Index of Species Information
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Branta canadensis
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| U.S. Fish and Wildlife photo. |
Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Branta canadensis
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Snyder, S. A. 1993. Branta canadensis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/animals/bird/brca/all.html [].
ABBREVIATION :
BRCA
COMMON NAMES :
Canada goose
cackling goose
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].
ORDER :
Anseriformes
CLASS :
Bird
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
None [21]
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.
WILDLIFE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Branta canadensis
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
ECOSYSTEMS :
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
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 |
| AB |
BC |
MB |
NB |
NF |
NT |
NS |
ON |
PE |
PQ |
| SK |
YT |
|
MEXICO |
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
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 :
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 :
16 Aspen
217 Aspen
222 Black cottonwood - willow
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
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 DATA AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Branta canadensis
TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS :
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]
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 irrelevent in
parts of Alaska [3]. Instead, nesting success may depend heavily on the
absence of predators.
FOOD HABITS :
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].
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].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
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].
FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Branta canadensis
DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS :
Fires during the nesting could probably damage Canada goose nests.
HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS :
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 USE :
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].
FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
REFERENCES
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Branta canadensis
REFERENCES :
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 praire 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]
12. Givens, Lawrence S. 1962. Use of fire on southeastern wildlife refuges.
In: Proceedings, 1st annual Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1962
March 1-2; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research
Station: 121-126. [19344]
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]
14. Johnsgard, Paul A. 1975. Waterfowl of North America. Bloomington, IN:
Indiana University Press. 575 p. [19985]
15. Krohn, W. B.; Bizeau, E. G. 1980. The Rocky Mountain population of the
western Canada goose: its distribution, habitats and management. Special
Scientific Report 229. Washington, DC: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
93 p. [19909]
16. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
17. Madge, Steve; Burn, Hilary. 1988. Waterfowl: An indentification guide to
the ducks, geese and swans of the world. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin
Company. 298 p. [20029]
18. Miller, Howard A. 1963. Use of fire in wildlife management. In:
Proceedings, 2d annual Tall Timbers fire ecology conference; 1963 March
14-15; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station:
19-30. [17921]
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]
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