The legs are close together with very black feet. This goose has very large wings that can also be used as weapons. The weight of Branta canadensis also varies depending on the subspecies. There are larger subspecies that weigh about 9 pounds and smaller subspecies that only weigh 3 pounds. When on land, Branta canadensis eat a variety of grasses including Bermuda grass, salt grass and wild barley.
Geese are able to grab a hold of each blade and pull it out with their bills by jerking their heads.
They also eat wheat, beans, rice, and corn. In the water, the birds stick their head and upper part of their body into the water leaving their tail and back end extending in the air. They stretch their neck out, under the water, and slide their bills across the bottom silt. They also eat a number of aquatic plants such as eel grass, sea lettuce and sago. Females start laying eggs during the first weeks of March and continue as late as June in parts of the Arctic.