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Both the male and female Canadian Geese lose their flight feathers during the incubation period and cannot fly until after their eggs have hatched!
The Canadian Goose is the most common waterfowl species in North America.
Scientific Name -
Didelphimorphia
RANGE - North America, Central America & Southern Canada
LIFESPAN - 10 to 25 years
DIET - Variety of plant life.
WEIGHT - 5.5 to 14 pounds (female 10% smaller)
LENGTH - 30 to 43 inches
WINGSPAN - 50 to 71 inches
STATUS - Doing Well
PROTECTION - Hunted during season.
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The Canadian Goose can be very aggressive in defending territory, its nest and its family. This family oriented bird is monogamous and usually picks its mate in the second year of its life. If one is killed, the other may find a new mate. The nest is usually located in an elevated area near water, some have been built on top of beaver lodges. The eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plants and down feathers. The female lays 4-8 eggs and both parents protect the nest while the eggs incubate. This incubation stage lasts for 25-28 days. During this period, the adults lose their flight feathers and they cannot fly until after their eggs hatch. This keeps the family on the ground. While the female spends more time on the nest, the male protects the area from known egg predators such as foxes, gulls, ravens, crows, raccoons and bears. Adult geese are often seen leading their goslings in a line or a "parade", usually with one parent at the front and the other at the back of the line. Geese may form groups of a number of goslings and a few adults, called creches. You can see a "21 goose creche parade" in our photo gallery. While protecting their young, these geese violently chase away nearby creatures after warning them with a hissing sound. The young chicks enter the fledging state at about 6 to 9 weeks of age and do not leave their parents until after the spring migration, when they return to their birthplace. Adult Canada Geese are rarely preyed on, but can be taken by Coyotes, Wolves, Foxes, Owls, Bears, Mountain Lions and Eagles. Geese depend and feed on plant life and while feeding in water submerge their heads and necks to reach plants. They depend largely on grasses, sedges and other green aquatic plants during the summer. Thay also feed on leftover cultivated grains in farm fields, especially during migration and in winter. Corn may comprise almost the whole seasonal diet of some migrating flocks. Like most geese, the Canada goose is naturally migratory and winters in most of the United States. The calls from large groups of Canada Geese flying in V-shaped patterns signal the transitions into spring and fall. Migration routes have changed in some areas due to changes in habitat and food sources. In mild climates some of the population is non-migratory and these non-migratory populations are on the increase. Their ability to adapt to human-altered areas has made them the most common waterfowl species in North America. The Canadian goose is hunted during season with a positive effect due to lack of former predators.
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