Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) squawking, Belchertown, Massachusetts. The Canada Goose is the most familiar and widespread goose in North America. It can be found in all kinds of water across the continent, from tundra to the Gulf Coast. Some populations have become resident in urban areas, and are now coming into conflict with people. Populations have generally increased over the last half-century. Resident and urban populations are becoming a nuisance in some areas. Some migratory populations of the Canada Goose are not going as far south in the winter as they used to. This northward range shift has been attributed to changes in farm practices that make waste grain more available in fall and winter, as well as changes in hunting pressure and changes in weather patterns. Individual Canada Geese from most populations make annual northward migrations after breeding. Nonbreeding geese, or those that lost nests early in the breeding season, may move anywhere from several kilometers to more than 1500 km northward.