This guide will help you identify the various types of geese seen in New Brunswick, as well as when and where you are most likely to view them, along with some interesting facts.
New Brunswick has been home to nine of the thirteen geese varieties identified in North America. However, the majority of them are uncommon or accidental species, with just three of them being regular visitors.
A gaggle is a collection of geese. Yet, haven’t heard of such names as shien, wedge, and a round fat goose?
Or that their territorial behavior and loud honking have been used for centuries to protect pets, people, and even countries!
In the United States, it is illegal to harm geese, their eggs, or their nests unless permission from the US Department of Agriculture is obtained. USFWS – Fish and Wild Service
9 Types Of Geese In New Brunswick:
1. Canada Goose
From March through November, Canada geese may be seen in New Brunswick, although some stay throughout the winter. They are seen in 19% of the province’s summer and 2% of its winter bird watcher checklists, according to birdwatchers.
The Canada Goose, often known as the Canadian goose, is a huge, long-necked goose with a black head and a conspicuous white chin band that is easily distinguished.
Canada Geese have the same black head and white chin strap as Cackling Geese, but their long, graceful neck and huge size distinguishes them from Cackling Geese.
Their chests are tan or pale, and their rumps are white. The bodies of the subspecies might be gray or brown in color. They have black legs and webbed feet.
- Branta canadensis
- Length: 25 – 45 in (64 – 114 cm)
- Weight: 230.09 oz (6521 g)
- Wingspan: 70 – 75 in (178 – 190 cm)
Canada Geese are a breed that breeds in Canada and migrates for the winter to southern US states, but they remain here all year anYou can find Canada Geese practically anywhere.
They’re often seen near lakes and rivers, particularly around areas where there’s a lot of food around. They also reside happily in metropolitan environments such as city parks, reservoirs, golf courses, public parks, and beaches. They don’t migrate because they are utilized to humans. They may also be found in Western Europe.
They’ve grown in numbers in several areas, and people consider them pests.
When they’re on land, Canada Geese prefer grasses, while in the water, they prefer small aquatic insects and fish. While on agricultural fields, they also consume wheat, rice, and corn. They’re used to getting food from people and digging through trash cans.
Canada Geese nests are frequently found near water, in elevated areas. In a nest fashioned of plant material and down, the female may lay up to nine eggs. The male stays nearby, protecting the eggs, while she incubates them for about a month.
Their parents take them to a food source where they can learn to feed themselves when they hatch. When parents sense danger or threats to their family, they become extremely territorial and violent.
Fun Fact: Adults lose their flying feathers during the breeding season since it coincides with their molting period. Just in time for them to fly with their young, they have to wait twenty to forty days before regaining their feathers.
2. Brant
During the winter, Brant Geese roost on the shore of New Broughton, mostly from December to May. In winter checklists, they only make up 1% of the list.
A black head, neck, and breast, a white collar or marking on the neck, and a white rump distinguish the Brant Goose from other geese. Yet, there are several sub-species with varied coloration, the most common of which is lighter or darker.
- Branta bernicla
- Length: 22 – 26 in (56 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 63.84 oz (1809 g)
- Wingspan: 43 – 48 in (109 – 122 cm)
Before moving to coastal regions of the United States and Mexico, Brant Geese breed in Canada and Alaska. In addition, they reside in Europe.
During the breeding season, Brant Geese may be found throughout the tundra, marshlands, islands, and coastal regions. Salt marshes, lagoons, mudflats, and tidal estuaries are where they spend the winter.
Brant geese eat mostly plant matter on land and in water. Eelgrass is their preferred food, although they’ll eat anything. Among the foods they consume are sedges, pondweed, and aquatic insects.
The female lays seven eggs, which take three to four weeks to hatch. The moms bring the larvae to the eating section when the eggs hatch, so they may feed themselves.
Fun Fact: Brant geese may survive up to 28 years in the wild.
3. Snow Goose
Snow Geese are rather scarce in New Brunswick, where they may be seen from April through July and October through December.
Except for its black wingtips, pink bill with a black grin patch, and pink legs and feet, the Snow Goose is appropriately named because it is entirely white.
The Blue Goose, which has a white head and a dark blue-gray body, is another variation of this species. Due to their feeding habits, both forms of the Snow Geese may have a “stained” head on occasion.
Both types have similar sexes, although the sizes might differ. The males outnumber the females in most cases.
The juvenile white morphs have a dark gray-brown coloration, while the blue morphs have a dusky gray. The distinct pink beak and black grin patch are still present on both of them.
- Anser caerulescens
- Length: 25 – 31 in (64 – 79 cm)
- Weight: 81.13 oz (2299 g)
- Wingspan: 54.3 in (138 cm)
Snow Geese are migratory birds that breed in Canada and spend the winter in the US.
In freshwater marshes and agricultural grain fields, you may find Snow Geese and Blue Geese together. They prefer salt marshes and coastal coves during the winter, but they’ll visit plowed fields or swamps if necessary.
