---
title: "What the sources say about the Canada Goose | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "49 claims from the Canada Goose profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/canada-goose/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Canada Goose (*Branta canadensis*)

> 49 claims from the Canada Goose profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Canada Goose](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/canada-goose/)

## Canada Goose. NatureCounts, The State of Canada's Birds.

https://naturecounts.ca/nc/socb-epoc/species.jsp?sp=cangoo

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| 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 | All other populations have experienced large increases, with the national population more than 8000% larger than in 1970, based on the Breeding Bird Survey. |
| One population, in southern British Columbia, has fallen since 2006 | the southern British Columbia population has experienced a moderate decrease since 2006 |

## Canada Goose. National Audubon Society, Guide to North American Birds.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/canada-goose

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Lakes, ponds, marshes, fields and city parks across North America | Lakes, ponds, bays, marshes, fields. Very diverse, using different habitats in different regions (note: stats.habitat) |
| Lakes, ponds, marshes, fields and city parks across North America | In recent years, also resident in city parks, suburban ponds. (note: stats.habitat) |
| Mostly grasses, sedges, aquatic plants, seeds, berries and grain | Consists almost entirely of plant material. Feeds on very wide variety of plants. Eats stems and shoots of grasses, sedges, aquatic plants, also seeds and berries; consumes many cultivated grains (note: stats.diet) |
| Local forms of Canada goose vary greatly in size, and the smallest ones are now regarded as a separate species, the Cackling Goose. | Local forms vary greatly in size, and the smallest ones are now regarded as a separate species, Cackling Goose. |
| An adult Canada goose is 76 cm to 1.2 m long, with a wingspan of 1.3 to 1.7 m. | Length: 2 ft 6 in-3 ft 10 in (76 cm-1.2 m); wingspan 4 ft 2 in-5 ft 7 in (1.3-1.7 m) |
| Males are slightly larger. | Both sexes; male slightly larger |
| Weight runs from 2.9 to 8.9 kg, and populations vary greatly in size and body color. | weight: 6 lb 9 oz-19 lb 13 oz (2.9-8.9 kg) (note: second half: Different populations vary greatly in size and body color) |
| populations vary greatly in size and body color | Different populations vary greatly in size and body color (from white-chested to very dark). |
| on tundra, marshes and lakeshores | Nesting habitats include tundra, fresh marshes, salt marshes, lakes in wooded country. |
| Audubon describes its call as rich musical honking | Rich musical honking. |
| In recent years it has also become a resident of city parks and suburban ponds. | In recent years, also resident in city parks, suburban ponds. |
| The diet is almost entirely plants. | Consists almost entirely of plant material. |
| A Canada goose grazes mostly while walking on land, eating stems and shoots of grasses and sedges, plus seeds, berries and many cultivated grains. | forages mostly by grazing while walking on land (note: diet: Eats stems and shoots of grasses, sedges, aquatic plants, also seeds and berries; consumes many cultivated grains) |
| eating stems and shoots of grasses and sedges, plus seeds, berries and many cultivated grains | Eats stems and shoots of grasses, sedges, aquatic plants, also seeds and berries; consumes many cultivated grains |
| It also feeds in water, submerging its head and neck, and sometimes up-ends. | also feeds in water, submerging head and neck, sometimes up-ending |
| Occasionally it eats some insects, mollusks, crustaceans or small fish. | Occasionally eats some insects, mollusks, crustaceans, sometimes small fish. |
| Canada geese may mate for life. | Canada Geese may mate for life. |
| The male defends the territory with displays that include lowering his head almost to the ground, bill slightly raised and open, and hissing. | Male defends territory with displays, including lowering head almost to ground with bill slightly raised and open, hissing |
| The female builds the nest | Nest (built by female) |
| incubates the eggs for 25 to 28 days while the male stands guard nearby | Incubation is by female, 25-28 days; male stands guard nearby. |
| Parents lead the young away from the nest 1 to 2 days after hatching. | Parents lead young from nest 1-2 days after hatching. |
| The goslings feed themselves, and their first flight usually comes at 7 to 9 weeks. | Young are tended by both parents, but feed themselves. Age at first flight varies, usually 7-9 weeks |
| No. Each local population once followed a set migration route, but today many geese in urban areas and on refuges stay put all year. | Historically, each local population of Canada Goose followed rigid migratory path, with traditional stopovers and wintering areas. Today many geese in urban areas and on refuges are permanent residents. |
| Always near water. | always nests 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. | Nest site (chosen by female) is usually on slightly elevated dry ground near water, with good visibility. Much variation; may nest on cliff ledges, on muskrat houses, in trees, on artificial platforms. |
| A clutch is usually 4 to 7 eggs, sometimes 2 to 11. | 4-7, sometimes 2-11. |
| Audubon describes the Canada goose's call as rich musical honking | Rich musical honking. |

