Abstract:
At the beginning of the 20th century, vast flocks of Canada geese wintered in North Carolina. With numbers reaching over 100,000, Lake Mattamuskeet was called the Canada goose capital of the world. In the last century, the number of migrating geese has dwindled to around 5,000 while the resident population has multiplied to over one million. Resident Canada geese are found in all one hundred counties. Migratory birds winter in northeastern North Carolina. Stable breeding habitats, few predators, and short distances to migrate contribute to the resident's population growth. Wilson presents an account of North Carolina's Canada geese from the 16th century to the present.