Canadian Goose - a kind of goose. It stands out among relatives with a short neck and beak, as well as an unusual color. The body length of this bird reaches sixty centimeters, and the maximum weight is eight kilograms. This variety has many subspecies, united by external resemblance. On the territory of Russia you will meet a goose infrequently. The individual is listed in the Red Book, as it is on the verge of extinction.
Breed
Canadian goose belongs to the class of birds, order Anseriformes, duck family. Indeed, this individual outwardly resembles a goose and a duck at the same time. The peculiarity of the breed lies in the external difference between females and males. Males are much larger. The sounds made by geese also resemble those of goose. The goose subspecies is most common in southeastern Canada and the United States. They live in forest areas with water bodies. In the second half of the 20th century, the breed spread beyond the continent. Now differentgoose species can be found in northeastern Europe, including Russia. The lifespan of this bird is twelve years in the wild. The activity of the goose begins to show in April and May. It inhabits mainly islands with large bodies of water. There must be dense vegetation nearby. Birds make nests in the grass. The offspring of an individual is from four to seven chicks. Despite the fact that the goose nests in a colony, individuals prefer to create nests at a great distance from each other.
Features
Canadian goose - a bird listed in the Red Book. The goose order has an ancient origin. However, the exact data on their appearance is still unknown. The goose feeds on plant food, and prefers to nest in North America. This is due to the climatic conditions that are most preferable for her. Humidity, dense vegetation, water bodies, swampy terrain are the main conditions for bird nesting. The Canadian individual has about ten subspecies, the difference between which is only in the color of plumage. The main feature of the species is that the male takes an active part in hatching eggs, helps the female, including equipping the dwelling. Unlike other species, the Canadian prefers to move by land or air. She swims worse than other relatives. The features of the individual include strong family ties, which are most clearly seen during the period of nesting and migration.
Looks like
The Canadian goose reaches a length of up to one hundred centimetersmaximum. The specimen has a short neck (compared to the common goose) and a long, high beak. The head and neck of the goose are painted black. A distinctive feature of the individual is a white stripe that smoothly passes from the neck to the cheeks. The abdomen of the bird is gray in color, it has dark transverse stripes. The paws and beak are also gray. The undertail of the goose is white. The chicks of an individual are yellowish-brown in color, it is difficult to distinguish them from the chicks of ordinary geese.
The goose can be unmistakably recognized by two main features: the structure and length of the body (proportions), the color of the feathers. The barnacle goose has black plumage on its back, white on its belly, and gray on its sides. Outwardly, it resembles a Canadian goose. In length, the individual reaches 70 centimeters. The red-breasted goose has a short thick neck and a small beak. Feather color varies from brown to red. The bird is small, the maximum length is 60 centimeters, and the weight is 2 kilograms. The Hawaiian specimen has light gray feathers with black patches; in black, a distinguishing feature is a clear white stripe on the neck and a dark plumage color. White-fronted gray bird with black spots and a white tail. In size, this goose is much smaller than an ordinary goose.
Habitats
The Canadian Goose is found in Russia, but less frequently than in Europe and Canada. Most often, it stops in the territory during migration. In Russia, the most common white-fronted goose. The main feature of this subspecies is that the individual does not like to swim, behaves cautiously, feeds on crops, shoots and rhizomes. The Canadian individual belongs to migratory birds, therefore it prefers to spend the winter where it is warmer. Usually she makes flights in the dark, flies in a wedge. The bird is quite hardy. In flight, he can spend several hours without taking breaks. A feature of the view is that the wedge flies at high speed, at a height of one kilometer.
As the name of the species implies, the main habitat of the bird is Canada. It is also found in the north of America, the Aleutian Islands, in Alaska. On the territory of Russia, most often the bird can be seen in the east of the country, sometimes in the Leningrad region. Due to the destruction of Canadian geese by hunters at the beginning of the last century, the individual practically disappeared. In many regions of Canada, hunting this bird is prohibited. Thanks to the active work of conservation organizations, the Canada Goose population has been restored. Now the bird can be found not only at home, but also in North-Western Europe, including England and New Zealand.
What eats
The Lesser Canada Goose and other subspecies feed mainly on vegetation. The basis of their nutrition is plantain, bukharnik, fescue, sedge, as well as other nutritious grass. Some species, not only the Canadian one, feed on crops. Her diet sometimes includes corn and grains. Despite such an addiction, the goose does not harm the human crop.
Care
Despite the fact that the species is disappearing, the Canada goose (bird photo - above) attracts many hunters. On the territory of Russia, hunting for this bird is also prohibited. During the season, hunters kill about four hundred thousand geese. This individual is wild, but there are methods of breeding the species at home. To do this, it is necessary to create all conditions of detention and ensure proper care. It includes nutrition and reproduction. Since the goose is a family individual, it is most comfortable for her to live in a group. So she will be less sick and will quickly adapt to new conditions. Breeding geese in captivity is very difficult, so you should study the features of this species. An individual with proper care can grow up to one hundred centimeters in length with a weight of seven kilograms.
