Owner Comments:
This next coin brings us our first goose, and it is a common and iconic one for many of us who live in North America and parts of Northern Europe. Say hello to the Canada Goose, Species name Branta canadensis.
The Canada Goose is a large bird, ranging from 2.5 feet to 3.6 feet in length and a wingspan range of 4.2 to 6 feet. While males and females of this species look identical and are similarly sized, males tend to be a little bit heavier, ranging between 5.7–14.3 pounds while females average between 5.3–12.1 pounds. Canada Geese have a very distinctive coloration. The body feathers are brownish with a white underside, a black head and neck with a distinctive white “chinstrap” and black legs and feet. Through hybridizing with Domestic Geese, some flocks of Canadian Geese contain members that are lighter in coloration and that are lacking some of the distinctive plumage features most Canadian Geese exhibit.
Canadian Geese are gregarious birds that form large flocks. They are herbivores who feed largely on grasses, seeds, berries, aquatic plants and grains. Occasionally, they will also eat small fish and invertebrates. Watching a group of these guys feeding on grasses in a field can transport one to the late Mesozoic Era, where herds of their herbivorous theropod cousins, such as the Therizinosaurs and Ornithomimosaurs, grazed across the land. Canada Geese give us a glimpse into a world that is gone and has been for 66 million years. Geographically, Canada Geese are naturally found in North America and Northern Europe, but they have been introduced to the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands.
Canada Geese reach sexual maturity at two years of age and they mate for life, though they will find other mates if their partners die. Given the wide geographic range of the Canada Goose and the fact that there are seven different subspecies, breeding takes place at many times of the year based on location and subspecies. Two to nine eggs are produced with the female incubating them for 24 to 28 days while the male stays nearby to protect the nest and his mate. Nests are constructed on high ground and they are a small depression lined with sticks and other plant matter and some of the down feathers of the parents. Baby Canada Geese are born covered in fuzzy yellow down and are precocial, being able to walk, swim and feed themselves right at birth. Even though the chicks are precocial, Canada Goose parents will protect their young viciously from any threats. Adult Canada Geese undergo their annual molt during the breeding season, and they regain their ability to fly around the same time the goslings start to learn to fly. Canada Geese fledge at between 6 and 9 weeks of age, and they stay with their parents until after the annual spring migration. Canada Geese live for about 24 years in the wild and up to 31 years in captivity.
Being large, powerful and aggressive avian dinosaurs, adult Canada Geese have few predators. Eggs and goslings are at risk from Coyotes, Raccoons, Arctic and Red Foxes, Grey Wolves, Gulls, Crows and Ravens and Bears. As far as predators of adult Canada Geese, there are four main ones: Golden Eagles, Bald Eagles, Snowy Owls and Humans. Occasionally, Great Horned Owls and Peregrine Falcons will get lucky and manage to bring down an adult Canada Goose as well.
Canada Geese are famous for their migrations, which are southward in the late fall and northward in the spring. For many people in their range, the migrations of Canada Geese are an indicator of the changing seasons and can be a great sign that they have officially survived another winter.
Canada Geese are another modern dinosaur who have had great success in adapting to life in human settlements. However, they are sometimes viewed as a pest species for a couple of reasons. The first is that, like most geese, Canada Geese are highly territorial and they will defend their territories viciously and violently. Canada Geese can be dangerous as they are capable of injuring humans when they do attack them in defense, though this is a rare occurrence. The other pest behavior Canada Geese exhibit is taught to them by humans and that is begging for food. Like Marabou Storks, if Canada Geese become conditioned to associate humans with food and the humans in question do not feed them, Canada Geese can become aggressive, though this is much rarer in Canada Geese than it is in Marabou Storks and Canada Geese are nowhere near as dangerous to humans as Marabou Storks can be.
Populations of Canada Geese can be difficult to control as many of the natural predators of these birds will avoid attacking them if there is easier to handle prey available, and most prey available to Golden Eagles, Snowy Owls and Bald Eagles fall into the easier to handle category due to the size and aggressive nature of Canada Geese. Therefore, hunting by humans and addling of eggs have become important population checks for this species.
So, there’s our first goose, and it’s an interesting though common one. Next time you see a flock of these guys flying in their distinctive V formation, take a moment and appreciate these interesting descendants of an earlier era of Earth’s history.