Canada Goose - Temperate Breeding Populations
(Branta canadensis)

Summary

Picture of bird
© JanetandPhil

Since the 1970s, anthropogenic changes to the landscape (e.g., shifts in agricultural practices, increase in waterfront lawns, golf courses, and stormwater ponds) combined with favourable environmental conditions, have resulted in the creation of ideal breeding habitat for the Canada Goose in southern Canada. This has led to the rapid population growth of Canada Geese nesting in temperate regions. Temperate-breeding Canada Geese populations are now well-established from British Colombia through the Maritimes, but are not yet in Newfoundland and Labrador. Although Temperate-breeding geese are sometimes referred to as "residents" because they do not migrate to far northern regions for the breeding season (see Subarctic-breeding populations), some do migrate long distances; north to moult or south to winter during severe winters. The status of Temperate-breeding Canada Goose populations in all regions in Canada are at or well above management population objectives. In some areas, these populations have grown rapidly to the point where they are causing conflicts with humans. Regulatory amendments liberalizing the harvest of Temperate-breeding populations were adopted in recent years to reduce their population sizes and potential conflicts with humans. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

See also:

Canada Goose
Canada Goose - Subarctic Breeding Populations
 

Designations

Main designations for the species
DesignationStatusDateSubspecies, population
IUCN (Global)Least concern2018 
Wild Species (Canada)Secure2018 
Bird Conservation Region StrategyPriority Species2013 

Population status

Geographic area or populationPopulation change relative to ~1970ReliabilityStatus in relation to goal
CanadaLarge IncreaseMediumNot Applicable
Southern QuebecLarge IncreaseHighAbove Acceptable Level
Southern OntarioLarge IncreaseHighAbove Acceptable Level
Southern Prairie ProvincesLarge IncreaseHighAbove Acceptable Level
Southern British ColumbiaModerate IncreaseHighAbove Acceptable Level
Maritime ProvincesModerate IncreaseMediumAt an Acceptable Level
 

Population estimate

Geographic area or populationPopulation estimate
Canada1,000,000 - 5,000,000 birds
 

Distribution maps

 

Conservation and management

Temperate-breeding populations of Canada Geese have grown rapidly, to the point where they are causing conflicts with humans (e.g., fouling parks, golf courses, and private lands), crop damage and danger (e.g., collisions at airports, territorial aggression towards passers-by, and concerns about disease transmission). Human-goose conflicts are the most significant management concern for the Canada Goose, and these usually occur in urban areas. Problematic populations of resident and urban Canada Goose are primarily controlled by municipal initiatives and through federal hunting regulations. Key management practices include egg addling, prevention of nesting, landscape management, and relocation of moulting flocks to areas where they can be subjected to hunting mortality. Regulatory amendments liberalizing the harvest of Temperate-breeding Canada Geese were adopted in recent years to reduce their population sizes and potential conflicts with humans. For more information on the management and population control of Canada Geese in southern Canada, please see Environment and Climate Change Canada's migratory bird conservation website.

 

Bird conservation region strategies

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:

  • conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
  • stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
  • management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
  • other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

BCRs, marine biogeographic units, and sub-regions in which the species is listed as a priority
RegionSub-region and priority type
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: New Brunswick -- Management
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Nova Scotia -- Management
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Prince Edward Island -- Conservation
Atlantic Northern ForestsAtlantic Northern Forests, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Conservation
Boreal Hardwood TransitionBoreal Hardwood Transition, sub-region and priority type: Ontario -- Management
Great BasinGreat Basin, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon -- Management
Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence PlainLower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain, sub-region and priority type: Ontario -- Management
Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence PlainLower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain, sub-region and priority type: Quebec -- Management
Northern Pacific RainforestNorthern Pacific Rainforest, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon -- Management
Northern RockiesNorthern Rockies, sub-region and priority type: Pacific and Yukon -- Management
Prairie PotholesPrairie Potholes, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Conservation
Prairie PotholesPrairie Potholes, sub-region and priority type: Prairie and Northern -- Management
 

References