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Canada geese are probably the most widely divergent birdspecies to be found in North America, with at least 11 recognizedsubspecies. These variant subspecies range from the diminutive cackling goose, weighing 3-4 pounds and measuring only 22 inches long, to the giant Canada goose, topping the scales at up to 24 pounds, 48 inches long and sporting a 75 inch wingspread! Each population seems to stay fairly separate, with little interbreeding.

To further complicate sexual identification, each subspecies is sexually unimorphic, which means that the males and females basically look the same. However, if the goose flock is uniformly one subspecies, males can usually be identified because they are slightly larger than the females.

Don't forget that young Canada geese take up to three years to become sexually mature and their size can cause confusion in determining their sex. If you are fortunate enough to see the geese mating, you'll know the male is always the one on top.

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