8 types of Geese & Swans found in Quebec! (2025)

Geese and swans are some of the largest birds you will find in Quebec!

Assuming you’re near a large body of water, it shouldn’t be too hard to find at least a few different species. They are fairly common in most lakes, estuaries, wetlands, lagoons, bays, or anywhere else they can find food. Most types of geese and swans are also regularly spotted in farm fields during the winter months, eating leftover crops.

Today, you will learn about 8 types of swans and geese that live in Quebec!

For each species, I provide some fun facts along with how to identify them by sight OR sound. Make sure to pay attention to the range maps to see which of these birds live near you!

#1. Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

Large goose with a long black neck and a distinctive white cheek patch.
Brown body with a pale white chest and underparts.
Black feet and legs.

Canada Geese are extremely common in Quebec.

I’m sure you probably recognize these birds, as they are very comfortable living around people and human development. Look for them wherever there are grasses or grains to eat, such as lawns, parks, farm fields, and golf courses.

Canada Goose Range Map

In fact, these geese are so abundant that many people consider them pests for the amount of waste they produce! If you have a manicured lawn maintained to the water’s edge, you have an open invitation for these birds to visit.

The Canada Goose is also easy to identify while flying overhead. If you see a flock of large birds in a V-formation, it’s most likely them. Flying this way helps conserve energy, and different birds take turns leading the way.

Canada Geese make a wide variety of loud honks and cackles. They have even hissed at me for accidentally approaching a nest too closely. Listen below!

If you’re interested, you may be able to see a Canada Goose at my bird-feeding station right now! I have a LIVE high-definition camera watching my feeders 24/7. 🙂 Look for them on the ground eating corn.

Watch my two live animal cameras HERE!

#2. Snow Goose

Anser caerulescens

Most of these birds are all white with black tail feathers. But some individuals display a “blue morph,” whose heads are still white but bodies are sooty gray.
Pink legs.
Pink bill, which has a black patch on each side.

During the breeding season, Snow Geese spend their time in the continent’s northernmost areas, away from human civilization. You will only see this goose in southern Quebec when they migrate south in fall and winter.

Snow Goose Range Map

Look for these birds in large fields and bodies of water. It’s usually not hard to find them if they are around, as they are almost always seen in huge flocks accompanied by a lot of honking!

In fact, one of the most impressive things you will watch today is the video below, which shows an ENORMOUS flock of Snow Geese. It’s hard to fathom how many birds are traveling together!

As you can probably hear from the video above, Snow Geese are one of the noisiest waterfowl you will encounter in Quebec. Their nasally, one-syllable honk can be heard at any time of day or night, at any time of the year!

And lastly, here is a fun fact that my kids loved to learn. Snow Geese are prolific at pooping, and they defecate between 6 – 15 times per hour. 🙂

#3. Cackling Goose

Branta hutchinsii

At first glance, the Cackling Goose looks identical to a Canada Goose! In fact, the plumage is almost exactly the same, and these two birds used to be classified as the same species.

But upon further investigation, you will find that the Cackling Goose is smaller, has a stubbier bill, shorter necks (most apparent when in flight), and a more rounded head.

Cackling Goose Range Map

Cackling Geese can be found breeding in small lakes and marshes in the arctic tundra. During migration and in winter, they are most commonly seen in agricultural fields during the day. At night, they return to large lakes or wetlands to roost.

Another way that this species can be identified from Canada Geese is by sound. Listen for the higher-pitched honking of the Cackling Goose.

#4. Brant

Branta bernicla

Black chest, head, and bill. Mostly brown body with white on the sides and underneath.
A small and compact goose with a short bill.
Distinctive white patch on the side of the neck.

Like many other goose species, Brants nest in the Arctic in wetlands. Once the weather turns cold, they migrate south.

These geese can be seen in Quebec in coastal areas, where they can find aquatic vegetation to eat in sheltered bays, estuaries, and lagoons. Brants are strictly vegetarian, with eelgrass and large algae playing a large part of their diet.

Brant Range Map

While they fly overhead, listen for a “crrronk” call, which sounds guttural and is similar to a Sandhill Crane.

#5. Tundra Swan

Cygnus columbianus

Large, entirely white bird with a long white neck.
Entirely black bill.
To identify correctly, look for a yellow patch on their black facial skin below the eye.
Smaller than Trumpeter Swans.

You will not see Tundra Swans in Quebec during summer, as they spend the breeding season in the remote Arctic. Look for them in winter and migration, where they are visitors to many large bodies of water. They also visit farm fields in large flocks, looking for food.

Tundra Swans form long-term, dedicated relationships. Typically, by the time they are 2 or 3, they have found a partner. Once that happens, these two birds will breed, feed, roost, and travel together year-round.

The most common sound these birds make is a “hoo-ho-hoo” bugle, with the second syllable being emphasized. (Listen below)

Another typical sound associated with Tundra Swans is the whistling of their wings. In fact, Lewis and Clark initially called them “whistling swans” when they first encountered them, and many people still use this name today.

#6. Trumpeter Swan

Cygnus buccinator

A giant, white bird with a long neck.
Black bill and black facial skin at the base of the bill. It lacks the yellow that appears on the Tundra Swan.
Black legs.

Trumpeter Swans are the largest bird native to Quebec!

They have a wingspan of almost 6 feet (1.8 m) and weigh around 25 pounds (11.3 kg), which is about twice the amount of a Tundra Swan. They are so big that about 100 yards (91 m) of open water is needed for them to get enough speed to take off!

Trumpeter Swans were once endangered due to overhunting, but luckily, their population has recovered and is increasing.

Unlike Tundra Swans, this species stays in Quebec in summer to nest and breed. Look for them near ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes, and the farther from people, the better!

These large birds typically nest on an existing structure surrounded by water, such as beaver dams, muskrat dens, small islands, floating masses of vegetation, and artificial platforms. Trumpeter Swans are very sensitive when breeding and will commonly abandon their nest sites and babies due to human disturbance.

Deep, loud trumpets can be heard when they are alarmed or defending their territory, which is two syllables with the second one emphasized (“oh-OH“).

#7. Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchus

As their name suggests, they have pink legs and feet. They also have pink patches near the tip of their bills, which are otherwise black.
The overall coloration of pink-footed geese is a fairly unremarkable soft brown. Their chest area is a light beige, while their heads and wings are a darker chocolate.

Pink-footed Geese favor the northern hemisphere and cool climates and rarely stray from these areas. But there have been increasing reports of vagrant geese spotted in Quebec!

Sightings are increasing notably along the east coast of North America. Look out for them tagging along with flocks of Canada geese.

Breeding is fairly challenging for Pink-footed Geese! Because of the threat of mammalian predators such as Arctic foxes, pink-footed geese nest on cliff faces beside the sea or in gorges.

#8. Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsis

Small, compact goose. Mostly white head.
A short, stubby bill that is black. Legs are black, too.

Due to their unique coloration, Barnacle Geese are easy to spot in Quebec!

But Barnacle Geese are not normal visitors, as they spend most of their time in Arctic regions and other northern areas.

Luckily, their sightings in Quebec have been on the rise. Look for them mixed into flocks of Canada Geese during winter. 🙂

So, do Barnacle Geese eat barnacles?

The answer is a resounding NO. They got their names long ago when people in medieval times thought these birds hatched out of barnacles!

Do you want to learn about MORE birds in Quebec?

Check out these ID Guides. Each one is specific to birds found here!