# Canada Goose (*Branta canadensis*) The Canada Goose is a large bird with a black head and white cheeks! It loves to honk and can often be seen flying in a V-formation. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 1,297 - **Habitat:** Lakes, rivers, and parks - **Also known as:** Giant Canada Goose, Honker ![Canada Goose](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424581/objects/4613.jpg) ## Appearance The Canada Goose has a distinctive black neck and head with a prominent white 'chinstrap' mark. Its body is shades of brown, with a lighter chest and belly, making it easily identifiable from other waterfowl. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Anseriformes - **Family:** Anatidae - **Genus:** Branta ## Interesting facts - Baby geese, called goslings, can swim and find food just one day after hatching! - Canada Geese mate for life, often staying with the same partner for many years! - Some Canada Geese can fly over 1,000 miles in a single day during migration! - They can sleep while standing on one leg, even when floating on water! ## Special abilities - **Navigation Maestro:** Canada Geese can fly in a V-formation because it saves energy for the birds following, making long migrations easier. - **Parental Protector:** Canada Geese have strong wings and a loud honk that helps them defend their goslings fiercely from predators. - **Water Walker:** Canada Geese have webbed feet that help them paddle efficiently through water and wade in shallow areas for food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 75-110 cm - **Wingspan:** 127-183 cm - **Weight:** 2.6-6.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-24 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-8 - **Incubation:** 25-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 4000 km ## Diet & Feeding These geese are mostly plant-eaters, munching on grasses and grains they find in fields and water. - **Age differences:** Young goslings may eat small insects for extra protein during growth, then switch mostly to plants. - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Grains, Seeds, Aquatic plants, Berries - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Preys on eggs, goslings, and sometimes adults. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Hunts eggs, goslings, and sometimes adult geese. - **Eaten by:** [Bald Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bald-eagle) (*Haliaeetus leucocephalus*) — Preys on goslings and injured adult geese. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Webbed Feet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/webbed-feet): Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Canada Goose? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Canada Goose? 75-110 cm ### What is Canada Goose's wingspan? 127-183 cm ### How much does Canada Goose weigh? 2.6-6.5 kg ### How long does Canada Goose live? 10-24 years ### How fast can Canada Goose move? 70 km/h ### What does Canada Goose eat? These geese are mostly plant-eaters, munching on grasses and grains they find in fields and water. ### Where is Canada Goose usually found? Lakes, rivers, and parks ## Where to spot - [Abbott Farm Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abbott-farm-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Alabama City Wall Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alabama-city-wall-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Ambler Heights Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ambler-heights-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Arnold Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arnold-arboretum) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Canada Goose](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/canada-goose) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Canada Goose: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/canada-goose)