An Appreciation Post for the Canada Goose
No matter how you feel about these birds, they are iconic.
It’s Canada Day weekend here in Canada, so I thought I would write about one of my favourite distinctly Canadian animals: not the bear or the beaver or the moose, but the Canada Goose.
But why? They may be well-known, but they aren’t exactly the most-loved Canadian bird. They take over parks and swarm beaches. They poop everywhere. They attack people, earning them the internet name “cobra chickens.”
The Canada Goose is one of the most-feared birds in North America, but also one of the most well-known, and I think it should be respected and honoured for that. Here are some fun facts and a couple of my photos of Canada Geese over the years!
1. The Canada Goose lives in every province and territory in Canada.
Canada doesn’t have a national bird still. Is it too late to petition we get one with “Canada” in its name? A bonus is that probably the majority of people in the country have seen a Canada Goose — you don’t have to venture deep into the woods to find one, and they are very easy to identify!
2. Canada Geese are found outside of North America.
The geese are taking over the world! They have been introduced in many countries as decorative and game birds and quickly spread. So if you’re ever in the UK or New Zealand, keep your eyes opened for these (rather invasive) feathered friends.
3. Canada Geese were once almost extinct!
At the turn of the 20th century, “unregulated hunting drove Canada geese to the brink of extinction” (https://globalnews.ca/news/7124540/canada-geese-extinction/).
Canada Geese have more than bounced back from that crisis thanks to conservation efforts in North America!
4. A Canada Goose is the unofficial mascot of the University of Waterloo.
The Canada Geese nest all over the Ontario campus, patrol the sidewalks, peer down from the rooftops, and practically rule the university. Now Mr. Goose has his own merchandise line (https://wstore.uwaterloo.ca/catalogsearch/result/?q=goose).
I hoped you enjoyed this fun look at the Canada Goose. To end, here’s one of my favourite comics from Rosemary Mosco summarizing why the Canada Goose is a good role model for all of us.
Happy Canada Day weekend!
