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Canada Goose

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                   iCanada Goose

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
             Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Anseriformes
   Family:  Anatidae
   Genus:   Branta
   Species: B. canadensis

                                Binomial name

   Branta canadensis
   (Linnaeus, 1758)

                                 Subspecies

     * B. c. occidentalis ( Dusky Canada Goose)
     * B. c. fulva ( Vancouver Canada Goose)
     * B. c. parvipes ( Lesser Canada Goose)
     * B. c. moffitti ( Moffitt's Canada Goose)
     * B. c. maxima ( Giant Canada Goose)
     * B. c. interior ( Interior Canada Goose)
     * B. c. canadensis ( Atlantic Canada Goose)

   The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) belongs to the Branta genus of
   geese, which contains species with largely black plumage,
   distinguishing them from the grey species of the Anser genus.

   The species name, canadensis, is a New Latin word meaning "of Canada".

Appearance

   Yellow plumage of gosling
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   Yellow plumage of gosling

   The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish this goose
   from all except the Barnacle Goose, but the latter has a black breast,
   and grey, rather than brownish, body plumage. There are seven
   subspecies of this bird, of varying sizes and plumage details, but all
   are recognizable as Canada Geese. Some are hard to distinguish from the
   Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii), with which the Canada Goose was
   long assumed to form one species; the name Lesser Canada Goose is,
   confusingly, often applied to B. hutchinsii.

   This species is 90-100 cm long with a 160-175 cm wing span. Males weigh
   3.5–6.5 kg, (8–14 pounds), and can be very aggressive in defending
   territory. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter
   at 3–5.5 kg (7–12 pounds), and has a different honk.

Behaviour and habitat

   Specialized for plant feeding
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   Specialized for plant feeding
   Example of a creche
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   Example of a creche
   Example of a parade
   Enlarge
   Example of a parade

   These birds feed mainly on plant material. When feeding in water, they
   submerge their heads and necks to reach aquatic plants, sometimes
   tipping forward like a dabbling duck. Flocks of these birds often feed
   on leftover cultivated grains in fields, especially during migration or
   in winter.

   During the second year of their lives, Canada Geese find themselves a
   mate. Most couples stay together all of their lives. If one is killed,
   the other may find a new mate. The female lays 4-8 eggs and both
   parents protect the nest while the eggs incubate, but the female spends
   more time at the nest than the male. During that time, they lose their
   flight feathers, so that they cannot fly until after their eggs hatch.
   This period lasts for 25-28 days.

   Adult geese are often seen leading their goslings in a line with one
   parent at the front, and the other at the back of the "parade". While
   protecting their young, parents often violently chase away nearby
   creatures, from small blackbirds to other geese, to humans that
   approach. However, geese may form groups of a number of goslings and a
   few adults, called crèches. The young do not leave their parents until
   after the spring migration, when they return to their birthplace.

   This well-known species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada
   and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. However, the
   nest is usually located in an elevated area near water, sometimes on a
   beaver lodge. The eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with
   plant material and down. The Great Lakes region maintains a very large
   population of Canada Geese.

   Like most geese, it is naturally migratory, the wintering range being
   most of the US. The calls overhead from large groups of Canada Geese
   flying in V-shaped formation signal the transitions into spring and
   autumn. In some areas, migration routes have changed due to changes in
   habitat and food sources. In mild climates, such as the Pacific
   Northwest, due to a lack of former predators, some of the population
   has become non-migratory.

   If a goose feels threatened by another creature it will usually warn
   the creature by giving off a hissing sound.

Other locations

   Branta canadensis Canada Goose distribution: yellow:summer;
   blue:winter; green:year-round
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   Branta canadensis Canada Goose distribution: yellow:summer;
   blue:winter; green:year-round

   Canada Geese have reached western Europe naturally, as has been proved
   by ringing recoveries. The birds are of at least the subspecies
   parvipes, and possibly others. Canada Geese are also found naturally on
   the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, eastern China, and
   throughout Japan.
   Branta canadensis, by John James Audubon
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   Branta canadensis, by John James Audubon

   Greater Canada Geese have also been widely introduced in Europe, and
   have established feral populations in Great Britain, the Netherlands,
   and Scandinavia. Semi-tame feral birds are common in parks, and have
   become a pest in some areas. It is now proven that most Scandinavian
   and some British birds have established a migration pattern. The geese
   were first introduced in the Britain in the late 17th century as an
   addition to King James II's waterfowl collection in St. James's Park.
   Finally, Canada Geese were introduced as a game bird into New Zealand,
   but they have also become a problem in some areas there.

   By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late
   1800s and early 1900s had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers
   of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was
   believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was
   discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota by Harold Hanson of the
   Illinois Natural History Survey. With improved game laws and habitat
   recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered
   in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of
   the subspecies occidentalis, may still be declining. They have adapted
   well to urban environments, especially those with well-trimmed lawns
   and large ponds, such as golf courses and city parks.

Taxonomy

   Canada Goose in mid-flight
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   Canada Goose in mid-flight

   The Cackling Goose was originally considered to be the same species or
   a subspecies of the Canada Goose, but in July 2004 the American
   Ornithologists' Union's Committee on Classification and Nomenclature
   split the two into two species, making Cackling Goose into a full
   species with the scientific name Branta hutchinsii. The British
   Ornithologists Union followed suit in June 2005.

   The AOU has divided the many associated subspecies of both animals:
     * Canada Goose (also known as Greater Canada Goose)
          + Atlantic Canada Goose (Branta canadensis canadensis)
          + Interior Canada Goose (Branta canadensis interior)
          + Giant Canada Goose (Branta canadensis maxima)
          + Moffit's Canada Goose (Branta canadensis moffitti)
          + Vancouver Canada Goose (Branta canadensis fulva)
          + Dusky Canada Goose (Branta canadensis occidentalis)
          + part of "Lesser complex" (Branta canadensis parvipes)

     * Cackling Goose (also known as Lesser Canada Goose or Small Canada
       Goose)
          + Richardson's Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii)
          + Bering Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii asiatica) -
            doubtfully distinct from B. h. leucpareia; extinct (c. 1929}}
          + Aleutian Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii leucopareia)
          + Small Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii minima)
          + part of "Lesser complex" (Branta hutchinsii taverneri)

   The distinctions between the two geese have led to a great deal of
   confusion and debate among ornithologists. This has been aggravated by
   the overlap between the small types of Canada Goose and larger types of
   Cackling Goose. The old "Lesser Canada Goose" was believed to be a
   partly hybrid population, with the birds named taverneri considered a
   mixture of minima, occidentalis and parvipes. In addition, it has been
   determined that the Barnacle Goose is a derivative of the Cackling
   Goose lineage, whereas the Hawaiian Goose is an insular representative
   of the Canada Goose.

Gallery

   Spring Goslings, Thames Ditton, UK

   Adult and gosling

   Flock on the water.

   Breeding pair and goslings, Canada.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Goose"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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