Canada Goose - Branta canadensis |
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CharacteristicsRange Habitat Diet Life Cycle Behavior |
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Characteristics The
Canada goose has a long black neck and head with a white band on
its cheeks that runs under its chin like a strap. It has black
feet and a light tan body with lighter brown or white under its
tail. Its black
 bill
has lamellae, or teeth, around the outside
edges that are used as a cutting tool. Males and females look
alike, although females are usually a little smaller than the
males.
Range
The Canada goose breeds and winters in most of Canada and the
United States.
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Life Cycle The
female Canada goose lays her eggs between March and June.
She will lay between four to ten whitish eggs in a nest made
of grass, reeds and moss and lined with down. The nests are
usually on the ground near water. The female hatches the
eggs and turns them over often to evenly heat them.  The
male will guard the female and the nest and will call out a
warning if danger approaches. It takes about a month for the
eggs to hatch. The chicks break out of the shell with an egg
tooth on the top of their bills. It may take them one to two
days to completely break out of the shell. The chicks will
fly when they are between 40 and 70 days old. Most Canada
geese will mate for life.
Behavior
Canada geese migrate in large V-shaped formations. They honk
loudly while they are flying. They migrate at a slow pace.
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The
Canada goose can be found in a wide variety of habitats
including lakes, bays, rivers and marshes. It often feeds in
open fields and grasslands.
On
land, the Canada goose eats a wide variety of grasses, including
salt grass and Bermuda grass. It uses its bill to yank the grass
out of the ground. It also eats corn, rice and wheat. In the
water, the Canada goose sticks its head and upper body under the
water, stretches its neck out and uses its bill to scoop up food
from the mud and silt.
