Canada goose

Canada goose

Canada goose (Branta canadensis).

(credit: Leonard Lee Rue III)

Brown-backed, light-breasted goose (Branta canadensis) with a black head and neck and white cheeks. Subspecies vary in size, from the 4.4-lb (2-kg) cackling goose to the 14.3-lb (6.5-kg) giant Canada goose, which has a wingspread of up to 6.6 ft (2 m). Canada geese breed across Canada and Alaska and winter mainly in the southern U.S. and Mexico; they have been introduced into England and other countries. They are an important game bird. Their almost incessant honking draws attention to their V-formations during migration. In recent years their population in North America has increased, making them pests in some inhabited areas.

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Canada goose

a large common greyish-brown North American goose, Branta canadensis, with a black neck and head and a white throat patch