---
title: "Canada Goose"
description: "Branta canadensis — Birds. The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/canada-goose
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Canada Goose

> Branta canadensis — Birds. The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body.

- Scientific name: *Branta canadensis*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Lakes & rivers), `arctic` (Arctic)
- iNaturalist observations: 485319
- Wikidata: [Q26733](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26733)
- iNaturalist taxon: [7089](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/7089)

## Names

- en: Canada Goose
- de: Kanadagans
- es: Ganso Canadiense Mayor
- fr: Bernache du Canada
- nl: Grote Canadese gans
- pt: Ganso-do-canadá
- pl: Bernikla kanadyjska

## Countries with the most observations

US (309418), CA (92248), GB (22776), DE (11682), FR (3934), NZ (3415), NL (2312), BE (2224), FI (1530), SE (1468), LU (940), NO (589)

## Summary

The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the Arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_goose

## Photo

![Canada Goose](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/canada-goose/medium.jpg)

Photo: Leah Fulton · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/75718382

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/canada-goose?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).