Canada Goose Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  Canada Geese are big waterbirds with a long neck, large body, large webbed feet, and wide, flat bill.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Mallard, smaller than a Mute Swan

  goose-sized or larger

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 29.9-43.3 in (76-110 cm)
    • Weight: 105.8-317.5 oz (3000-9000 g)
    • Wingspan: 50.0-66.9 in (127-170 cm)

  © Max McCarthy / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Canada Geese have a black head with white cheeks and chinstrap, black neck, tan breast, and brown back.

• Behavior

  Canada Geese feed by dabbling in the water or grazing in fields and large lawns. They are often seen in flight moving in pairs or flocks; flocks often assume a V formation.
• Habitat

  Just about anywhere near lakes, rivers, ponds, or other small or large bodies of water, and in yards, park lawns, and farm fields.

Regional Differences

Canada Geese tend to be smaller as you move northward; plumage tends to be darker as you move westward.

Regional Photos

© Liam Singh / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, November 05, 2016

© Max McCarthy / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 24, 2017