NORTH
CAROLINA
RESOURCES
COMMISSION
Canada Goose
North Carolina Wildlife Profit
Mark Buckler
Canada Goose
(Branta canadensis)
With its characteristic “honk”, widespread breeding distribution and ability to
adapt to suburban environments, the Canada goose is likely the most recognized
waterfowl species in North Carolina. Although similar in appearance, Canada geese
can be divided into 11 subspecies partially based on body size, subtle differences in
coloration and breeding distribution. Although most sub-species or populations are
migratory in nature, populations of non -migrator)' Canada geese have been increas¬
ing in North Carolina and elsewhere over the last 20 years.
Description
Considering all subspecies, there is sizable variation in body size. Adult Canada
geese found in North Carolina typically average about 10 pounds and between 2 Vi
and 3 feet in length. Males, also called ganders, are larger than females. Although the
various subspecies differ in some ways, all have similar characteristics: a black bill,
black legs and black feet; black head and neck, with a white cheek patch that usually
covers the throat; back, wings, sides and breast are various shades of gray and brown;
white belly, flank and undertail coverts. Black tail and rump are separated by a white
V-bar formed by the white upper tail coverts. Canada geese are easily distinguished
by their “honking” call and appropriately nicknamed “honkers” by many people.
History and Status
North Carolina contains both migratory and resident (non-migrator)') populations
of Canada geese. In northeast North Carolina, during the 1940s and 1950s, numbers of
migrant geese exceeded 200,000 in some years. Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Ref¬
uge provided the core area at this time along with areas near Currituck and Pamlico
Sound. In central North Carolina, the privately owned Gaddy’s Goose Pond in Anson
County once attracted 10,000 to 15,000 migrant geese. In general, numbers of migra¬
tor)’ geese in North Carolina have declined dramatically over the last 60 years with
perhaps no more than 10,000 to 12,000 geese currently in the primary wintering area
in northeast North Carolina. Reasons for the long-term decline are complex and likely
not the result of any one factor. Likely causes include changing farming practices in
northern states that encourage geese to stop before they reach North Carolina, milder
winters, and possible past overharvest of those geese with a strong desire to migrate
to North Carolina.
Although, numbers of migrant geese have declined over time, resident flocks of
Canada geese in North Carolina have increased just as dramatically. In the 1980’s,
several state wildlife agencies including the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
(NCWRC) released Canada geese to help bolster declining numbers of migrant geese.
Many of the geese released were of the subspecies Branta Canadensis maxima with w'eak
migrating tendencies. The NCWRC released geese in coastal North Carolina and our
The Canada goose is likely the
most recognized waterfowl
species in North Carolina
Mark Buckler
Range and Distribution
Canada geese are the most widely distribut¬
ed waterfowl species in North America. The
breeding range includes most of the United
States (including Alaska) and throughout
Canada. Migrant Canada geese that winter
in North Carolina nest primarily along the
Ungava Peninsula in northern Quebec,
Canada and along a portion of James Bay in
southern Ontario, Canada. Resident Canada
geese nest throughout North Carolina with
highest concentrations in the central portion
of the state.
Range Map
■ Canada Goose Range