How to Tell Female From Male for a Canadian Goose

The Canada goose is a distinctive wild goose with a black head, long neck and a brownish-gray body. This bird--native to the North American region--is often incorrectly referred to as Canadian geese or a Canadian goose, neither of which are the ornithological standard or its most common name, according to AvianWeb.com. One thing is certain: Determining a female Canada goose from a male is no easy task. Unlike most bird species, the gender of Canada geese can not be easily determined simply by looking at them from afar.

Things You'll Need

  • Binoculars
Show More

Instructions

  1. How To Determine a Female Canada Goose From a Male

    • 1

      Watch the bird's behavior. Canada geese usually travel in flocks, and within those flocks are pairs or families. The male Canada geese will act more aggressive and protective of his mate and chicks than the female will. If a nest can be observed, the female will be the one sitting on the nest and the male will be walking around guarding the female.

    • 2

      Observe adult pairs. The Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese advises that the best way to determine gender in these birds is to compare pairings. The male goose will always be slightly larger than his female mate. Avianweb.com advises that females are typically 10 percent smaller than their male mates.

    • 3

      Listen closely. A female Canada goose has a different honk than a male Canada goose. The female's honk usually sounds more high pitched and comes in shorter notes than a male's.

    • 4

      Have a professional physically examine the goose. An expert can insert a finger into the goose's cloacal vent to feel for protruding reproductive organs. However, this should never be done without proper training or experience due to great risk of injury to the bird.