In 2004, the American Ornithologists’ Union identified two species of geese from the one species previously referred to as the "Canada Goose": the Canada Goose and the Cackling Goose. In Canada, all Cackling Geese are now considered part of a single population, the Mid-continent population. Cackling Geese nest the Arctic ecozone north of the tree line, migrate through the Prairie provinces, and winter mainly in areas of the Central and Mississippi Flyways. Numbers of Mid-continent Cackling Geese have increased greatly since the 1970s, and Lincoln estimates of population size averaged about 3.2 million adults from 2012-2016. In general, current population levels are considered to be acceptable. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
There is no conservation concern for Cackling Geese, as the population shows an increasing trend. Estimated harvests of Cackling Geese in the Canadian Prairies have been relatively stable since the species was identified as a separate species.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
