Canadian Goose

Canadian Geese are an amazing animal.  Many migrate for thousands of miles, yet sometimes you  will see a local flock that chooses to stick around year round.  I grew up on a farm next to a reservoir and during those years a flock of Canadian geese decided to stick around.  I remember watching them paddling in the middle of the reservoir to keep the ice from forming around them.  I remember wondering how the geese could stand being in that terribly cold water.  Later on I learned that geese have very thick, hollow feathers called down.  This down keeps them warm in cold water and when they are flying at high altitude...where it is also very cold. 

Canadian geese live primarily in North America, however they have reached Northern Europe on their own AND they have been introduced to the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe by man.  They have also been introduced to New Zealand and parts of South America. 

There are seven species of Canadian Geese.  The size varies depending upon spececies but Canadian Geese range between 30-43 inches or 75-110 cm in length.  Their wingspan is 50-73 inches or 127-185 cm.  5.7-14.3 lbs is the range of weight for Canadian Geese.  That is a mass of 2.6-6.5 kg.