Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Canada Goose is the largest goose seen in Quebec. It spends the warm season in the Montreal area, and breeds along the rivers and lake shores. Quite territorial and defensive during breeding season, the geese join themselves in large flocks for migration in autumn.
- 🇫🇷 Bernache du Canada
- 🇩🇪 Kanadagans
- 🇲🇽 Barnacla canadiense, Ganso del Canadá
Characteristics
- Length: 90-120cm
- Weight: 2.7-6.4kg
- Wingspan: 150-180cm
How to Identify
Clearly distinguishable from other geese species with its brown body, black neck and head with white cheeks. The only similar species is the Brant (Branta bernicla), which is smaller and doesn't have the white cheeks but a white ring around the neck.
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Where and When to Spot
In Montreal area from spring to autumn. Canada geese arrive as soon as the lakes and river shores are not frozen anymore. They group up in large flocks during autumn before migrating South late October, early November.
Observations by Park and Season
| Location | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boisé Des Douze | x | - | - | - |
| Jardin Botanique de Montréal | x | x | x | - |
| Parc Angrignon | x | x | x | - |
| Parc Bernard-Landry | x | - | x | - |
| Parc Michel-Chartrand | x | - | - | x |
| Parc de la Cité | - | x | - | - |
| Parc de la Frayère | x | x | - | x |
| Parc des Rapides, Lachine | x | x | x | x |
| Parc des Étangs Antoine-Charlebois | - | x | - | - |
| Parc Île-de-la-Visitation | x | - | - | - |
| Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Park | - | x | - | - |
"-" indicates no observation. It may not necessarily mean though that the species is absent from the park during that season.