Canada Goose
Canada GooseCanada GooseCanada GooseCanada Goose

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Acadia National Park
2,573 Verified records at Acadia National Park
March Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a large species of 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 occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe. It has been introduced to France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water, the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons. Adept at living in human-altered areas, Canada geese have established breeding colonies in urban and cultivated habitats, which provide food and have few natural predators. The success of this common park species has led to it often being considered a pest species. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Canada Goose sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 2,573 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Acadia National Park

Brant
LC

Brant

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta bernicla

<5% · Rare
Cackling Goose
LC

Cackling Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta hutchinsii

Insufficient data
Common Eider
NT

Common Eider

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Somateria mollissima

30–40% · Possible
Mallard
LC

Mallard

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas platyrhynchos

30–40% · Possible
American Black Duck
LC

American Black Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anas rubripes

20–30% · Possible
Red-breasted Merganser
LC

Red-breasted Merganser

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mergus serrator

10–20% · With luck
Black Scoter
NT

Black Scoter

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanitta americana

10–20% · With luck
Long-tailed Duck
VU

Long-tailed Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Clangula hyemalis

10–20% · With luck
Bufflehead
LC

Bufflehead

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bucephala albeola

10–20% · With luck
Surf Scoter
LC

Surf Scoter

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanitta perspicillata

10–20% · With luck
American White-winged Scoter
LC

American White-winged Scoter

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanitta deglandi

5–10% · With luck
Wood Duck
LC

Wood Duck

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aix sponsa

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
30–40
Mar
30–40
Apr
30–40
May
20–30
Jun
10–20
Jul
10–20
Aug
10–20
Sep
10–20
Oct
20–30
Nov
20–30
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
2 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
3 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
4 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
5 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
6 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
7 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
40–50%
8 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
40–50%
9 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
10 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
11 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
30–40%
12 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
13 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
14 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
15 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
16 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
17 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
18 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
19 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
20 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
21 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
22 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
23 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
24 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
10–20%
25 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
26 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
27 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
28 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
29 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
30 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
31 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
32 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
5–10%
33 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
34 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
5–10%
35 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
5–10%
36 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
37 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
38 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
39 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
40 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
41 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
42 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
43 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
44 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
45 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
<5%
46 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
47 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
Insufficient data
48 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
49 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
50 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
51 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
52 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
Insufficient data
53 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
54 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
55 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Canada Goose in Acadia National Park?

About 22% of wildlife watchers report a Canada Goose sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 2,573 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Canada Goose in Acadia National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Canada Goose in Acadia National Park in our monthly data.

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