Canada Goose
From WikiBird
Contents |
Size
Length: ??cm (??in), Wingspan: ??cm (??in)
Field Marks
Large long-necked goose with black bill, black head and neck, white throat patch extends up to cheek. Brown back, upper wing and flanks, brownish-white breast and belly, white upper tail coverts contrast with black tail, white undertail coverts. Female: virtually identical but is slightly lighter and has a different honk. Immature: similar to adult
Similar species
Besides the Cackling Goose the Canada Goose is similar only to Brant, which has a black breast, white flanks and a small white neck patch rather than a large white throat and cheek patch. The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish this goose from all except the Barnacle Goose, but the latter has a black breast and grey, rather than brownish, body plumage. There are 7 subspecies of this bird, of varying sizes and plumage details, but all are recognizable as Canada Geese. Some are hard to distinguish from the Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii), with which the Canada Goose was long assumed to form one species, and the name Lesser Canada Goose is, confusingly, often applied to B. hutchinsii.
Sounds
Feeding & Behavior
These birds feed mainly on plant material. When feeding in water, they submerge their heads and necks to reach aquatic plants, sometimes tipping forward like a dabbling duck. Flocks of these birds often feed on leftover cultivated grains in fields, especially during migration or in winter. They also eat some insects, molluscs and crustaceans.
Habitat & Nesting
Nest is usually located in an elevated area near water. The eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down.
Range
Native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern USA. The wintering range is most of the USA. Canada Geese have reached western Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries. Canada Geese are also found naturally on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, eastern China, and throughout Japan. Greater Canada Goose has also been widely introduced in Europe, and have established feral populations in Great Britain, The Netherlands and Scandinavia.
Resources