Snow Geese are omnivores that consume a lot of vegetation. They eat a lot of water-logged earth or shallow water. Grasses, sedges, willows, rushes, and horsetails are among the foods they prefer. Seeds, grains, and plants ripped up by their roots will also be devoured.
On tundra, Snow Goose nests are frequently found in huge colonies. Since females return to the location where they hatched to breed, they build a nest, which is normally a shallow depression on the ground that can be reused many times.
She lines the nest with grasses and down after she lays the first three to five eggs. Goslings can feed themselves after twenty-four days of incubation.
Fun Fact: When Snow Geese breed for life, they pick the same color morph as themselves.
4. Greater White-fronted Goose
In New Brunswick, Greater White-fronted Geese are a uncommon or accidental species, but during migration they may be seen.
In Europe and North America, the Greater White-fronted Goose is referred to as the White-fronted Goose.
Greater White-fronted Geese are both big geese, and they seem similar in both sexes.
Because of their gray all-over barred feathers, they are frequently mistaken with the Graylag Goose. The white front, or the white feathers that surround the base of their orange beak, distinguishes them. Their underparts are also covered in black flecks.
- Anser albifrons
- Length: 26 – 34 in (66 -86 cm)
- Weight: 126.98 oz (3599 g)
- Wingspan: 53 – 60 in (135 – 152 cm)
Greater White-fronted Geese breed in Canada during the winter and migrate to the United States and Mexico. They can be found throughout Europe and east Asia, though.
Greater White-fronted Geese breed in western Canada and spend the winter along the United States’ West Coast, The Gulf Coast, and Mexico.
During the breeding season, Greater White-fronted Geese may be found in marshy tundra, wetlands, rivers, and ponds. Agricultural lands, marshes, bays, and lakes are where they spend the winter.
Both land and water are used by Greater White-fronted Geese. They eat agricultural fields’ seeds and grains. Grasses and berries are also eaten by them. They feed on aquatic insects and mollusks while they are near water.
In shallow depressions in the tundra, Greater White-fronted Geese nests may be found. They generally hold three to six eggs and are covered with grass and down. It takes two to three weeks for the female to incubate them.
Fun Fact: Long-term family connections exist between Greater White-fronted Geese. The young remain with their parents until the following breeding season, when they migrate together, even with their offspring.
5. Pink-footed Goose
In New Brunswick, pink-footed geese are an unusual and accidental species. Around Woodstock in 2020, they were last sighted.
The Pink-footed Goose, sometimes known as the Pinkfoot for short, has pink feet and legs, but it is not a Taiga or Tundra Bean Goose. While they may seem similar,
Brown heads, black bills with a pink ring in the middle, blue-gray backs and wings, light-brown throats, breasts, bellies with a barring pattern, white rumps, and pink legs and feet.
Juveniles are dark brown with a more defined scaled pattern on their sides, flanks, and backs. Males and femen look similar, although they differ in color.
- Anser brachyrhynchus
- Length: 26 in (66 cm)
- Weight: 97.6 0z (2766 g)
- Wingspan: 53 – 67 in (135 – 170 cm)
Pink-footed Geese may be seen in the eastern sections of Canada and the United States throughout the winter. Greenland and Europe, on the other hand, are home to most of them.
Open tundra, huge estuaries, agricultural farmlands, and rocky outcrops and crags are all good places to see Pink-footed Geese.
During the summer, pink-footed geese eat a broad range of tundra plants, both on land and in water, whereas in the winter, they primarily eat grains, sugar beets, and potatoes from industrial fields.
Pink-footed Goose nests are frequently found on cliffs near glaciers and in lakes’ islets. To keep them safe from predatory attacks, they require a safe place to nest. Simple, shallow scrapes in the ground lined with moss and down are used as nests.
The female lays three to five eggs, which she incubates for approximately four weeks. The tiny goslings accompany their parents to the closest lake for food after the eggs have hatched.
Fun Fact: Pink-footed Geese, while they may eat the leaves and roots of sugar beets and potatoes after harvest, are beneficial to farmers since they eat the leaves and roots of crops. Crop diseases are less likely to be transmitted this way.
6. Cackling Goose
In New Brunswick, cackling geese are regarded as a uncommon or accidental species, although they were last seen in Memramcook in 2021.
Cackling Geese are Canada Geese lookalikes that can be found in North America. They were once classified as Canada Goose species, but in 2004 they were elevated to their current status.
With a white “chinstrap” patch, Cackling Geese have black heads and necks. Their bills are triangular, small, and black. They have white patterns all over and are light brown or tan in color.
Cackling Geese, on the other hand, have stubbier bills, steeper foreheads, and shorter necks than Canada Geese.
The white chinstrap subspecies is the only one with a black head and neck, although all other subspecies have slight variations in size or color.
- Branta hutchinsii
- Length: 22 – 30 in (56 – 76 cm)
- Weight: 105.9 oz (3001 g)
- Wingspan: 43 – 47 in (109 – 119 cm)
Cackling Geese migrate to the United States for the winter and breed in Canada and Alaska.
