Bob Suchanek
Water and Wetlands Steward
A Giant Canada Goose (Branta canadensis maxima)
Photo Credit - Bob Suchanek
Skywoman and the Geese of the World
The geese nodded at one another and rose together from the water in a wave of goose music. She felt the beat of their wings as they flew beneath to break her fall. Far from the only home she’d ever known, she caught her breath at the warm embrace of soft feathers as they gently carried her downward. And so it began.
From Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Geese are honored by First People in their creation story for bringing the mother of life gently to earth when she falls from her island in the sky. Found from the arctic to the tropics, there are 20 species and many subspecies of geese in the world. Geese are powerful fliers and some species migrate thousands of miles every year.
Similar to ducks in their aquatic habitat preferences, geese are unique in their adaptation to life on land. Their forward positioned legs make them well balanced terrestrial foragers and their serrated bills are effective tools for cutting grass and other vegetation.
The Biggest Geese of All
While most species of goose weigh 7 pounds or less, giant Canada geese can weigh over twice as much. Unregulated hunting and habitat destruction caused extreme population declines throughout the first half of the 20th century and by the 1950s several taxonomists had declared them extinct.
Then in 1962 a small wild population was rediscovered in Rochester, Minnesota. One of the Mayo Clinic physicians, Dr. Charles Mayo, had acquired a flock of 15 geese for his estate back in the 1920s and the flock had grown to over a hundred birds permanently settled at a power plant-warmed lake near the center of town.
With increased legal protections, their population rebounded and at present day nearly 4 million giant Canada geese are found in North America, with flocks located in every US state. These big geese often won't migrate in the winter, preferring to stay put unless extreme cold and deep snow force them south temporarily.
Family Values
Giant Canada geese form pair bonds that last for life. The female of the pair (the goose) begins looking for a good nesting site in early spring. She prefers sites near water with a good view of the surroundings, often on mounds built by muskrats. Her nest is usually a shallow bowl made of plant material lined with down and feathers. The male of the pair (the gander) generally stands guard.
The goose lays up to 8 creamy white eggs which she incubates til they hatch about 4 weeks later. The hatchlings leave the nest after hatching (under parental supervision) in just one or two days but return home with mom daily for the first 7 weeks or so. A lot is expected of newly hatched goslings. They are born walkers, swimmers, divers, and foragers. Just one set (brood) of baby geese is raised each year.
Gander, Goose, Goslings
Photo Credit – Bob Suchanek
Local Giants
The geese around my lake are always fascinating. Families of geese offer human watchers free instruction in B. canadensis family dynamics. The precocious youngsters follow mom and dad closely into and around the lake with disciplined orderliness. The aggressive gander makes sure that observers maintain a respectful distance; there is no mistaking the intended message of his head down hiss. These birds are descendants of theropod dinosaurs and a paleontologist once told me that T. rex likely hissed as well (never mind the Jurassic Park roaring). So show a little respect!
I'm a fan of Branta canadensis maxima, but they’re not popular with everyone. Usually the problem is too much poop. The Humane Society of the United States recognizes that geese can be a problem and offers online information and guidance. It must be understood that wild geese are federally protected and managing populations must be done legally. If you’re interested in learning more, you can visit the Humane Society’s website at:
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-canada-geese
Some other resources:
The Giant Canada Goose by Harold C. Hanson, Southern Illinois University Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1965)
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/canada_goose/overview
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/birds/canadagoose.html
https://www.wildfowlmag.com/editorial/geese-of-the-world/454942
https://www.ducks.org/conservation/national/geese-in-the-21st-century