WhenToBird

Branta canadensis · Anatidae

Canada Goose: When and Where to See It

Adult Canada Goose
Photo: Tser, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Canada Goose reaches South Carolina first, around late December, and Alaska last, around the second week of April.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%10%20%30%40%Jan 1-7: 24% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 22% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 22% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 22% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 24% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 22% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 22% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 29% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 32% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 34% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 34% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 35% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 34% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 34% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 33% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 33% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 33% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 31% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 29% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 24% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 18% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 14% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 12% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 11% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 12% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 14% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 16% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 17% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 17% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 17% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 17% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 18% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 19% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 20% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 21% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 22% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 23% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 23% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 23% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 24% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 23% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 23% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 23% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 24% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 24% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 23% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 22% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 22% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
IowaAll year, most in springFeb 15-21Mar 8-14May 15-2162%
OhioAll year, most in springFeb 15-21Mar 15-21May 15-2156%
IndianaAll year, most in springFeb 15-21Mar 15-21May 15-2152%
MassachusettsAll year, most in springFeb 15-21Mar 15-21May 15-2143%
WashingtonAll year, most in springFeb 15-21Mar 22-31May 15-2134%
ArkansasAll year, most in springFeb 15-21Mar 15-21May 8-1428%
MichiganAll year, most in springFeb 22-28Mar 22-31May 15-2157%
WisconsinAll year, most in springFeb 22-28Mar 15-21May 22-3157%
South DakotaAll year, most in springFeb 22-28Mar 15-21May 15-2154%
New YorkAll year, most in springFeb 22-28Mar 15-21May 15-2152%
MinnesotaAll year, most in springMar 1-7Apr 1-7Jun 1-757%
MontanaAll year, most in springMar 1-7Apr 15-21May 15-2153%
WyomingAll year, most in springMar 1-7Apr 15-21May 15-2151%
New HampshireAll year, most in springMar 1-7Apr 1-7May 22-3132%
North DakotaAll year, most in springMar 8-14Apr 1-7Jun 1-755%
VermontAll year, most in springMar 8-14Mar 22-31May 22-3144%
MaineAll year, most in springMar 8-14Mar 22-31May 15-2129%
AlaskaAll year, most in springApr 8-14Apr 22-30May 15-2127%
New JerseyAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Mar 1-7May 8-1452%
Rhode IslandAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Dec 15-21May 1-743%
IdahoAll year, most in winterOct 22-31Apr 1-7May 15-2148%
ColoradoAll year, most in winterOct 22-31Apr 15-21May 15-2143%
New MexicoAll year, most in winterOct 22-31Jan 8-14May 8-1420%
KansasAll year, most in winterNov 1-7Mar 1-7May 15-2142%
NevadaAll year, most in winterNov 1-7Mar 8-14May 8-1438%
VirginiaAll year, most in winterNov 1-7Apr 1-7May 8-1437%
District of ColumbiaAll year, most in winterNov 8-14Dec 15-21Apr 8-1452%
MissouriAll year, most in winterNov 15-21Mar 22-31May 15-2134%
North CarolinaAll year, most in winterNov 15-21Mar 22-31May 15-2130%
South CarolinaAll year, most in springDec 22-31Mar 22-31May 8-1418%
KentuckyAll year, most in springJan 1-7Mar 15-21May 15-2137%
UtahAll year, most in springJan 1-7Mar 22-31May 8-1436%
OregonAll year, most in springJan 1-7Apr 1-7May 15-2134%
LouisianaAll year, most in springJan 1-7Mar 8-14May 1-79.4%
West VirginiaAll year, most in springJan 22-31Mar 15-21May 8-1439%
TennesseeAll year, most in springJan 22-31Mar 15-21May 15-2133%
PennsylvaniaAll year, most in springFeb 1-7Mar 8-14May 8-1445%
NebraskaAll year, most in springFeb 8-14Mar 1-7May 8-1448%
ArizonaAll year, most in winterSep 22-30Jan 8-14Apr 8-147.3%
IllinoisYear-round–Mar 8-14–59%
DelawareYear-round–Apr 8-14–46%
MarylandYear-round–Mar 1-7–45%
ConnecticutYear-round–Mar 22-31–38%
OklahomaYear-round–Mar 15-21–35%
CaliforniaYear-round–Mar 15-21–24%
GeorgiaYear-round–Mar 15-21–24%
AlabamaYear-round–Mar 8-14–19%
MississippiYear-round–Mar 8-14–18%
TexasYear-round–Mar 1-7–3.7%
FloridaYear-round–Feb 22-28–2.8%

Winter visitor in: Rhode Island, District of Columbia, New Jersey, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Nevada, Virginia, Missouri, North Carolina, Arizona