Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Silhouette: Xavier Giroux-Bougard · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAnseriformes (Waterfowl)
- FamilyAnatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)
- GenusBranta (Black Geese)
- SpeciesBranta canadensis (Canada Goose)
About the Canada Goose
The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) 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.
Adept at living in human-altered areas, Canada geese have established breeding colonies in urban and cultivated habitats, which provide food and have few natural predators. The success of this common park species has led to it often being considered a pest species. This is because of its excrement, its depredation of crops, its noise, its aggressive territorial behavior toward both humans and other animals, and its habit of stalking and begging for food. The last is a result of humans not following artificial feeding policies toward wild animals.
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Recent sightings of Canada Goose in Shenandoah National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Canada Goose in Shenandoah National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Canada Goose sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 7,348 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Canada Goose in Shenandoah National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Canada Goose in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.