Friday, August 9, 2013

A Brief Introduction To Geese American Geese

By Robert Ford


For the past few years, the number of Canadian Geese has increased to a great extent in the urban as well as the sub-urban regions of Canada. The Canadian Goose has a brown-colored back. The breast color changes from tan shade to a cream color. It has a black head and a black neck, whereas a strip of white color is present on the chin.

An interesting fact about the Canada goose is that only a decade or two after people intentionally re-introduced the very large Canada goose to various places they were soon thought of as pests.

Among the many subspecies of the geese of Canada, eleven of them are already named. A few of these birds can be distinguished because of their varying characters. Geese of darker color are predominant in western Canada, while smaller geese are mostly found in the north.

In the past, migration to the south was prevalent among the geese of Canada. Of late, migration to the north is more popular as a result of food-availability even during winter season and autumnal fall. A major adjustment in agricultural practices is one of the reasons behind the change in the migration trend. Hunting threats and climatic changes are also responsible for this trend.

Usually after the breeding season, the Canadian Geese move to the northern parts. A few of them happen to lose their nests. Such geese, along with those that do not breed fly to the far north travelling nearly one thousand and five hundred kilometers. They move into the thick foliage for molting. By the end of summer, even those of which avoid winter-migration reach the north for molting.

The giant Canada goose almost became extinct in the 1900s and has been reintroduced to the local landscape however the excess number of these geese has resulted in their classification as pests. An interesting fact about the Canada goose is that they matefor life and both genders are known to select their mate of similar sizes.

The Canada goose fancies marshes and areas near grass and grain fields and areas situated near water. They like to work on grass because it is easy to feed their young on the flat land yet still keep an eye out for predators. This is why the Canada goose is generally found in areas populated by humans like the golf course, airport, grass lawns and parks.

During the seasons of spring and summer, Canadian Geese primarily feed on grass, decaying cabbage leaves, eelgrass and marshy plants. In winter and autumn, plenty of blueberries and other grains and seeds are available for their food. Two of their major subspecies have amazingly evolved themselves to their surroundings and thrive well.

These birds lay 2 to 8 eggs in a single clutch. They are white colored with a creamy shade. Measuring 8.3 centimeters in breadth and 3.3 inches in length, they incubate for nearly 25 to 28 days. The eggs hatch to reveal little yellow goslings. Their eyes are open at the time of hatching. After a nestling time of 45 to 50 days, they are able to live on their own.




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