Critters of North Idaho: Canada Goose

If you’re familiar with the sudden sound of honking birds, then you already know how to tell if there’s a flock of Canada geese coming your way! These birds are frequently spotted in urban areas, either feeding or resting on the ground, or flying in v-formation high above our heads. But where do these marvelous birds come from? Where do they go? Do these geese always migrate from one place to another? Let’s learn what the annual calendar of a Canada goose looks like.

First off, a Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a mid-sized waterfowl related to ducks, swans, and of course, other geese. They stand between 2.5 and 3.6 feet tall and typically weigh 14 pounds or so on average. Canada geese are quite distinct in appearance, boasting a long black neck and head, with a white marking on the throat. The body is brown-gray, the underbelly is white, and the legs and webbed feet are black. In fact, this coloration gives the Canada goose and its closest relatives (any member of the Branta genus) the group nickname of “black geese.”

With a wingspan of 4 to 6 feet, these geese really know how to take to the wing! You probably already know that they are migratory, meaning they travel from place to place throughout the year. But did you know that some populations of Canada geese do not migrate? Native to North America, Canada geese do not travel afar in the southern sector of their breeding range, or if they live along the Pacific coast or Eastern seaboard. Otherwise, these birds hit the road when the weather changes. Migratory populations spend the winter in the southern half of the United States and Mexico. They aren’t particularly picky about where they overwinter so long as they can maintain a high protein and energy diet of grass, seeds, berries, leaves, roots and algae. The tooth-like serrations along a goose’s bill are called lamella, and they help the bird to snip grass.

When the weather gets warm, the birds somehow know it is time to move. They fly north in groups, adopting that famous v-shaped pattern. This helps them expend less energy. Wind reduction is reduced because each goose in formation flies slightly higher than the goose ahead of it. The goose in lead gets the full blow of the wind, and will switch off with other geese in the formation when it begins to tire. Flying in formation also allows the geese to easily keep track of everyone in the group. Though they usually take their time when on the wing, the geese have been known to cover 1,500 miles within a 24-hour period when the wind is favorable.

After a long journey, the Canada geese arrive in the northern United States and Canada in time for the breeding season, which usually occurs between April and May. This is when the geese mate and find a suitable nesting spot, usually in an open, grassy area near a pond, marsh or river. They don’t like areas with tall grass and other vegetation because it obstructs their view from foxes, wolves, bears or other predators that like to prey on them or their young. Canada geese are monogamous, meaning they tend to mate for life.

A good mother goose lays between two and 10 eggs per breeding season, which the parents defend voraciously until the offspring, called goslings, hatch later. Unfortunately, scientists have found no evidence that mother geese read nursery rhymes or fairy stories to the goslings after they hatch. All of this activity can be quite taxing on the goose parents and they may supplement their otherwise vegetarian diet with insects, little fish, aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans and mollusks at this time.

The mother and father geese invest much time into the protection and care of the goslings, which can walk and run within 24 hours of hatching. They often join other families of parents and goslings; these groups are called creches, and it is not uncommon for them to remain as a single unit until the following breeding season. When the summer weather dissipates and the autumn approaches, the geese families fly south together. The goslings learn how to travel, the Canada goose way!

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