The Giant Canadian Goose is a subspecies of the Canada Goose, native to arctic and temperate regions ofNorth America, and having a characteristic black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a grayish-brown body. The maxima, or Giant, was considered extinct in the 1950s until a discovery of isolated populations was made inMinnesotain the 1960s. The Giant Canada Goose has since been reintroduced and still being widespread throughMississippiValleyand Western states. Today Canada Geese are found in various North American regions, as well as northernEurope, easternSiberia, easternChina, and all overJapan.

These giant geese have a wingspan of around 6 feet and can weigh up to 20 pounds. They are primarily herbivores with a diet of mostly vegetation (grasses and seaweed) and grains (wheat, beans, rice and corn), although they will sometimes eat fish and insects. The geese are monogamous, and most couples stay together for life. Females lay 3-8 eggs and adults molt annually during the summer/breeding season, regaining flight around the same time their goslings learn to fly. In the wild, the life span of geese that survive to adulthood ranges 10–24 years.