormer). Male to Female births are split down the middle, 50-50
(Wormer). The eggs are dull white and 2.86 by 1.89 inches to 3.43 by 2.34 inches
(Godfrey) and weigh 3.5 to 7.5 ounces (Breen). The incubation period lasts
twenty five to twenty eight days with an average incubation temperature of 100.4
degrees Fahrenheit to 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit (Wormer). Most of the Canada
Geese killed from hunting are twelve to twenty-three years old (Wormer). Canada
Geese in captivity however live an aver age of twenty to thirty years and
sometimes even over forty (Wormer). The Canada Goose has a very rapid growth
rate, in fact if an average human baby were to grow as fast as a gosling it would
weigh one-hundred and thirty-eight pounds by the time it was eight weeks old
(Wormer). Goslings begin to develop feathers after their third week and after their
fifth week the feather are the color of and adults (Breen). The adult geese begin
molting when the goslings are two weeks old and is unable to fly for five to six
weeks (Breen). After the molting period the goslings are eight to nine weeks old
and are ready to fly with their parents (Breen).
The Canada Goose has two types of habitat, breeding grounds, and
Wintering grounds (Ross). Canada Gees migrate north to their breeding grounds
and south to their wintering grounds (Ross). During migration north and south the
geese follow four main flyways, Atlantic flyway, Pacific Flyway, Mississippi
Flyway and the Central Flyway (Breen). Within these flyways are migration
corridors (refer to maps 1 and 2), biologists are not sure how they follow the same
corridor year after year (Breen). There are three main theories of how a Canada
Goose navigates to the same breeding and wintering grounds each migration
(Breen). One theory is that they rely on landscape cues, another theory is that they
use the position of the sun and stars, and the third theory is that they have iron rich
tissue in their brains, like that of a pigeon and they use the earth's magnetic field to
navigate, but exactly how Canada Geese navigate is unknown (Breen). Some
ducks may fly as fast as eighty miles per hour but the Canada Goose flies at a much
more graceful speed of forty-two to forty-five miles per hour during migration and
can fly as fast as sixty miles per hour. Canada Geese always take off into the wind
and usually fly at an altitude between one thousand and three thousand feet but in
bad weather will fly as low as a couple hundred feet and when traveling over short
distance they prefer walking because it uses less energy (Breen). When in flying
in flocks Canada Geese fly in their trademark "V" formation, this formation is
created because each goose flies behind and to the side of the goose in front of it
allows them to take advantage of the slipstream created, this technique is known to
automobile racers as drafting and it lets the Canada Goose fly seventy-one percent
further than just going by itself (Breen). Another skill Canada Geese use to land in
heavy wind is wiffeling, to do this the goose turns its body sideways so that it's
wings are perpendicular to the ground, the bird loses it's left and basically falls out
of the sky, this technique is known to glider pilots as side slipping because you slip
out of the sky (Breen). Most people believe that the migration north and the
migration south are the same but actually they are different (Breen). The migration
north to the breeding grounds is a slower and more relaxed one than that of the one
moving south (Wormer). The migration north sometimes begins in late January for
Canada Geese that are wintering far south, but the majority of movement occurs in
March (Resource Reader). The female chooses the breeding grounds and nesting
site, the breeding grounds are those of which she was hatched (Breen). Ideal
breeding grounds have the following characteristics: Browsing area for prior to
nesting season, firm foundations, excellent visibility in all directions, isolated,
brooding area of open water, aquatic feeding area, cover of emergent plants for
protection during molting, and a browsing area for brood after they learn to fly
(Wormer). Some areas with these characteristics are: swamps, marshes, meadows,
rivers, lakes, ponds, islands, Tundra and coastal plain (Wormer). Preferred places
to build the nest are small islets, muskrat houses, other birds abandoned or
sometimes unabandoned nests, in the case where the nest is still occupied the
female goose will incubate the other birds eggs as well as her own. Canada Geese
especially the Giant Canada will also use man made nests like washtubs, old tires
and haystacks (Wormer). Nest size varies from four inches deep by ten inches
wide to fifteen inches deep and forty-four inches wide (Wormer). After the female
has chosen the breeding grounds, nesting site and built the nest the male guards
while she incubates the eggs (Wormer). Canada Geese breed all over Canada and
in ideal breeding areas there may be many geese per acre but some territories may
be as much as thirty five acres (Wormer) (See maps 1 and 2 for breeding areas and
densities of geese). The migration south to the wintering grounds is a much faster
paced migration than the one north and done in much larger flocks (Breen). Each
flock usually consists of a group of families (Breen). October and mid-November
is when the greatest numbers of Canada Geese can be seen moving south
(Resource Reader). Popular wintering grounds have a good food supply, suitable
resting grounds near a lake, river or resivoir, the body of water should be large and
have low banks or shorelines for loafing and the climate should not be to cold
(Wormer). It is often on the wintering grounds that the geese choose their mate
whom they will pair with for life, unless one is killed (Obee). Some Canada Geese
migrate as far as Mexico, others stop further north, some don't migrate at all and
some even migrate across the ocean to Japan (Ross) (Refer to maps 1 and 2 for
wintering areas and densities of geese).
