This Weeks Animal Of The Week Is The Canada Goose
Latin: Branta canadensis
Average length: M 25-45 inches
Average weight: M 3-13 lbs., F 3-11 lbs.
Description: Both male and female of Canada geese have a black head and neck except for broad white cheek patches extending from the throat to the rear of the eye. The female of a breeding pair is often smaller. The breast, abdomen and flanks range in coloring from a light gray to a dark chocolate brown, either blending into the black neck or being separated from it by a white collar. The back and scapulars are darker brown, the rump is blackish and the tail is blackish-brown with a U-shaped white band on the rump. The bill, legs and feet are black. Most subspecies are uniformly large and pale and exhibit the characteristic "honking" call.
There are 7 recognized subspecies of Canada geese: Atlantic, Hudson Bay or Interior, Giant, Moffitt's or Great Basin, Lesser, Dusky and Vancouver. In general, the subspecies nesting farther north are smaller in size and darker in color to the west. The Giant Canada goose is the largest goose in the world, with some individuals weighing more than 20 pounds. They can also be long-lived, with a banded Giant Canada goose at 30 years and 4 months currently holding the longevity record for waterfowl. David Sibley has developed an informative webpage that can assist in subspecies identification for Canada geese. Also, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has a helpful field guide (PDF) to identify Cackling and Canada geese.
Breeding: Canada geese nest across inland North America and in more southerly habitats than cackling geese. Canada geese exhibit very strong family and pair bonds, and tend to return to their natal homes to nest. Female Canada geese lay a range of 2-8 eggs with an incubation period of 25-28 days.
Migrating and Wintering: Canada geese are herbivorous, feeding on grasses, sedges, waste grain and berries. In coastal areas of North America, grain-producing agricultural lands adjacent to estuarine or saltwater marshes with bulrush and cordgrass provide ideal winter habitat. In the mid-continent United States, refuges with freshwater marshes and abundant food crops attract Canada geese.
Average length: M 25-45 inches
Average weight: M 3-13 lbs., F 3-11 lbs.
Description: Both male and female of Canada geese have a black head and neck except for broad white cheek patches extending from the throat to the rear of the eye. The female of a breeding pair is often smaller. The breast, abdomen and flanks range in coloring from a light gray to a dark chocolate brown, either blending into the black neck or being separated from it by a white collar. The back and scapulars are darker brown, the rump is blackish and the tail is blackish-brown with a U-shaped white band on the rump. The bill, legs and feet are black. Most subspecies are uniformly large and pale and exhibit the characteristic "honking" call.
There are 7 recognized subspecies of Canada geese: Atlantic, Hudson Bay or Interior, Giant, Moffitt's or Great Basin, Lesser, Dusky and Vancouver. In general, the subspecies nesting farther north are smaller in size and darker in color to the west. The Giant Canada goose is the largest goose in the world, with some individuals weighing more than 20 pounds. They can also be long-lived, with a banded Giant Canada goose at 30 years and 4 months currently holding the longevity record for waterfowl. David Sibley has developed an informative webpage that can assist in subspecies identification for Canada geese. Also, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has a helpful field guide (PDF) to identify Cackling and Canada geese.
Breeding: Canada geese nest across inland North America and in more southerly habitats than cackling geese. Canada geese exhibit very strong family and pair bonds, and tend to return to their natal homes to nest. Female Canada geese lay a range of 2-8 eggs with an incubation period of 25-28 days.
Migrating and Wintering: Canada geese are herbivorous, feeding on grasses, sedges, waste grain and berries. In coastal areas of North America, grain-producing agricultural lands adjacent to estuarine or saltwater marshes with bulrush and cordgrass provide ideal winter habitat. In the mid-continent United States, refuges with freshwater marshes and abundant food crops attract Canada geese.