The Canada Goose is a common North American goose. There are several subspecies of this goose and they range widely in size. Often, when migrating, the Canada Goose can be seen flying overhead in a V-shaped formation. On the ground it can be seen grazing on stubble fields, in parks and on golf courses. When a group is feeding, sentinels are always on guard, to warn the others of any dangers.

Species Description:
Length: 40.5 to 63.5 cm
Physical characteristics:
A large goose (although some subspecies are as small as ducks) with a long neck and a black bill. The head and neck are black and there are white cheek patches that extend across the throat. The back, upper wings and flanks are brown; the breast and belly are a lighter brown. The tail is black, with white above and below it. Sexes are similar.

Breeding habitat:
The habitat preferred by this species includes a variety of meadows, small islands, pastures and fields, marshes, ponds and lakes.

Mating system:
Monogamous, a pair forms a long-term bond. One brood is produced per nesting season.

Nest:
The female builds the nest of dry grass, moss, sticks and water plants, and lines it with down and feathers. The nest is on the ground and typically located near water. Occasionally an older, abandoned nest or man-made structure may be used.

Eggs:
Anywhere from 4 to 10 eggs (4 to 7 being most common) are laid in a clutch. The eggs are white. 74-90mm (2.9 to 3.6'').

Chick development:
The female has the incubation and brooding duties, while the male zealously guards the nest. Incubation lasts for 25 to 30 days. At hatching, the goslings are precocial and can walk and swim quite soon. Both parents care for the young for 40 to 73 days after they hatch. The male usually leads the young when out on the water, and will perform a distraction display if the goslings are in danger. The family may remain together through migration to the following spring.

Diet:
The Canada Goose eats a variety of aquatic plants, shoots and roots. On the land, grasses, seeds, berries, grains and insects are all part of its diet.

Conservation Biology:
Early in the 20th century the population of the Canada Goose had dropped considerably, mostly due to hunting throughout its breeding and wintering range. With federal protection and increased agriculture, the numbers of this species have increased so dramatically, it is now considered a pest in many areas.

Breeding:
There are many subspecies of the Canada Goose, which vary in size and in their breeding range. Generally, this species breeds from the Arctic coast of Alaska throughout most of Canada, and south into the United States in the northern and central states.

Winter:
The Canada Goose is a migrant who winters from southern Canada to northern Mexico, although semi-domesticated birds may remain on their breeding grounds year round.

The Canada Goose is an occasional breeding bird in the Park. This species is generally associated with water in the park. It may also be seen in the fall and winter during migration. In a survey of breeding birds in the park, performed from 1996 through 1999, 5 Canada Geese were observed during the breeding season, primarily along the Little River.

References:

Bent, A. C. and Collaborators. 1996-2002. Canada Goose, In Life Histories of Familiar North American Birds, ed., Patricia Query Newforth.

Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union. 2000. Forty-second supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 117: 847-858.

Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union. 2002. Forty-third supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 119: 897-906.

Committee on Classification and Nomenclature of the American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds: the Species of Birds of North America from the Arctic through Panama, including the West Indies and Hawaiian Islands, 7th ed

Ehrlich, P. R., D. S. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birder's Handbook: a Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon and Schuster, Inc., New York.

Elphick, C., J. B. Dunning, Jr., and D. A. Sibley, eds. 2001. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Gough, G. A., Sauer, J. R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.

Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Stupka, A. 1963. Notes on the Birds of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. University of Tennessee Press.