Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Canada Goose

Canada Goose has surged: up 111× on the route-weighted index since 1968.

111×Since 1968

2,737Routes

58Years Surveyed

About the Canada Goose

The familiar black-necked goose of lakes, parks and golf courses, the Canada Goose has become a year-round fixture across much of the continent.

Size: 29.5–43.5 in long, 6.6–11 lb (75–110 cm, 3–5 kg)
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and sheltered coastal waters.
Diet: Grasses, sedges, grain and aquatic plants, grazed on land and water.
Range: Recorded on 2,737 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 49 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family: Anatidae · Waterfowl
Conservation: Least Concern

Notable Canada Goose Trends

long arc increasecomputed index

Canada Goose has surged in surveyed states: up 111× on the route-weighted index since 1968.

Canada Goose Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Canada Goose is projected to rise about 64% by 2029 — from 5.6 in 2024 to a central estimate of 9.2 (95% range 7.5–11). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.7%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+64%Change by 2029

9.2Projected 2029 index

7.5–1195% range

±23.7%Backtest error

Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.

Year	Projected index	95% low	95% high
2025	8.6	6.9	10
2026	8.7	7.0	10
2027	8.9	7.2	11
2028	9.0	7.3	11
2029	9.2	7.5	11

Where the Canada Goose Is Detected

BBS routes recording Canada Goose, sized by most recent count.

Canada Goose Population Trend by State

Canada Goose population trend by state.

Alabama	32×	1973	70
Alaska	+137%	1982	78
Arizona	insufficient data	n/a	4
Arkansas	+337%	1990	33
California	+524%	1973	95
Colorado	+329%	1976	101
Connecticut	-12%	1971	19
Delaware	54×	1970	14
Florida	+59%	1996	16
Georgia	33×	1982	86
Idaho	20×	1975	52
Illinois	19×	1974	102
Indiana	17×	1979	67
Iowa	38×	1984	35
Kansas	+1%	1969	44
Kentucky	22×	1977	43
Louisiana	+109%	2001	16
Maine	+623%	1980	55
Maryland	231×	1970	71
Massachusetts	21×	1969	31
Michigan	77×	1970	101
Minnesota	66×	1975	89
Mississippi	-39%	1992	38
Missouri	+567%	1979	69
Montana	20×	1970	93
Nebraska	22×	1980	52
Nevada	14×	1973	23
New Hampshire	11×	1980	25
New Jersey	18×	1973	36
New Mexico	23×	1992	14
New York	37×	1968	120
North Carolina	17×	1989	84
North Dakota	704×	1975	49
Ohio	32×	1971	78
Oklahoma	+573%	1987	37
Oregon	+374%	1971	82
Pennsylvania	75×	1970	123
Rhode Island	-75%	1981	7
South Carolina	+562%	1988	33
South Dakota	45×	1972	48
Tennessee	12×	1979	41
Texas	+239%	2000	25
Utah	42×	1973	50
Vermont	24×	1986	24
Virginia	46×	1982	60
Washington	+626%	1977	77
West Virginia	11×	1982	49
Wisconsin	226×	1969	97
Wyoming	48×	1976	81

Canada Goose Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Canada Goose population trend by Bird Conservation Region.

BCR 2	-53%	1993	14
BCR 3	+73%	1995	4
BCR 4	-25%	1983	38
Northern Pacific Rainforest	20×	1974	93
Great Basin	20×	1971	166
Northern Rockies	34×	1970	149
Prairie Potholes	128×	1972	117
Boreal Hardwood Transition	58×	1973	120
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain	32×	1971	82
Atlantic Northern Forest	41×	1969	127
Sierra Nevada	+671%	1975	22
Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau	119×	1974	110
Badlands and Prairies	35×	1975	99
Shortgrass Prairie	+32%	1978	46
Central Mixed Grass Prairie	+63%	1969	63
Oaks and Prairies	+304%	1993	22
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie	33×	1974	256
Prairie Hardwood Transition	206×	1969	156
Central Hardwoods	69×	1970	130
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas	+48%	1986	29
Mississippi Alluvial Valley	+148%	1990	34
Southeastern Coastal Plain	92×	1982	206
Appalachian Mountains	107×	1971	302
Piedmont	46×	1971	146
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast	50×	1968	148
Coastal California	100×	1985	41
Gulf Coastal Prairie	-58%	2002	6

Canada Goose Conservation Status

Least Concern

The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 11018% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.