Branta canadensis, Canada goose
Snyder, S. A. 1993. Branta canadensis, Canada goose. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/brca
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals | ||||
| BRCA | Canada goose | Branta canadensis | Life Form: Animals/Bird Kingdom: Animalia Class: Bird Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae Genus: Branta | Fed. Protected: No Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Noninvasive |
Taxonomy
The currently accepted scientific name for Canada goose is Branta canadensis (Linnaeus) [17,21]. There are eleven subspecies of Canada goose [1,14,20]:
- Branta canadensis subsp. moffitti - western or Great Basin Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. canadensis - Atlantic Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. interior - Hudson Bay, Todd, or interior Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. occidentalis - dusky Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. fulva - Vancouver or Queen Charlotte Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. maxima - giant Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. taverneri - Taverner's or Alaskan Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. hutchinsii - Richardson's or Baffin Island Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. parvipes - lesser or Athabasca Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. leucopareira - Aleutian Canada goose
- Branta canadensis subsp. minima - cackling Canada goose
The Canada goose hybridizes with the snow goose (Chen caerulescens) [20].
Synonyms
- No entry
Other Common Names
cackling goose
General Distribution
The Canada goose is widely distributed throughout North America; it occurs in or at least migrates through every state and province. General distributions of each population during breeding and wintering seasons are given below [1,14,15]:
- B. c. moffitti - breeds from central Alberta and British Columbia south to the central northwestern states; winters in the Southwest
- B. c. canadensis - breeds on Baffin Island, Labrador, Newfoundland, Anticosti Island, and the Magdalen Islands; winters in New England and the Maritime Provinces
- B. c. interior - breeds in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba; winters in the Midwest and from Delaware to North Carolina
- B. c. occidentalis - breeds on Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet; winters from Washington to California
- B. c. fulva - breeds and winters along coast of Alaska and British Columbia
- B. c. maxima - breeds and winters on refuges in the farm belt states, typically Oklahoma and Kansas
- B. c. taverneri - breeds throughout interior Alaska; winters from Washington to California
- B. c. hutchinsii - breeds on western Baffin Island and surrounding islands; winters on the North Platte River in Nebraska and in Oklahoma and Texas
- B. c. parvipes - breeds from central Alaska across northern Canada; winters in the same areas as B. c. hutchinsii
- B. c. leucopareira - breeds on the Aleutian Islands; winters from Washington to California
- B. c. minima - breeds along coastal Alaska; winters from Washington to California
States and Provinces
- United States: AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY
- Canada: BC MB NB NF NT NS ON PE PQ SK YT
- Mexico
Plant Communities
Canada geese primarily use wetland areas dominated by emergent vegetation such as cattail (Typha spp.), bulrush (Scirpus spp.), sedge (Carex spp.), and reed (Phragmites spp.). They also inhabit communities dominated by prostrate willow (Salix spp.), dwarf birch (Betula nana), and Labrador tea (Ledum palustre) [1,19].
Biological Characteristics
Development and Reproduction
- Pair Data - usually monogamous for life; faithful to natal areas
- Nesting season - March through June
- Clutch - four to six eggs; may renest if first clutch is destroyed
- Incubation - varies between populations; 24 to 29 days
- Fledge - varies with populations; 42 to 86 days [1,14,15]
Canada goose on nest.
Predators
Canada goose predators include humans; ravens, crows, and magpies (Corvidae); gulls (Larus spp.); parasitic jaeger (Stercorarius parasitucus); foxes (Vulpes, Urocyon, Aplex); brown bear (Ursus arctos); coyote (Canis latrans); raccoon (Procyon lotor); badger (Taxidea taxus); and bobcat (Felis rufus) [3,13].
Habitat
Diet
Canada geese eat roots, tubers, and leaves of various food plants which are usually locally abundant. Some foods include cordgrass (Spartina spp.), saltgrass (Distichlis spp.), pondweed (Potamogeton spp.), wigeon grass (Ruppia spp.), bulrush, sedge, cattail, glasswort (Salicornia spp.), spikerush (Eleocharis spp.), giant burreed (Sparganium eurycarpum), smartweed (Polygonum spp.), common harnwort (Ceratophyllum demersum), clover (Trifolium spp.), brome (Bromus spp.), foxtail (Alopecurus spp.), orchardgrass, bluegrass (Poa spp.), fescue (Festuca spp.), horsetail (Equisetum spp.), and bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) [1,14]. Canada geese also consume a lot of crops such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa), corn (Zea mays), millet, rye (Secale spp.), barley (Hordeus spp.), sorghum (Sorghum spp.), oats (Avena spp.), and wheat (Triticum spp.) [1,6].
