IDENTIFICATION

The Canada goose is one of 

the most widely distributed 

waterbirds in North America. 

Geese can range in size from 

22 to 48 inches from beak to 

feet and can weigh from three 

to 24 pounds. Large geese 

can have a wing span of six 

feet. The most identifying 

mark on Canada geese is the 

white cheek patch. Male 

(gander) and female (goose) 

look similar, however, the 

male is slightly larger.

Canada geese are known for 

their V-shaped flying patterns 

and honking sound. The

migratory (moving from one 

place to another) flight of 

these birds signals the 

beginning of fall. 

Canada geese develop 

strong bonds with mates 

and are very protective of 

their family group. Families 

migrate together. They stay 

together in the winter and 

return to the same nesting 

area each year. Yearlings 

(one year old) join other yearlings and move to new areas. 

Young geese will not find 

mates and nest until they are 

three years old. 

HABITAT & HABITS

Canada geese build nests of 

twigs, grasses, bark, leaves 

and mosses on the ground 

near water. Five to six cream 

colored eggs are laid in 

March or later in cooler 

regions. Young geese, 

called goslings, weigh three 

to four ounces when 

they hatch. Within 24 hours 

they are swimming. Geese 

are precocial which means 

they are born with their eyes 

open, down covered and able 

to move about freely. 

Altricial birds like robins are 

born helpless and need 

parental support. 

Canada geese communicate 

by using body language 

and a variety of calls and 

honking sounds. 

Canada geese are herbivores. They feed most often 

during early morning and 

late afternoon. They are 

grazers which means they 

eat grasses. They eat a

variety of terrestrial plants. 

They also eat aquatic (water) 

plants — that is what they 

are doing when you see 

them with their heads down 

in the water. 

Airplane pilots have reported seeing Canada geese flying at 9,000 feet.

Branta canadensis

The range of Canada 

Geese is along both 

coasts and throughout 

central and lower 

United States.
Living in harmony . . .

Most of the time, Canada geese and humans 

live in harmony.

• Canada geese are popular waterfowl to 

hunt and provide a flavorful source 

of protein

• People enjoy watching geese in parks and 

refuges

• The song or honk of the Canada goose is 

heard during the annual fall and spring 

migrations of these birds.

Living in conflict . . .

• Canada geese eat crops like wheat, corn, 

rice, turf grasses (grasses grown for lawns 

and golf courses) and alfalfa

• Canada geese can collide with aircraft 

causing fatal results

• Droppings from Canada geese can pollute 

municipal water supplies and cause health 

problems for humans and other animals on 

golf courses, in parks and residential areas

• Droppings from Canada geese can carry 

E-coli into swimming areas

• Canada geese can damage landscaping 

Humans provide many excellent year-round habitats for Canada geese. This has resulted in

 populations of non-migrating Canada geese and these geese tend to cause the most

problems because they have lost their wildness. 

Some methods to prevent

damage done by Canada 

geese include:

• Stop feeding the geese!

• Prevent reproduction — this 

can be done by egg addling

or shaking the eggs.

 

• Put up physical barriers like 

fencing. Geese will walk into 

an area and fencing will keep 

them out. Grid wires strung 

across ponds will keep geese 

from landing.

• Alter habitat - keep the 

environment unattractive to 

geese. Allow grass to grow. 

Geese like short grass 

where they can “look out” 

for predators. 

• Harassment by:

 — using dogs to chase 

 geese;

 — using specialized 

 fireworks (pyrotechnics) 

 shot out of a pistol to 

 scare geese;

 — hanging mylar tape which 

 is shiny on one side and 

 colored on the other side, 

 may temporarily keep 

 geese away.

• Hunting — is the most 

efficient way to remove geese 

and make them wary.

• Repellents — The chemical 

methyl anthranilate, which 

historically has been used as 

the flavoring in grape soda, is 

now also used as a repellent 

for Canada geese on lawns 

and in small pools of water. 

Geese do not like the 

irritation it causes in the oral 

and nasal cavities so they 

stay away from the treated 

areas
Our language . . .

has many words using the term goose. To 

goose someone means to poke them. Goose 

egg means a zero score. Make up a sentence 

showing the meaning of the following goose 

words or phrases.

goose neck: 

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a wild goose chase:

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cooking someone’s goose:

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Between 1991 and 1997, 16,949 civilian aircraft-wildlife 

strikes were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration. This is less than 20% of the number of strikes that 

actually occurred. The Air Force reports it has 3,000 bird 

strikes each year. About 90% of the strikes on aircraft occur on or near airfields when aircraft are below 2,000 feet. 

Strikes at this altitude are dangerous because aircraft are 

close to the ground and flight crews are occupied with complex take-off or landing procedures.

The most significant military aircraft disaster caused by 

birds occurred at Elmendorf Air Force Base on September 

22, 1995. An E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control 

System aircraft struck several Canada geese on take-off 

and crashed, killing 24 people. Gulls (32%), waterfowl 

(31%) and raptors (17%) have been increasing in numbers 

and are involved in 80% of the reported bird strikes where 

damage to airplanes occurred. 

ACROSS: 3. altricial, 5. yearlings, 6. gander, 7 turf grasses, 8. migrate, 10. grazers, 11. precocial, 12 down

 DOWN: 1. parental, 2. goslings 4. terrestrial, 9. aquatic

When European settlers came to the New World, 

they brought with them knowledge of both tame 

and wild geese from their native lands. It was 

natural for them to add North American geese to 

their food supply. 

In addition to providing food, goose feathers were 

used to make beds and goose grease was a 

valuable substance. It was used for both cooking 

and for medical uses. For example, it was 

blended with turpentine and rubbed on the 

chest to ease coughs and colds. It was 

also thought that it helped relieve 

earaches and soothe rheumatism. 

Folklore tells us that when the 

meat on the goose’s breastbone was thick, it meant a 

cold winter was on the 

way. The saying “All is well and the goose 

hangs high,” meant when the 

geese were flying high in the sky 

the weather would be good. The 

Native Americans thought that a 

harsh winter would be coming if 

the geese flew south in early 

 August.

Habitat destruction reduced 

Canada goose populations to a 

low of a 1.1 million birds in the late 

1940s. Today there are more than 

three times that number 

(3.7 million). Over $250 million is 

raised each year from the sale of 

“Duck Stamps” (required for all 

waterfowl hunters) which are used by the 

government to buy wetland habitat for 

ducks, geese and hundreds of non-game 

wildlife species. 
This activity sheet has been developed by USDA Wildlife Services. For more information about Canada geese 

contact your state’s Wildlife Services office or USDA Wildlife Services at 301 734-7921. 

Wildlife Activity Book and

1998 Wildlife Issue of the

Colorado Reader

Colorado Foundation for 

Agriculture 

P.O. Box 10

Livermore, CO 80536

Prevention and Control of 

Wildlife Damage CD ROM

or Handbook

202 Natural Resource Hall

University of Nebraska

P.O. Box 83819

Lincoln, NE 68583

Jack H. Berryman Institute

for Wildlife Damage 

Management

Utah State University

Logan, Utah 83431-5210

ACROSS

 3. Birds that are born 

helpless and need 

parental care are 

called this

 5. Birds that are a year 

old

 6. Male goose

 7. Grasses grown for 

lawns and golf courses 

(two words)

 8. To move from one 

place to another

10. Animals that eat 

grasses

11. Birds that are 

born with eyes 

open and able 

to move freely

12. Small feathers on 

geese

DOWN

 1. Care by parents

 2. Young geese are 

called this

 4. Having to do with 

the ground

 9. Having to do with 

water

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