The Canada Goose

By Al Lowe
Contributor

The goose which is 'the' wild goose to almost everyone in North America is the Canada Goose. This large, familiar bird with the white cheeks heralds the changing of seasons to Canadians perhaps more distinctly than does any other bird.
Not all Canada Geese are alike, however. There is a very great variety in this species, so much so that at one time they were classified as several different species. The principal variation in the subspecies of Canada Geese are in size, colour and breeding location.
There is a large, light-coloured race which breeds in northern Quebec and the Labrador. Another large, but dark-coloured race breeds all around Hudson Bay. This is the 'interior' subspecies, and is the one most likely to be migrating through this part of Northern Ontario. The largest race of all, and the biggest, was once thought to have completely disappeared. This was the Greater Canada Goose. Its breeding range was in the very center of the continent, southern Manitoba and the Dakotas and so on. These Greater Canada's may run up to 18 pounds in weight, and have a wing span of six to seven feet. For you hunters, unless your bird weighs 15 pounds or more, it is not likely to be a Greater Canada.
Contrast these with the little races. One small, short-beaked form, which used to be called Hutchin's Goose, breeds north of the Arctic Circle. It may well migrate through north Ontario at times. The smallest of all is the Cackling Goose. This bird is a west coast native, and is the smallest of all American geese, weighing in at only three pounds or so. All in all, there are ten distinct subspecies of Canada Geese.
Almost all Canada Geese migrate, but some do not go much further south than the edges of southern Canada. It seems that those which breed farthest north make the longest trip - up to 4000 miles each way. Those which breed in the southern part of the range only drift casually south a few hundred miles.
Canada Geese are quite easy to domesticate, and to raise in captivity. They are now classified as domestic fowl for show purposes. These tame birds often give rise to semi-wild flocks which have a tendency not to migrate at all. There is one such in Toronto, which has made a very big mess of Toronto Island and its beaches. If you want a couple hundred Greater Canada Geese, Toronto will gladly give them to you.
The Canada Goose, Cranta canadensis, is our national bird. It is holding its own very well as far as numbers are concerned. And that is a happy set of circumstances, for you hunters as well as the rest of us.