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  Profile

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  In flight

Waterfowl

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

• common
• 64 km/h
• Starter
• Least Concern

Honks aggressively until you accept delivery. Do not make eye contact.

Population

~5-6.2 million (global, Wetlands International 2015 est., via BirdLife DataZone; population trend Increasing, last formally assessed 2018)

Habitat

Freshwater wetlands, marshes, lakes, and ponds; also brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons; highly adaptable to urban and suburban parks, golf courses, and lawns near water

Fun fact

A wild Canada Goose banded in Ohio in 1969 was later recovered/documented at 33 years old, making it one of the longest-lived wild geese on record.

Range

Native to Arctic and temperate North America (Canada, Alaska, northern/central USA), breeding on tundra and boreal areas and wintering in southern North America including Mexico; introduced/naturalized resident populations established in much of the lower 48 US states, and in parts of Europe (UK, Ireland, France, Scandinavia) plus New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands

Diet

Primarily herbivorous — grasses, sedges, and aquatic vegetation, plus agricultural grains (wheat, corn, rice, beans) and lawn grass/algae; occasionally small insects and fish, and scavenges garbage in urban settings

Size

0.9 m

Wingspan

1.5 m

Lifespan

24 years