The Canada goose, a large and recognizable migratory waterfowl common across North America, undertakes a highly structured reproductive cycle each year. Understanding their reproductive capacity involves exploring the stages of their nesting behavior, from the selection of a territory to the number of young they successfully raise.
Establishing the Nesting Season
The breeding cycle for Canada geese begins early in the year, with pairs separating from the larger flock to locate a suitable nesting territory. Depending on the climate, this preparation phase can start as early as late February or March, pushing into mid-April in more northern latitudes. Geese are generally monogamous, pairing for life, and they often return to the same general nesting site annually.
Site selection focuses on areas that offer concealment and proximity to water, which provides a quick escape route for the family once the young hatch. Ideal locations include islands, elevated spots near shorelines, muskrat houses, or human-made structures like planter boxes and rooftops in urban settings. Once the site is chosen, the pair vigorously defends the territory, with the male, or gander, standing guard while the female prepares the nest for egg laying.
Typical Clutch Size and Egg Laying
The number of eggs a goose lays, known as the clutch size, is the initial measure of reproductive potential. A typical clutch for the Canada goose contains an average of five eggs, though the total count can vary widely, ranging from two to twelve or more. This range is influenced by the female’s age, body condition, and the availability of resources in the environment.
The female lays a single egg approximately every one to one-and-a-half days until the clutch is complete. She then begins continuous incubation, which lasts for about 28 days, ensuring that all the young hatch almost simultaneously. During this incubation period, the female rarely leaves the nest, relying on her mate to protect her and the developing eggs from potential predators. The nest itself is a bowl-shaped depression lined with plant material and soft down feathers plucked from the female’s breast.
Raising Goslings and Fledging Success
The young geese that emerge from the eggs are called goslings, and they are precocial, meaning they are immediately capable of walking, swimming, and feeding themselves within 24 hours of hatching. The entire family group leaves the nest shortly after the goslings dry off, and they do not return to the nesting site. Both parents, with the gander often taking a more visible defensive role, remain dedicated to protecting their brood for the next several weeks.
The number of goslings that survive to reach fledging—the point at which they can fly—is significantly lower than the initial number of eggs laid. Fledging typically occurs when the young are between 8 and 10 weeks old, or about 70 days after hatching. Gosling survival rates are highly variable and can be low, ranging from a low single-digit percentage up to over 50% to the pre-fledging stage, depending on the location and environmental conditions.
Predation from animals like raccoons, foxes, and crows is a significant factor in gosling mortality, as are harsh weather events and lack of high-quality forage. In areas with high nesting densities, multiple family groups may join together to form a large collective known as a “gang brood,” which can contain dozens of young under the supervision of a few adults. This collective behavior offers increased protection from predators until the goslings develop their flight feathers and become independent.