Canada Goose Branta canadensis Linnaeus       Field Guide IDs: NG-72; G-42; PE-44; PW-pl 5; AE-pl 170; AW-pl 162; AM (I)-150 Nest Location Nest Type Eggs & Mating System Dev. & Parental Care Primary & 2ndary Diet.. Foraging Strategy F I: 25-30 DAYS PRECOCIAL 2 F 4-7 (4-10) MONOG F: 40-73 DAYS MF INVERTS DABBLES GROUND GLEAN BREEDING: Freshwater and brackish marshes, meadows, small islands. 1 brood. DISPLAYS: Courting male holds head 1"off ground, bill open, tongue raised, hissing loudly, quills shaking, approaches female, and passes neck around hers. NEST: Usu near water, of dry grass, forbs, moss, sticks, aquatic veg, etc., feathers; down added as incubation begins. Occ of conifer needles, bark chips, lined with down. Occ use abandoned nest, esp if ground snow-covered; occ human-made structure. EGGS: White, nest-stained. 2.9-3.6" (74-90 mm). DIET: Shoots, roots, and seeds of grass and sedges, bulbs, grain, berries; also insects, crustaceans, mollusks. Mostly grain and foliage in winter. CONSERVATION: Winters s to n Mexico. Aleutian Canada Goose was removed from the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in 2001. Most grain consumption is postharvest. Flocks often found in urban parks with lakes or rivers; semi-domesticated. NOTES: Long-term pair bond. Strong fidelity to nesting territory. Breeding usu in third year, occ in second year. Male usu leads young on water; if disturbed, young dive. Male performs distraction display. Sentinels constantly guard foraging flocks. STANFORD. NOTES: In recent years, a regular visitor to Lagunita in winter and spring. Bay-area populations, both breeding and wintering, have increased dramatically in recent decades; this species is likely to increase in abundance on campus. ESSAYS: How Long Can Birds Live?; Visual Displays; Flying in Vee Formation; Metallic Poisons; Birds and the Law; Site Tenacity. REFERENCES: Bellrose, 1976; Craven, 1984; Godfrey, 1986; Prevett et al., 1985.