Preferred Habitat
Canada geese occupy a variety of habitats and have diverse nesting habits. They will usually return to the same nesting spots every year. The northern populations breed by open tundra, while southern populations breed near lakes or rivers and forests or open land [17]. Tundra nesters prefer firm ground on small islands surrounded by open water with good visibility to detect predators [14]. Canada geese prefer to nest on dry ground but near water and feeding areas. In some areas reeds are preferred for nesting while bulrush is used more frequently in others [14]. Canada geese can nest on the ground; on muskrat lodges; in old nests of eagles, herons, and osprey; on cliffs or haystacks; or on nesting platforms [1,17]. They also frequent agricultural land, inland or coastal marshes, and gravel pits. Reservoirs and lakes surrounded by grasslands and agricultural land are the most important breeding grounds for western Canada geese in southern Alberta [15]. This same population uses rivers, reservoirs, and impoundments in Montana; and marshes, river islands, flooded bottomlands, and reservoirs in Idaho [15].
Cover Requirements
Because Canada geese nest in a wide variety of sites, their cover requirements are not very specialized or specific. Nesting sites that offer good visibility of the surrounding area, protection from predators, and are fairly close to the water (within 1 to 94 meters) are usually adequate enough to support a viable population of geese [4,19]. It is possible that fidelity to nesting sites is so strong that the type of cover chosen, whether shrub or grassland, is almost irrelevant in parts of Alaska [3]. Instead, nesting success may depend heavily on the absence of predators.
Fire-caused Mortality
Fires during the nesting could probably damage Canada goose nests.
Fire Effects on Habitat
No specific information on Canada goose behavior or activity following fire has been found. However, fire is used frequently to rejuvenate southern marshes for waterfowl [12]. In Louisiana late winter marsh fires provide early spring food for geese when they need it the most. Shallow marshes and low ridges can be burned in early fall to provide winter foods that continue to grow throughout the winter [12]. For more specific information about the effects of fire on plants important to Canada geese consult this database under the genera Phragmites, Scirpus, Carex, and Typha.
Fire Regimes
For fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name or acronym on the home page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
Techniques for establishing grasslands for waterfowl in the prairie pothole region have been described [7]. Fires are also recommended in these areas to rejuvenate cool- and warm-season grasses. In central North Dakota cool-season natives should be burned from late March to mid-May or from mid-August to mid-September. Warm-season natives should be burned from mid-May to mid-June [7]. Fire can also be used to maintain grass/forb communities important to geese and prevent the succession to shrub communities [18].
Federal Status
None
Other Status
Information on state- and province-level protection status of animals in the United States and Canada is available at NatureServe, although recent changes in status may not be included.
Other Management Information
Canada geese have become a nuisance in the Atlantic flyway states by overrunning golf courses, beaches, parks, playing fields, and yards [20]. A chemical repellant, methiocarb, has been applied to grass to prevent geese from grazing some of these areas [5]. The methiocarb makes the geese sick but so far has not proved fatal, although the toxic effects are still under investigation. Canada geese have been killed in great numbers (more than 200) from the application of the pesticide parathion in Texas [10]. Golden and bald eagles (Aquila chrysaetos; Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been seen feeding on parathion-killed carcasses. Parathion is widely used near Canada geese wintering grounds in Texas. Crop depredation from grazing Canada geese is a problem in the eastern states. Seeding rates of winter wheat can be increased by 34 to 68 kg/ha to compensate for reduced stem densities [9].
Table A1— Forest and range ecosystems, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) physiographic regions, Kuchler plant associations, Society for American Foresters (SAF) forest cover types, and Society for Rangeland Management (SRM) rangeland cover types in which this species occurs.
