 |
| Fact Sheet |
| Scientific Name |
Branta canadensis |
| Wing spread |
48-68 inches |
| Body length |
16-36-plus inches |
| Weight |
2.8-14 pounds |
| Description |
Both sexes have black heads, necks and bills,with white cheek patches, and grayish-brown backs and wings. The breast and belly gradating from gray to white, and legs and bills are black. |
| Nesting Habitat |
Highly variable in nest site selection, ranging from dense marshes and muskeg to bucket-type cavity nests in broken off trees. |
| Clutch size |
5 eggs |
| Incubation period |
26 days |
| Status in North Dakota |
The Canada goose is common to abundant during migration and nesting seasons in North Dakota. Will winter along river systems where open water is available. |
| Food habits |
Grazes primarily on grasses, clover and cultivated crops. Feed heavily on agricultural crops during migration and on wintering grounds. |
| Fun Facts |
Included within the species are 11 races of geese, ranging in size from diminutive cackling geese, weighing about three pounds, to the giant Canada goose which averages 12-14 pounds. The giant Canada was once thought extinct, but from a few birds discovered in the early 1960s, it has become the most numerous of the 11 races. |
