--- title: "Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "North America's most widely distributed goose, with Hawaiian relatives that included a flightless giant over four times larger than the nene." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/canada-goose-1.webp" published: "2026-10-05" updated: "2026-10-10" --- # Canada Goose (*Branta canadensis*) > **Status**: Checked against 6 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: North America's most widely distributed goose, with Hawaiian relatives that included a flightless giant over four times larger than the nene. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Classic Funk, Soul & Disco // Tower of Power, "What Is Hip?" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/66TSoVnJ1P9Tyok03zUlTr) > **Vibe Match**: Audubon describes the Canada goose's call as rich musical honking. Tower of Power are a funk band built around a horn section, and "What Is Hip?" honks back with punchy brass blasts. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Branta canadensis* - **Danger Level**: Low - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22679935a166195258.en)) - **Superpower**: Its Hawaiian relatives included a flightless giant - **Habitat**: Lakes, ponds, marshes, fields and city parks across North America - **Diet**: Mostly grasses, sedges, aquatic plants, seeds, berries and grain - **Tags**: bird, herbivore, wetlands, freshwater, migratory, urban ## Natural History & Behavior ## A flightless giant cousin The Canada goose has relatives on Hawaii. DNA from fossils revealed a radiation of Hawaiian geese, which means a burst of new species from one ancestor. Only one is still alive: the Hawaiian goose, or nene. A 2002 study placed the whole group inside the Canada goose species as then defined, related most closely to its large-bodied lineage. One fossil species on the island of Hawaii was closely related to the nene but over four times larger, flightless and heavy-bodied. The study suggests it evolved in less than 500,000 years. > **One species became two** Local forms of Canada goose vary greatly in size, and the smallest ones are now regarded as a separate species, the Cackling Goose. ## Size and lifespan An adult Canada goose is 76 cm to 1.2 m long, with a wingspan of 1.3 to 1.7 m. Males are slightly larger. Weight runs from 2.9 to 8.9 kg, and populations vary greatly in size and body color. AnAge, a database of animal lifespans, lists a maximum longevity of 42 years. ## Grazer with a honk This is the most widely distributed goose in North America. It breeds from eastern Labrador to western Alaska, on tundra, marshes and lakeshores, and Audubon describes its call as rich musical honking. In recent years it has also become a resident of city parks and suburban ponds. The diet is almost entirely plants. A Canada goose grazes mostly while walking on land, eating stems and shoots of grasses and sedges, plus seeds, berries and many cultivated grains. It also feeds in water, submerging its head and neck, and sometimes up-ends. Occasionally it eats some insects, mollusks, crustaceans or small fish. ## Pairs for life Canada geese may mate for life. Pair bonds usually form during the second year, and the young stay with their parents through their first year. The male defends the territory with displays that include lowering his head almost to the ground, bill slightly raised and open, and hissing. The female builds the nest and incubates the eggs for 25 to 28 days while the male stands guard nearby. Parents lead the young away from the nest 1 to 2 days after hatching. The goslings feed themselves, and their first flight usually comes at 7 to 9 weeks. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do all Canada geese migrate? No. Each local population once followed a set migration route, but today many geese in urban areas and on refuges stay put all year. *(Source: [National Audubon Society, Guide to North American Birds]())* ### Where do Canada geese nest, and how many eggs do they lay? Always near water. A nest is usually on slightly elevated dry ground with good visibility, but it may be on a cliff ledge, a muskrat house, in a tree or on an artificial platform. A clutch is usually 4 to 7 eggs, sometimes 2 to 11. *(Source: [National Audubon Society, Guide to North American Birds]())* ### Are Canada geese endangered? No. The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern. *(Source: [The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021]())* ### Are there more Canada geese than there used to be? In Canada, yes. The State of Canada's Birds report puts the national population at more than 8000% larger than in 1970, based on the Breeding Bird Survey. One population, in southern British Columbia, has fallen since 2006. *(Source: [NatureCounts, The State of Canada's Birds]())* ## Sources 1. [Canada Goose. NatureCounts, The State of Canada's Birds.]() 2. [Canada Goose. National Audubon Society, Guide to North American Birds.]() 3. [Mowbray et al. (2020). Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). Birds of the World.]() 4. [AnAge entry for Branta canadensis. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.]() 5. [Paxinos et al. (2002). mtDNA from fossils reveals a radiation of Hawaiian geese recently derived from the Canada goose ( Branta canadensis ). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.]() 6. [Branta canadensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22679935A166195258.]() *Published October 5, 2026. 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