Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

The Canada goose is another wetland and open water species that feeds mostly on plant matter and occasionally on aquatic invertebrates. It is a larger bird, although there is quite a bit of variation in size between subspecies, with a wingspan usually of 50-68 inches and a length of 16-25 inches. Both male and female Canada geese have long black necks, heads, and beaks, with white throat patches. Their chests and undersides of their tails tend to be white, with brown backs and wings.

There is no question that the Canada Goose population has increased dramatically in the Calumet region. Formerly exclusively a spring & fall migrant, the bird now occurs commonly year-round, including many breeding birds during spring & summer. Sample counts from the Calumet City Sand-Ridge Christmas Bird Count (CCSRCBC), which is taken annually during the month of December, illustrate the increase in numbers of wintering Canada Geese. During most of the 1970's, no Canada Geese were recorded on the CCSRCBC. In contrast, sample counts from the 1990's show numbers in the high hundreds, topping off at 1,386 in 1996. Counts taken during the month of June for the Chicago Audubon Society's Cook County Nesting Season Bird Census (CCNSBC) similarly illustrate the increase in summering birds. Sample June counts from proposed park corridor A during the 1980's are as follows: 4 in 1986; 0 in 1987 (J.Landing). Contrast these numbers with June counts from the 1990's in the same area: 50 in 1992; 108 in 1994; 182 in 1995; 51 in 1996 (W.Marcisz).

A formerly rare race of Canada Goose called the Giant Canada Goose was introduced into many Illinois areas several decades ago by U.S. Fish & Wildlife. The introduction was successful, and the birds began to breed and increase in number to the present nesting population.

The following was taken from a Audubon magazine article (Krajick,K., Rise of the Snow Geese, Audubon, 99(3):72):

"Many goose species, once decimated by hunters and wetland destruction, have rebounded in recent decades with reintroductions, creation of refuges, and stricter hunting rules, plus the accidental benefits of civilization - mainly farming. Till now, those with the highest profile have been the giant Canada Geese. They may need a name change, since more and more are living year-round in the United States at golf courses, parks, and corporate-headquarter lawns. Having multiplied to 750,000 in eastern states, "resident" Canada Geese are fouling beaches and reservoirs with their droppings and occasionally colliding with airplanes."

Although Canada Geese are very popular with many nature lovers, problems can occur when you have too much of a good thing - any good thing, including geese. The excessive abundance of geese has been directly determined by our activities over the last half-century or so. This situation is similiar to many others throughout the nation. When the population of a particular species rapidly expands it not only affects its own habitat but it affects where humans are as well. This has forced naturalists to confront the difficult issue of dealing with a species responding naturally in an environment that has been drastically altered by humankind.