The Canada goose can be seen all over the world, in North America, Europe, Australia, or Asia, and more. Whether it is a public park or a golf course or in the sky, they are somehow always around to be seen.

Animal Diversity states that “both intentional introduction and vagrancy are responsible for their introduction to much of Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia, such as Japan, Korea, and Russia,” which is why they are still called Canada geese, but are seen globally. The same site goes into depth on the Canada goose, saying, “Among the seven subspecies, the largest is Branta canadensis maxima, [which] generally weighs about 6.4 kg,” which is about 14 pounds. What is commonly considered as the Canada goose species is in general the Branta canadensis maxima subspecies. There can be hundreds of different subspecies within one general species.

Junior Marcus Hibpshipman states that he believes Canada geese nest “somewhere in Canada, but maybe farther south, near the equator.” While this is true, they can be seen all over the world, generally towards the poles in the summer and closer towards the equator, where it is warmer, in the winter. Hibpshipman has also had a few close encounters with Canada geese. In his words, “[They were] relatively close and hissed at me at times, but not very scary.”

Animal diversity also states that “in captivity, the longest lived goose was 80 years old. In the wild, the oldest goose was reportedly 30 years and four months old. To have such a long life in the wild is extraordinary; the life expectancy for most wild geese is 12 years.” This is overall amazing, considering 80 years old is similar to the average life expectancy of humans, who have a variety of medicine and life-preserving tools.

The Audubon Society says the Canada geese’s habitats are “lakes, ponds, bays, marshes, fields. Very diverse, using different habitats in different regions; always nests near water, winters where feeding areas are within commuting distance of water.” Where some birds, like hawks and eagles, would make their nests in the trees for protection against ground predators, Canada geese make their home in open areas on the ground.

IHS Social Studies teacher, Gregory Harrington, says, “Some are local, some are migratory, so …swamps, lakes, in northern Canada, Alaska. And the resident ones usually breed in wetlands.” A definition given by the site dictionary.com identifies wetlands to have often “wet and spongy soil, often as a swamp, marsh, or bog.” While wetlands can be forested areas, Canada geese generally migrate to open-area wetlands for sight of the nearby land.

Freshman Hollis Mitchell mentioned that “I got attacked by a goose once because I tried to take its child. It looked really cute! So I tried to grab it.” Luckily she learned from her misfortune and has not had any close interaction since she was seven. Mitchell also said that Canada geese eat “berries, grasses, marsh plants, seeds, some insects and occasionally fish.” Canada geese will eat whatever they happen to get at the time, as they are not terribly picky eaters. However, Mitchell is correct that they do prefer berries, grasses, marsh plants, seeds, insects and fish for protein outside of their vegetation diet.

Canada geese generally fly in a V-formation for protection, sight and efficiency. The site byjus says that “according to researchers, the birds mostly fly around a metre behind and a metre off to the side up front. Now when the bird in front flaps its wings a vortex of air directly behind is pushed downwards which is called downwash. … The pressure difference increases as we go at the end of the V-Formation, so the birds at the back spend very less energy than the birds upfront.” This can also be seen in fighter aircraft, where an airplane will often fly behind and to the side of the leading plane in front of it. Over time, this creates a massive fuel efficiency that makes up for fuel that could have been lost while not doing this tactic, similar to how birds save energy by cycling who is in the front leading the flock in the V-formation.

With Canada geese being typically 10-20 pounds, they have to have the muscle to support them in takeoff and flight. Junior Trillium Magus states that “they are such heavy birds that they are so muscular, that one beat of their wing can snap your arm in half. That is why you do not mess with the geese.” So next time you or one of your friends wants to run into a flock of geese and scatter them, think again before doing so, as it may give you an unfortunate injury. Magus also says that “[Canada Geese populate] way too much–In the millions, probably around 10-20 percent per year. Birds should not populate that much.” An annual 10-20 percent increase in population is indeed scary. However, there has been only a 7 percent increase of population per year since 1966 to 2016 according to all about birds. However, over 60 years that adds up, and it does not seem to be going down anytime soon.

In conclusion, Canada geese are amazingly resilient in their ability to seem omnipresent while still having specific areas to nest in.