Canada Geese like to feed mid-morning and just before sunset leaving the
mid-day for relaxing. Canada Geese graze cord grass, spike rush, naiad, glasswort,
bullrush, salt grass, seepweed, Bermuda grass, golden dock, lycium, brome grass,
wild barley, rabbit-foot grass, pepper grass, saltbush, cattail, alkali grass, and tansy
mustard (Wormer). They will eat Ladino or Dutch white clover if it is mixed with
other grasses that the goose normally eats, they will not eat alfalfa unless it is
young and tender (Wormer). Canada Geese also feed on all human grown grains
but their favorite of all foods is corn (Breen). The most popular foods are, corn
which forty three percent of geese feed on, small grain fed on by twenty four
percent of geese, twenty two percent feed on pasture, and soybeans accounts for
the other nine percent (Breen). Apart from dry land grazing Canada Geese also
feed on some aquatic growth (Wormer). Canada Geese are mostly vegetarian but
they do feed on some small insects, insect larvae, mollusks and small crustaceans
(Wormer).
Dogs will chase and kill Canada Geese for fun and coyotes and wolves will
also kill Canada Geese for food, but most of the time geese are much to fast for
land mammals unless they are hurt or wounded or it is during molting season
(Wormer). Molting season is the most dangerous time of the Canada Goose's life
because it cannot fly, however even without their flight feathers a Canada Goose
can still outrun a man over land and may even be able to fight of an attacker with
strong blows from it's wings and using it's beak as a weapon (Breen). Humans are
the largest predator of the Canada Goose (Wormer). However due to strict
management of hunting of Canada Geese the population has not been decreased by
hunting (Wormer). In 1995 Goose hunting season for North Game Bird District
opened on September first and closed December ninth with a bag limit of nine
daily which not more than six may be dark geese and of these not more than four
may be whitefronts (Wiens). In the South Game Bird District of Saskatchewan the
season for goose hunting opened on September eleventh and also closed on
December ninth with a bag limit of eighteen of which not more than twelve may be
dark geese and of these not more than six may be whitefronts (Wiens).
Parasites are not responsible for to many adult goose deaths but they do
cause some (Wormer). Most of the damage parasites do is killing goslings two to
three days old (Wormer). Some internal parasites of Canada Geese include both
worm and blood parasites (Wormer). Externally the Canada Goose also has
various kinds of lice (Wormer).
Some times a female Canada Goose will nest in a nest that has already been
made by an eagle or hawk and may still be occupied (Wormer). If the nest
contains the eggs of the bird who built the nest the female Canada Goose will
incubate the other birds eggs as well as her own (Wormer). This benefits both
birds because it leaves the other bird more time to rest and eat and the Canada
Goose gets to use a nest (Wormer). Canada Geese frequently nest on top of
muskrat houses because they are on open water where the eggs are safe from other
birds and foxes, this does not disturb the muskrat in any way (Wormer). The
Canada Goose will also nest in an abandoned nest of a hawk, eagle or other large
bird (Wormer). There have been cases reported of small songbirds seen riding on
the backs of Canada Geese on their migration route or hunters who have shot a
goose and found a smaller bird tucked away in it's feathers, However there is no
scientific documentation of this (Breen).
The Canada Goose's largest competition is usually other Canada Geese
(Wormer). Canada Geese do not mind if other waterfowl such as ducks are
nesting nearby but they will fight other Canada Geese for their territory if it is
necessary (Wormer). It is important that Canada Geese do not build nests to close
together because when the goslings are first hatched they cannot recognize their
parents nor can their parents recognize them and the goslings can become easily
mixed up and follow a different set of parents (Wormer).
Humans have had a strong effect on the population of the Canada Goose,
good and bad effects. Agricultural waste water kills many geese each year another
human waste that kills geese is when they ingest spent ammunition with gravel, the
geese die of lead poisoning and it is a very painful death and more common than
most people think (Wormer). Urban growth, industry and draining land for
farming contribute to the four hundred thousand acres of wetland lost each year in
the United States which has had a tremendous effect on some waterfowl, however
this does not directly effect the Canada Goose's birth rate because most Canada
Geese breed far enough north that they are isolated from progress (Breen). The
disappearing of wetlands does effect them indirectly though because they are used
for resting and feeding along the migration route and are important for safety
(Breen). Nesting sites in the north aren't totally safe from humans though, the
Exxon oil spill has damaged Canada Goose habitat (Breen). Plans to dam the
Yukon River could also ruin the nesting grounds for over two hundred thousand
Canada Geese (Breen).
The number of people who are trying to protect wetlands has become quite
large (Breen). The largest and best known group is probably Ducks Unlimited
Canada which was founded in 1937 and has over one-hundred thousand members
most of which are hunters (Breen). In 1973 it expanded into the United States
which now has over five-hundred and fifty thousand members also which are
mostly hunters and one year after in 1974 Ducks Unlimited de Mexico joined the
other two groups in wetland protection (Breen). Since their founding Ducks
Unlimited have raised nearly one half billion dollars ninety three percent of which
has been invested in projects to aid waterfowl such as the Canada Goose (Breen).
As long as the Canada Goose's private northern breeding grounds are not
disturbed this magnificent bird should be with us a long time. For most people the
Canada Goose symbolizes autumn when we see them gracefully soaring through
the air to their warm winter home and they also symbolize spring time when they
come back from their winter home. The Canada Goose is a bird with dignity and
pride and is a bird that is loved by all who see and hear it.
Western Canada, moffiti 68 000
Dusky Canada, occidentalis 16 000
Vancouver Canada, fulva 14 000
Todd's Canada, interior/Atlantic Canada, Canadensis 1 000 000
Giant Canada, Maxima 55 000
Cackling Canada, Minima 172 000
Aleutian Canada, leucopareia remnant
Taverner's Canada, Taverneri 57 000
Lesser Canada, Parvipes/Richardson's Canada, Hutchinsii 300 000
Total estimated population of Canada Geese 1 682 000
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