Hello Canada Goose
Canada Goose, Branta Canadensis
While enjoying a picnic in the park with some new friends recently, we spent a great deal of time watching a group of Canada Geese. With a great sense of wonder, there was much discussion of the habits and culture of a species we had all seen hundreds of times in our Canadian lives.
I decided to find out more about our friends, Branta canadensis. Here are the highlights of my rainy Sunday research, accompanied by some photos from a walk along Buggy Lake (fictional name) with the Mista.
1. Canada Geese are monogomous creatures. They tend to team up with their mates in the second year of their lives although pairs are considered unstable until the third or fourth year of life. They get together in an assortive mating pattern, a biologist`s term for choosing partners of similar size. The husband is typically 10% larger than the wife. If a spouse dies, the living goose will re-marry. Divorce rate is fairly low.
A couple a`geese
2.They stay together for the kids. Sometimes the geese will team up with other geese parents to form a bird colony also known as a crèche or a `bird gang`. Ooh goose gang. Some of the threat tactics they learn in the gang are head pumping with bill opened and tongue raised, hissing, honking, and vibrating neck feathers. If you don`t back off (and especially if you`re a goose) they`ll grab you by the neck and hit you with their wings. Canada Geese are pretty serious about family.
Don`t fuck with our kids
3. Canada Geese have been considered pests in recent years, especially as migration habits become less common. The increase in population is due to a) the decrease in natural predators b) an increase in man-made bodies of water such as parks and golf courses (where the livin`is easy) c) and a period in the early 1900`s when the “giant” Canada Goose, Branta canadensis maxima nearly became extinct and programs to reestablish the sub-species were, well, too successful, I guess.
For more facts on Canada Geese, I like the engaging, clearly outlined information from Ducks Unlimited Canada here.
Geese can play football too.