Cackling Geese may be seen in wetlands and meadows all year. In winter, they prefer to mix with other geese in lakes, marshes, and fields, but during the summer, they prefer to stay solitary.
Cackling Geese eat sedges and berries while grazing on grasses in open areas. In agricultural fields, they will also eat wheat, barley, beans, rice, and corn. They eat aquatic plants in the water.
Cackling Goose nests can be found in isolated or grouped colonies. They’re normally found near the water, in a shallow depression but in a somewhat elevated position. Females build the nests out of plant materials and down. She will deposit up to eight eggs, which she will incubate for approximately a month.
Fun Fact: Cackling Geese are easily identified from Canada Geese by their distinctive cackling voice or high-pitched call.
7. Ross’s Goose
In New Brunswick, Ross’ geese are an unintended species. They were last seen around Kings in 2021 and are extremely rare in the province.
Ross’ geese, which he often flock with, are very similar to Snow Geese. Their small, gray-based red-orange beaks, tiny and stubby pink-red legs and feet, and black wingtips are the only parts of them that aren’t white. The female is somewhat smaller than the male, but they are otherwise similar.
Ross’ Goose has a dark phase, although it’s unusual to see. It has a white head, a brownish beak with a crimson patch, dim gray throats, underparts, and back.
- Anser rossii
- Length: 21 – 26 in (53 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 59.2 oz (1678 g)
- Wingspan: 47 – 54 in (119 – 137 cm)
The Ross’s Geese breed lives in Canada during the winter and then move to the United States.
During the winter, you may see Ross’ Geese in both salt and freshwater marshes. They will breed on the arctic tundra throughout the breeding season.
Ross’s geese feed on grasses, sedges, and small grains foraged from wetlands, meadows, and fields. They are grazers that graze on these foods often.
Ross’s Geese colonies may be found on lake islands and arctic tundra, where they nest. Females create nests from grasses, moss, leaves, and twigs lined with down on the ground. Each breeding female incubates four to five eggs for roughly three weeks.
Fun Fact: The tiniest geese in North America are Ross’ geese.
8. Barnacle Goose
In New Brunswick, barnacle geese are considered an accidental species, and they were last spotted around Sunbury in 2019, according to records.
Medium-sized yet fragile-looking geese, Barnacle Geese are a common sight. Their bills are small and black, their head, neck, and upper chest are black, their bellies are white, and their wings and back are silver-gray with black and white stripes.
V-shaped rumps and silver-gray linings may be seen while in the air.
- Branta leucopsis
- Length: 23 – 28 in (58 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 62.4 oz (1768 g)
- Wingspan: 52 – 56 in (132 – 142 cm)
The North Atlantic is home to Barnacle Geese, who breed and spend the winter in this region, as well as eastern Canada and northeastern United States.
Salt marshes, grassy fields, pastureland, and agricultural fields are all good places to look for Barnacle Geese. They usually frequent islets, islands, and cliff ledges close to shore throughout the breeding season.
On tundra, near water, and in fields, Barnacle Geese eat mostly grass. When near water, they eat aquatic vegetation and insects, as well as crops and grains in fields.
To protect the eggs from predators, Barnacle Geese nests are frequently built on cliff ledges. The nest is lined with soft down feathers and created by the female using mud and dead foliage.
For twenty-five days, the female incubates her five eggs. The juveniles are taken to marshes with plenty of vegetation once the eggs hatch, so that they may feed themselves. After approximately 45 days of fledge, they fledge.
Fun Fact: The name Barnacle Goose comes from a medieval tale that claims they were born from Barnacles.
9. Graylag Goose
In New Brunswick, Graylag Geese are an uncommon species that has only been detected once, at Saint’s Rest Marsh in 2007.
Most domestic goose breeds are thought to be descended from the Graylag Goose (Greylag Goose). They have a pinkish-orange beak with a white tip at the end, and dull pink legs, which are generally dark gray all over.
While both sexes have the same appearance, females are somewhat smaller than males.
- Anser anser
- Length: 34 in (86.36 cm)
- Weight: 76 oz (2154 g)
- Wingspan: 66 in (167.6 cm)
Domesticated geese are often seen in North America, and Graylag Geese may be too big to fly. Since they are originally from Europe, wild ones are uncommon to come across.
During their breeding season, you may find Graylag Geese in marshes, lakes, and reservoirs. They prefer habitats with abundant ground cover, such as reeds, rushes, and plants. Saltwater marshes, estuaries, bogs, and even agricultural land are all home to them in the winter.
Both land and water are eaten by Graylag Geese. They eat grass on land and are fed by sheep or cows in pastures. Cereals, such as oats, wheat, and barley, which they find in agricultural fields and farmlands are also eaten by them.
Graylag Geese eat aquatic plants and animals, such as small fish, amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects. They feed near or on the water.
Graylag Goose nests are frequently discovered amid high reeds or shrubs on the ground. Only after the final egg is deposited does the female begin to lay four to six eggs. For around a week, she will sit on the eggs, while the male protects the area.
Fun Fact: Graylag Goose feathers were utilized to fletch arrows and were utilized as quill pens.