True Geese belong to the sub family Anserinae. They are colored in blacks, whites, greys, and browns. The sexes are very similar in appearance. Most of the true geese are fairly large birds with only one molt so there is no eclipse phase as is found with ducks. True geese are mainly terrestrial in their feeding habits and have strong bills adapted for grazing. They tend to mate for life and both sexes care for the goslings.

The Branta species are in general the so-called "black" geese. In reality when all of the Branta geese are assembled they are better described as having bolder patterned black or brown with white plumage than those geese classified as Anser species. The bills and legs of all of the Branta species are black. More information can be found from the sources in the reference list at the bottom of this web page.

The True Geese of the World: The Branta Species web page and the companion True Geese of the World: The Anser Species serve as the pictorial and descriptive base for the home page of the International Goose Research Group monitored by Dr. Evan Cooch, Cornell University. Where appropriate, links have been prepared to the pages of the International Goose Research Group to provide access to their bibliographies of recent papers involving the waterfowl included on this web page. Please note that some articles because of the direction chosen will focus on more than one species.

BARNACLE
Scientific Name: Branta leucopsis

BARNACLE

Look For	Body dark gray on top, light on bottom, neck is black, cheeks and forehead are white; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Greenland, Spitsbergen, and isles north of Siberia
Wintering Area	Northwestern Europe
Nest Site	In grass near water and on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of second year at Chenoa
When	Late May or June until July in the nesting area, May until June at Chenoa
Clutch Size	4 or 5 eggs (two clutches at Chenoa at 4.0 average)
Incubation	Approximately 24 to 25 days
Recent Papers On Barnacle geese Branta leucopsis	International Goose Research Group Cornell University

BRANT

ATLANTIC
Scientific Name: Branta bernicla hrota

ATLANTIC BRANT

Look For	Medium size goose with head, neck, chest and upper backy sooty black, the wings and remainder of the upper parts dark grayish-brown, the underparts are pale silvery gray with some barring
Nesting Area	Northeastern Canada, northeastern Greenland, Svalbard, and as far east as Franz Josef Land
Wintering Area	Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to South Carolina, most abundant along the coast of New Jersey
Nest Site	Slight depression formed in soggy earth, sedges are molded around the scrape
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	June
Clutch Size	3 to 5 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 25 days
Recent Papers On Alantic Brant geese Branta bernicla hrota	International Goose Research Group Cornell University

BRANT

PACIFIC OR BLACK
Scientific Name: Branta bernicla nigricans

PACIFIC BRANT

Look For	Medium size goose with head, neck, chest and upper backy sooty black, the wings and remainder of the upper parts dark grayish-brown, lower chest and belly are blackish approximating the color of the upper parts
Nesting Area	Yukon-Kuskokwim delta of western Alaska and west to the Taymyr Peninsula
Wintering Area	Pacific coast south to California and Mexico
Nest Site	Slight depression formed in soggy earth, sedges are molded around the scrape
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	mid-May
Clutch Size	3 to 5 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 25 days
Recent Papers On Pacific Brant geese Branta bernicla nigricans	International Goose Research Group Cornell University

BRANT

RUSSIAN (Planned in the Future)
Scientific Name: Branta bernicla bernicla

CACKLING
Scientific Name: Branta hutchinsii
Until 2004 Branta canadensis minima

CACKLING

Look For	Small goose with dark gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge coastal zone
Wintering Area	South to Mexico with most wintering in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys of California
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	April until June in the nesting area and at Chenoa
Clutch Size	4 to 5 eggs (two clutches at Chenoa at 4.0 average)
Incubation	Approximately 23 to 24 days
Recent Papers On Cackling Canada geese Branta canadensis minima	International Goose Research Group Cornell University

CANADA

ALEUTIAN (Delisted from Threatened, 03/20/2001)
Scientific Name: Branta canadensis leucopareia

ALEUTIAN CANADA

Look for	Small goose with gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches that don't meet under the throat, and large white neck band; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Buldir, formerly occurred throughout the Aleutian Islands; most of the population today is limited to wildlife refuges
Wintering Area	California, near Modesto where they winter primarily on two privately owned ranches and on the adjacent San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When:	April until June in the nesting area
Clutch Size	4 to 6 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 24 to 28 days
Recent Papers On Aleutian Canada geese Branta canadensis leucopareia	International Goose Research Group Cornell University
More Information Branta canadensis leucopareia	The Road to Recovery for the Aleutian Canada Goose

CANADA

DUSKY
Scientific Name: Branta canadensis occidentalis

DUSKY CANADA

Look For	Medium goose with very dark gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet to Copper River Delta
Wintering Area	Oregon
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	April until June in the nesting area
Clutch Size	4 to 6 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 26 to 28 days

