The Canada Geese 



main migration of the species may be through the Mississippi Valley. 

 The original description of the tule goose, as given by Hartlaub, was 

 made from a specimen taken in "Southern North America." 



The sportsman or naturalist fortunate enough to secure a tule goose 

 may credit himself with one of the giants among the geese and one of the 

 rarer water birds of the state, one long overlooked by scientists. 



Harold C. Bryant 



No. 375 



Canada Goose 



A. 0. U. No. 172. Branta canadensis canadensis (Linnaeus). 



Synonyms. — "Wild Goose." Common Wild Goose. Honker. 



Description. — Adult: Head and neck glossy black; a large white triangular 

 patch on either cheek, the two usually confluent on throat — occasionally an indistinct 

 white collar at base of black; back and wings rich grayish brown; fore-breast and 

 below lighter grayish brown, tipped with pale fulvous or grayish white; heavier toned 

 on sides, where presenting a shingled appearance and shading into color of back; 

 lower belly, under tail-coverts, longer upper tail-coverts and flanks well up on rump, 

 pure white; rump and tail black; primaries blackening at tips; bill black; feet dusky. 

 Tail 18-20-feathered. Immature: Similar, but white of cheeks and throat more or 

 less mixed with blackish. Length 889-1066.8 (35.00-42.00); wing 508 (20.00); tail 

 177.8 (7.00); bill 58.4 (2.30); tarsus 90.2 (3.55). 



Recognition Marks. — Eagle size; black head and neck with white cheek- 

 patches connected across throat, and large size, distinctive. 



Nesting. — Nest: Of twigs, reeds, weed-stems, grasses, and the like, lined with 

 down, often massive, sometimes very scant; on the ground, on a cliff, or in a tree (a 

 deserted Osprey's nest and the like). Eggs: 4 to 7; pure white, becoming dingy, 

 "dull yellowish white," or even dull greenish gray as incubation advances. Av. size 

 86 x 58 (3.386 x 2.28); index 67.4. Season: April 15-May 15. 



Range of Branta canadensis. — North America, breeding from the central Western 

 States and northern California north to extreme Alaska and the Arctic coasts and 

 islands; wintering south to the Southern States. 



Range of B. c. canadensis. — Interior North America. Breeds west to the Cas- 

 cade-Sierra Mountains and to the limit of trees in the lower Yukon Valley, Alaska, 

 north to northwestern Mackenzie (interiorly), and central Keewatin, east (formerly) 

 to Massachusetts, south to Tennessee (formerly), New Mexico, and northeastern 

 California. Winters from southern British Columbia, southern Colorado, southern 

 Wisconsin, and New Jersey, south to Florida, Texas, and southern California. 



Distribution in California. — Fairly common winter resident (fugitive) at the 

 lower levels, especially interiorly, south to San Diego. Sparingly resident in summer 

 in the northeastern plateau region, breeding from Lower Klamath Lake and Goose 

 Lake and, formerly at least, the Surprise Valley, south to Lake Tahoe. 



1858 



