Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The Canada Goose is a large goose familiar in U.S. parks and fields, with a black neck and a white cheek patch. Some populations stay year-round, while northern breeders migrate farther south.

Appearance

Appearance: This large goose has a brown body, black head and neck, and a white cheek patch. It is 30–43 in (76–110 cm) long.

Look-alikes

Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii

Look for a smaller goose with a shorter, stubbier bill, shorter neck, and steeper forehead. Some small Canada Geese overlap, so an isolated photo may be inconclusive.

Why they get mixed upBoth have a black neck and white cheek patch.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Lakes and ponds
Lawns and farm fields
Range: Widespread across the United States and Canada, including urban parks and open country.
Seasonal presence: In the contiguous United States, some populations stay year-round; northern breeders migrate farther south.
When it’s recorded: Recorded year-round, every year · most records in Apr–May
186,702 observations in the US · 10 years · for referenceChoose a state

Behavior

Diet: It grazes on grasses and grasslike plants and eats berries, seeds, and grain.
Social life: Family groups often join larger flocks outside the nesting season.

Life cycle

Nest: The female builds a ground nest near water and lines it with down.
Clutch size: 2–8 eggs

Name and classification

About the name: The smaller Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) was once grouped with Canada Geese but is now treated as a separate species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

10 sources