Diet
What do Canada geese eat?
Grasses, grain and aquatic plants.
Ducks and geese (Anatidae)Canada GooseBranta canadensis
Spring and summer diet
- Lawn grass, sedges and aquatic plants
Fall and winter diet
- Corn and wheat stubble; winter grass
Best feeder foods
- None — do not feed; flocks foul lawns and water
Grazes suburban lawns and retention ponds year-round; feeding them creates aggressive, resident flocks.
Where Canada geese need winter food
Regions where Canada geese are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Frequently asked
What do Canada geese eat?
Grasses, grain and aquatic plants.
What is the best food to feed Canada geese?
None — do not feed; flocks foul lawns and water.
What do Canada geese eat in winter?
Corn and wheat stubble; winter grass.
Sources
- Canada Goose — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Canada Goose life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Canada Goose — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.