CANADA

GIANT
Scientific Name: Branta canadensis maxima

GIANT CANADA

Look For	Large goose with light gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches and white spot on black of head-front; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Formerly widespread from Manitoba and Minnesota to Arkansas and Tennessee; most of the population today is limited to wildlife refuges
Wintering Area	Not Applicable
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	April until June in the nesting area
Clutch Size	4 to 6 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 26-28 days
Recent Papers On Giant Canada geese Branta canadensis maxima	International Goose Research Group Cornell University

CANADA

INTERIOR (Todd's)
Scientific Name: Branta canadensis interior

INTERIOR CANADA

Male Protects As Female Arranges

Look For	Large goose with medium gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Northern Quebec, Ontario and eastern Manitoba and southern Hudson Bay
Wintering Area	Southern Canada south to Florida and Louisiana
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	March until June in the nesting area and at Chenoa
Clutch Size	6 to 8 eggs (two clutches at Chenoa at 7.5 average)
Incubation	Approximately 28 days

CANADA

LESSER
Scientific Name: Branta canadensis parvipes

LESSER CANADA FEMALE

Look For	Medium goose with medium gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Central Alaska eastward to Hudson Bay, Canada and south to Prairie Provinces
Wintering Area	California to Louisiana and Mexico
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	April until June in the nesting area
Clutch Size	4 to 6 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 25 to 28 days

CANADA

MOFFITT'S (Great Basin or Western)
Scientific Name: Branta canadensis moffitti

MOFFITT'S CANADA

Look For	Large goose with light gray breast similar to the Giant, black neck is longer and thinner than the Giant, black front of head without white spots, white cheek patches, shorter bill and legs than the Giant; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Great Basin of North America or the area between the Rockies and the coastal range of the Pacific states, literally from central British Columbia to central Alberta on the north and southern California and Arizona on the south
Wintering Area	Generally the same as the nesting areas as most seem to be only partially migratory, short distances at best
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	April until June in the nesting area
Clutch Size	5 to 7 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 28 days

CANADA

RICHARDSON'S (Hutchins')
Scientific Name: Branta canadensis hutchinsii

RICHARDSON'S CANADA

Male Protects As Female Looks On

Look For	Small goose with medium gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area	Melville Peninsula, Southhampton, Baffin and Ellesmere Islands, Canada and western Greenland
Wintering Area	Texas and Mexico
Nest Site	In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	April until June in the nesting area
Clutch Size	4 to 6 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 24 to 26 days

CANADIAN COLLAGE Dusky, Cackler (partially hidden), Richardson's, Interior, Lesser, and Giant

NENE OR HAWAIIAN (Endangered)
Scientific Name: Branta sandvicensis

NENE OR HAWAIIAN

Nene Male Protecting Female On Nest

Look For	Male and female alike with crown, front of head, throat and long band down back of neck which are black, while body is gray-brown
Nesting Area	Main island of Hawaii and Maui where it was reintroduced in 1962
Wintering Area	Not Applicable
Nest Site	Nests on the ground in the vegetation
Initial Nest	During fall-winter of third year, sometimes the second year
When	October to February in nesting area
Clutch Size	3 to 6 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 30 days
Recent Papers On Nene geese Branta sandvicensis	International Goose Research Group Cornell University

RED-BREASTED
Scientific Name: Branta ruficollis

RED-BREASTED

Look For	Small black, red, and white goose
Nesting Area	Northern Siberia on the Taomyr peninsula
Wintering Area	Eastern Romania at the edge of the Black Sea
Nest Site	Open areas near cliffs or rock outcrops and always very close to the nest of a raptor
Initial Nest	During spring-summer of third year
When	Early June
Clutch Size	3 to 8 eggs
Incubation	Approximately 25 days
Recent Papers On Red-breasted geese Branta ruficollis	International Goose Research Group Cornell University

Bellrose. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. third edition. 1980.

Cogswell. Water Birds of California. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. 1977.

Johnsgard. Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World. Lincoln: The University of Nebraska Press. 1978.

Madge, Steve and Burn, Hilary. Waterfowl: An Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese, and Swans of the World. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1988.

Ogilive. Wild Geese. Vermillion, South Dakota: Buteo Books. 1978.

Shortt and Cartwright. Know Your Ducks and Geese. Des Moines, Iowa: Sports Afield. 1980.

Soothill and Whitehead. Wildfowl of the World. Dorset, Great Britain: Blandford Press. 1978.

Todd, Frank S. Handbook of Waterfowl Identification. Vista, California: Ibis Publishing Company, 1997.

Todd, Frank S. Natural History of the Waterfowl. Vista, California: Ibis Publishing Company, 1997.

Todd, Frank S. Waterfowl: Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World. San Diego, California: Sea World Press, 1979.

Weller, Milton W. The Island Waterfowl. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1980.

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Last Modified Wednesday, 13-Jul-2005 13:44:32 CDT