Forest and Range Ecosystems (Garrison et al. 1977)
- FRES17 Elm-ash-cottonwood
- FRES19 Aspen-birch
- FRES28 Western hardwoods
- FRES29 Sagebrush
- FRES31 Shinnery
- FRES32 Texas savanna
- FRES36 Mountain grasslands
- FRES37 Mountain meadows
- FRES38 Plains grasslands
- FRES39 Prairie
- FRES41 Wet grasslands
- FRES42 Annual grasslands
BLM Physiographic Regions (Bernard and Brown 1977)
- 1 Northern Pacific Border
- 2 Cascade Mountains
- 3 Southern Pacific Border
- 4 Sierra Mountains
- 5 Columbia Plateau
- 6 Upper Basin and Range
- 7 Lower Basin and Range
- 8 Northern Rocky Mountains
- 9 Middle Rocky Mountains
- 10 Wyoming Basin
- 11 Southern Rocky Mountains
- 12 Colorado Plateau
- 13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
- 14 Great Plains
- 15 Black Hills Uplift
- 16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
Kuchler Plant Associations (Kuchler 1964)
- K038 Great Basin sagebrush
- K047 Fescue - oatgrass
- K048 California steppe
- K049 Tule marshes
- K050 Fescue - wheatgrass
- K051 Wheatgrass - bluegrass
- K056 Wheatgrass - needlegrass shrubsteppe
- K063 Foothills prairie
- K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
- K067 Wheatgrass - bluestem - needlegrass
- K068 Wheatgrass - grama - buffalograss
- K069 Bluestem - grama prairie
- K070 Sandsage - bluestem prairie
- K071 Shinnery
- K072 Sea oats prairie
- K073 Northern cordgrass prairie
- K074 Bluestem prairie
- K075 Nebraska Sandhills prairie
- K076 Blackland prairie
- K077 Bluestem - sacahuista prairie
- K078 Southern cordgrass prairie
- K090 Live oak - sea oats
SAF Cover Types (Eyre 1980)
- 16 Aspen
- 217 Aspen
- 222 Black cottonwood - willow
SRM Rangeland Cover Types (Shiflet 1994)
- No entry
1. Bellrose, Frank C. 1980. Ducks, geese and swans of North America. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. 3rd ed. 540 p. [19802]
2. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]
3. Campbell, Bruce H. 1990. Factors affecting the nesting success of dusky Canada geese, B. c. occidentalis, on the Copper River Delta, Alaska. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 104(4): 567-574. [19904]
4. Cooper, James A. 1978. The history and breeding biology of the Canada geese of Marshy Point, Manitoba. Wildlife Monographs No. 61. Washington, DC: The Wildlife Society. 87 p. [18122]
5. Conover, Michael R. 1985. Alleviating nuisance Canada goose problems through methicarb-induced aversive conditioning. Journal of Wildlife Management. 49(3): 631-636. [19905]
6. Craven, Scott R. 1984. Fall food habits of Canada geese in Wisconsin. Journal of Wildlife Management. 48(1): 169-173. [19906]
7. Duebbert, Harold F.; Jacobson, Erling T.; Higgins, Kenneth F.; Podoll, Erling B. 1981. Establishment of seeded grasslands for wildlife habitat in the prairie pothole region. Special Scientific Report-Wildlife No. 234. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 21 p. [5740]
8. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
9. Flegler, Earl J, Jr.; Prince, Harold H.; Johnson, Wilbur C. 1987. Effects of grazing by Canada geese on winter wheat yield. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 15: 402-405. [19907]
10. Flickinger, E. L.; Juenger, G.; Roffe, T. J.; [and others]. 1991. Poisoning of Canada geese in Texas by parathion sprayed for control of Russian wheat aphid. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 27(2): 265-268. [19908]
11. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]
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13. Hanson, W. C.; Eberhardt, L. L. 1971. A Columbia River Canada goose population, 1950-1970. Wildlife Monographs No. 28. Washington, DC: The Wildlife Society. 61 p. [18164]
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19. Petersen, Margaret R. 1990. Nest-site selection by emperor geese and cackling Canada geese. Wilson Bulletin. 102)3_: 413-426. [19910]
20. Howard, R.; Moore, Alick. 1980. A complete checklist of the birds of the world. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 701 p. [24537]
21. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Endangered Species Program, [Online]. Available: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/. [86564]
22. Washington Department of Wildlife. 1994. Species of special concern in Washington - state and federal status. Olympia, WA: Washington Department of Wildlife. 41 p. [25414]