What do Canadian geese eat and how do they get it?
Canadian geese feed on many different types of foods: grains, grasses, alfalfa, clover, wheat, beans, rice, corn and also aquatic plants. The flocks fly to feeding fields in the morning and afternoons. For the rest of the day they are on water. The geese grab each blade with their beaks and to pull it out of the ground, they jerk their heads. When eating aquatic plants such as eel grass, sea lettuce, and sago, they stretch their long necks under water, and slide their bill across the bottom silt.

What kinds of problems does the species Branta canadensis overcome?

Methiocarb, a chemical used on grass has been used recently to prevent grazing. The chemical makes geese feel ill. No deaths have been reported yet.

Do Canadian geese serve as hosts to any organisms?
Research has been performed recently, and out of ten sites, 76.9% of the species Branta canadensis were positive for the parasite Cryptosporidium spp. This parasite is a protist from the Apicomplexan group. Cryptosporidium parasitizes the epithelial of the intestinal tracts in many vertebrates. Canadian geese may be accidental hosts.

How do they transport their food and water internally?
Geese use a stomach and small intestine to break down its food in order to gain energy. The stomach is divided into two parts: the proventriculus and the gizzard. The proventriculus begins breaking down the food. In the gizzard food is ground up more so that gastric juices can penetrate the food more easily. Canadian geese swallow pebbles and gravel so that the food can be ground up efficiently. In the small intestine, enzymes and bile breakdown sugars, fats, and proteins. The nutrients are then absorbed into the blood stream. Animals store their food as glycogen. It is then synthesized and stored in their muscles and liver for later use when energy is needed.
Birds have a very high metabolic rate. They digest food rapidly which is essential during flight.

Does Branta canadensis have a circulatory system?
Yes, these birds have a very efficient circulatory system used to help maintain body temperature. The geese have a 4-chambered heart that has separation of oxy- and deoxygenated blood. They also have large hearts that are required for the large demands from flight. To learn more about the circulatory system, click here.

Curious to learn more about Canadian geese? Click here to learn about their life history. Return home.