World's Largest Goose

Sumner, Missouri

The small town of Sumner is "Wild Goose Capital Of The World," but during our short visit we didn't notice any living examples. That's where a permanent exhibit like "Maxie," World's Largest Canada Goose, comes in handy.

Maxie sits in a field in the local community park, a bit back from the road. The fiberglass goose is 40 ft. tall, has a wingspan of 61 ft., and weighs 4,000 pounds, at least according to our notes (elsewhere she is reported as 5,500 lbs. with a 65 ft. wingspan). In any event, Maxie is much lighter than the World's Largest Pecan, another attraction in the vicinity.

In 1976, this gargantuan goose was sculpted by Kansas City artist David C. Jackson, flown in by helicopter, and dedicated during the annual Goose Festival by the reigning Miss Goose Pageant queen.

When the audio system is working, you can push a button on Maxie's pedestal and hear her story. She's named after Branta Canadensis Maxima, the scientific name for Giant Canada Geese.

Maxie supposedly even turns a few degrees when the wind is strong enough. Our luck, it was windless, hot, and humid enough to cause our video camera to shut down in a fit of programmed self-preservation.

It might seem strange an American town displays the largest Canada goose. The town of Wawa, Ontario, held the "World's Largest" claim with their 22 ft. tall, 20 ft. wingspan goose from 1963 until 1976, when Maxie apparently flew in and crapped over everything....