- Branta canadensis
Identification
76-110 cm
- Light-brown body
- Black neck and head with white chinstrap
- Breast lighter than the rest of the body
- White vent
- Black tail
Distribution
North America and Canada.
Widespread feral populations throughout Europe from escaped wildfowl collections.
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Taxonomy
Ornithologists named the four smallest subspecies of Canada Goose as a separate species in 2004: the Cackling Goose.
Subspecies[1]
There are 7 subspecies:
- B. c. moffitti - Large Canada Goose
- B. c. interior - Medium Canada Goose
- B. c. canadensis - Medium Canada Goose
- Breeds in Newfoundland and Labrador
- B. c. maxima - Giant Canada Goose
- Formerly Great Plains, now only in wildlife reserves
- B. c. occidentalis - Dusky Canada Goose
- Southwestern Alaska
- B. c. fulva - Dusky Canada Goose
- Coastal southern Alaska to British Columbia
- B. c. parvipes - Lesser Canada Goose
- Central Alaska to Canadian prairie
Habitat
Typically wetlands and farmland, occasionally urban settings.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest is placed near water. The clutch of 3-8 eggs is laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down. Incubation takes 25–28 days.
Diet
The diet includes green vegetation, grains, aquatic plants, sometimes small insects and fish.
Vocalisation
Male and female pair off with ahonk and hink, respectively, while in flight.
<flashmp3>Branta canadensis (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Canada Goose. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Canada_Goose
External Links
