The giant Canada goose (''Branta canadensis maxima'') is the largest
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of
Canada goose
The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild 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 o ...
, on average weighing in at 5 kg (11 pounds). It is found in central
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. These geese were at one point considered
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
, but were later rediscovered.
Description
The giant Canada goose is often mistaken for the
Moffitt's Canada goose
The Moffitt's Canada goose (''Branta canadensis moffitti''), also known as the Western Canada goose or Great Basin Canada Goose is a subspecies of the Canada goose. Native to the western interior of North America surrounding the Rocky Mountains ...
. However, giant geese have both a lower call and a larger bill to body size ratio. Another good identifier includes the black on the neck, which starts much farther up the neck than any other subspecies. The giant goose's white cheek patch is very large, reaching the lower bill. Unlike other variants, the underbelly is very pale. A less reliable identifier is the white forehead and eyebrows, which don't always occur and Moffitt's geese less commonly have.
Taxonomy
The giant Canada goose is occasionally classified with the Moffitt's Canada goose, forming a singular subspecies. It is also, alongside the
dusky Canada goose, the closest relative to the
Hawaiian goose
The nene (''Branta sandvicensis''), also known as the nēnē or the Hawaiian goose, is a species of bird Endemism in birds, endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The nene is exclusively found in the wild on the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Kauai, Mo ...
.
Recovery
In the 1950s, the giant Canada goose was declared extinct. However, a small population in
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic.
Acco ...
was rediscovered by biologists in 1962. In recent years, the subspecies' numbers have been increasing and can commonly be found in parks and other urban areas. It is also thought that introduced populations of Canada geese in Europe are derived from ''B. c. maxima'' in addition to the nominate subspecies ''canadensis''.
References
External links
Giant Canada goose (Branta canadensis maxima)Distinguishing Cackling and Canada Goose
{{Taxonbar, from=Q27600985
Branta
Geese
Native birds of the Plains-Midwest (United States)