## Mowbray et al. (2020). Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). Birds of the World.

https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.cangoo.01

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| North America's most widely distributed goose | The Canada Goose is the most widely distributed goose in North America (note: tagline) |
| across North America | The Canada Goose is the most widely distributed goose in North America (note: stats.habitat) |
| as then defined | with the small-bodied subspecies now recognized as Cackling Goose ( Branta hutchinsii ) (note: the 2002 species still held the small-bodied lineage, since split off as the Cackling Goose) |
| This is the most widely distributed goose in North America. | The Canada Goose is the most widely distributed goose in North America |
| It breeds from eastern Labrador to western Alaska, on tundra, marshes and lakeshores | In North America, it breeds from eastern Labrador to western Alaska (note: habitat types from Audubon) |
| Pair bonds usually form during the second year, and the young stay with their parents through their first year. | Breeders are monogamous, with life-long pair bonds formed usually during the second year. Offspring remain with their parents throughout the first year of life |
| One species became two | with the small-bodied subspecies now recognized as Cackling Goose ( Branta hutchinsii ) (note: blockquote lead-in; the Canada goose was split into two species, small-bodied forms now the Cackling Goose) |
| One species became two Local forms of Canada goose vary greatly in size | Even with the split of these two species, the Canada Goose exhibits morphological variation in size and coloration among subspecies |

## AnAge entry for Branta canadensis. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Branta_canadensis

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| lists a maximum longevity of 42 years | Maximum longevity 42 years |

## 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.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.032166399

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Hawaiian relatives that included a flightless giant over four times larger than the nene | One fossil species, limited to the island of Hawaii, was related closely to the nene but was over four times larger, flightless, heavy-bodied (note: tagline) |
| Its Hawaiian relatives included a flightless giant | One fossil species, limited to the island of Hawaii, was related closely to the nene but was over four times larger, flightless, heavy-bodied (note: stats.superpower) |
| DNA from fossils revealed a radiation of Hawaiian geese | Phylogenetic analysis of 1.35 kb of mtDNA sequence from fossils revealed a previously unknown radiation of Hawaiian geese |
| Only one is still alive: the Hawaiian goose, or nene. | of which only one representative remains alive (the endangered Hawaiian goose or nene, Branta sandvicensis) |
| A 2002 study placed the whole group inside the Canada goose species as then defined, related most closely to its large-bodied lineage. | This radiation is nested phylogenetically within a living species, the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and is related most closely to the large-bodied lineage within that species. |
| One fossil species on the island of Hawaii was closely related to the nene but over four times larger, flightless and heavy-bodied. | One fossil species, limited to the island of Hawaii, was related closely to the nene but was over four times larger, flightless, heavy-bodied |
| The study suggests it evolved in less than 500,000 years. | Application of a rate calibration to levels of DNA divergence suggests that this species evolved on the island of Hawaii in less than 500,000 years. |
| A flightless giant cousin | One fossil species, limited to the island of Hawaii, was related closely to the nene but was over four times larger, flightless, heavy-bodied |
| The Canada goose has relatives on Hawaii. | This radiation is nested phylogenetically within a living species, the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) |

## Branta canadensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22679935A166195258.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t22679935a166195258.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus) |
| No. The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |