Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAnseriformes
- FamilyAnatidae (Anàtids)
- GenusBranta (Black Geese)
- SpeciesBranta canadensis (Canada Goose)
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 →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Canada Goose sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 721 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsii
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeata
Cinnamon Teal
Spatula cyanoptera
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelope
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Canada Goose in Joshua Tree National Park?
About 16% of wildlife watchers report a Canada Goose sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 721 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Canada Goose in Joshua Tree National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Canada Goose in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.