#branta canadensis

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HONK!

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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

© James Ancona

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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

© Gihyun Yoo

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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

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Geese Family

A family of Canada geese paddling along the River Nene, at Titchmarsh nature reserve.

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I think I offended one of the parents

Canada Goose

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Canada Goose

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Don’t worry, you and me won’t be alone no more

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Today’s pixel art bird is the Canada goose! I took this photo years ago at a reservoir in California. It was a wonderful day for birdwatching, as there were Canada geese, American coots, American white pelicans, and double crested cormorants about.

A fact that I find fascinating about Canada geese is that their subspecies vary notably in size across the USA and Canada. They varied so much, in fact, that the source in that hyperlink is now out of date. The smallest 4 subspecies of the 11 were regrouped into the cackling goose! Smaller in stature, cackling geese have a much shorter neck and boxy head. They also co-mingle at times with Canada geese, so they can be tricky to spot.

P.S. You can find this pixel art bird design as a sticker here. :)

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honk

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Pondering amatonormativity

I'm trying to get over my cowardice when it comes to drawing feathers

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1966 - Canada Goose with example of 'small race'

This is the first one that really caught my eye because the 'small race' is one of my chase species that i would LOVE to see irl.

The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a common sight over nearly all of North America - love 'em or hate 'em they're everywhere. Prior to 2004, there was just the one species - B. canadensis - and there were "at least ten recognized subspecies, which differ greatly in size and slightly in color".

But in 2004 - and then in 2005 for the British Ornithologists' Union - the American Ornithologists' Union split it into two species - with B. canadensis remaining the Canada goose (or Greater Canada goose) we all know and love (or hate), and the 'small race' became its own species - the cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii) - with its own series of subspecies!

The way amateur birders are taught to recognize it is its small stature compared to the classic Canada goose, white ring around the neck, and distinct bill shape in comparison - much smaller with a greater slope into the forehead.

This guide does even note that "the characteristic honking is well known; the smaller races have a distinct cackling call", which B. hutchinsii and all its subspecies were named for.

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Robbins, C.S., Brunn, B., Zim, H.S., & Singer, A. (1966). Birds of North America. Golden Press.

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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

"Nobody will submit the Canada goose" "Gonna take a gamble that no one else submits popular birds but I'm probably wrong, whoops"

The Hawaiian Goose, (Nēnē), seems to have originated from a population of Canada Goose.

While protecting their goslings, parents often violently chase away nearby creatures, from small blackbirds to lone humans who approach: first giving a warning hiss, and then attacking with bites and slaps of the wings. Canada geese are especially protective animals, and will sometimes attack any animal nearing their territory or offspring, including humans. Although parents are hostile to unfamiliar geese, they may form groups of a number of goslings and a few adults, called crèches. Goslings become capable of flight between six to nine weeks of age, but will stay with their parents until after the spring migration, when they return to their birthplace. During the second year of their lives, Canada geese find a mate. They are monogamous, and most couples stay together all of their lives. If one dies, the other may find a new mate.

Geese are commonly hunted as a part of their population control. Drake Larsen, a researcher in sustainable agriculture at Iowa State University, described them to The Atlantic magazine as "so yummy ...good, lean, rich meat. I find they are similar to a good cut of beef."

Sources:

Image Source: eBird (Esme Rosen)

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Don't let me tell you again by Paul Wright

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and Greylag Goose (Anser anser)

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