Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is a common ducks, swans, and geese found in 52 countries, weighing about 2.8 kg. The Canada goose is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body.
About the Canada Goose
The Canada goose is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the Arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black head and neck with a white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada goose from all other goose species except the cackling goose and barnacle goose. (The latter, however, has a black breast and gray rather than brownish body plumage.) Some Canada geese come with a pepper-spotted or brown neck with brown plumage, and these are assumed to be a leucistic variety. On occasion, individuals with dark cheeks, white foreheads or white necks may be seen The seven subspecies of this bird vary widely in size and plumage details but all are recognizable as Canada geese.
What the Canada Goose sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Australia, Japan, Argentina, Belize, South Korea, Türkiye, Jersey.
When to see it
The Canada Goose can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Canada Goose on live cams
- Rogers Place Osprey and Goose NestEdmonton, Alberta, Canada · Streaming now
- Decorah Goose CamDecorah, Iowa, USA · Returns March
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Canada Goose?
- The black head and neck with a white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada goose from all other goose species except the cackling goose and barnacle goose. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Canada Goose?
- The Canada Goose is a huge sized bird weighing about 2.8 kg.
- Where can you see a Canada Goose?
- The Canada Goose occurs in 52 countries, including the United States, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway.
- What does a Canada Goose sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Canada Goose on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Canada Goose?
- The Canada Goose is most easily confused with the Brant Goose, the Cackling Goose and the Barnacle Goose.
- Is the Canada Goose endangered?
- The Canada Goose is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Canada Goose for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.