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The Canada Goose is widespread in Canada. The species is divided into different management units based on breeding and wintering ranges: the Subarctic-breeding populations and the Temperate-breeding populations. The Subarctic breeding populations nest at higher latitudes across North America, from Alaska to Labrador and even into western Greenland. Most Subarctic-breeding populations have remained relatively stable since the early 2000s. The Temperate-breeding populations nest in southern Canada, from British Columbia to the Maritimes (but not in Newfoundland). These populations have grown so quickly in size that they sometimes enter into conflict with humans, cause crop damage, and even represent hazards in some areas (e.g., airports). Over the past 30 years, hunting regulations for Temperate-breeding Canada Goose populations have been gradually liberalized to mitigate these issues. Other management practices, including egg addling, prevention of nesting, and landscape management have complemented the liberalized harvest. In Canada, the harvest of Canada Geese has been steadily increasing since the 1970s. For information specific to each population, please see the accounts below. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Subarctic-breeding populations
Subarctic-breeding populations are relatively stable, with the exception of the Southern James Bay and Mississippi Valley populations (now grouped into the Southern Hudson Bay population). Numbers of Canada Geese nesting on Akimiski Island in James Bay have declined from approximately 75 000 birds in 1985 to approximately 12 000 birds in 2013. The specific causes of the decline are uncertain, but could be related to poor growth conditions for goslings resulting from habitat degradation by staging Lesser Snow Geese in brood-rearing areas. Similarly, numbers of the Mississippi Valley population have declined since the beginning of the survey in 1989 and the specific causes of the decline are uncertain. Canada Goose populations will continue to be monitored closely. Although the decline in the Mississippi Valley population is of concern, the current management plan states that management action should not be considered until it is clear that the breeding population is staying consistently below the threshold level for 3 consecutive years and that other population dynamic metrics, such as productivity, survival, and harvest rate, concur with the decline.
Temperate-breeding populations
For Temperate-breeding populations, human-goose conflicts are the biggest management concern in southern Canada. Problem populations of resident and urban Canada Geese are primarily controlled by municipalities 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. More information about the management and population control of Canada and Cackling Geese in southern Canada can be found on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s migratory bird conservation website. The harvest of Canada Geese has been on the rise, with the continental harvest surpassing 2 million annually since the 2000s.
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.
