CANADA GEESE – DID YOU KNOW?

During the fall and winter I have been observing very large flocks of Canada Geese flying in their V formations just before sunset. The reason they fly at this time of day is to avoid predators, such as hawks and eagles. Geese can be very aggressive on the ground which makes it more difficult for a predator to attack. I enjoy watching the flocks fly overhead against the sunset which prompted me to research some interesting facts about them. Here's some of the information I discovered. Hope you enjoy this!

• Canada Geese mate for life, choosing their mate at 2-3 years of age.
• They have a life span of 10-25 years. One who lived in captivity reached the age of 40
• Baby Geese, Goslings, are taught to swim 24 hours after being born
• Goslings can dive 30-40 feet under water after a few days of learning to swim.
• Goslings will follow almost anything that moves, including dogs, humans and ducks.
• Goslings learn to fly when they are 2-3 months old.
• During the warm summer months, Canada Geese will molt their feathers and be unable to fly for 6 weeks

• Canada Geese spend equal amounts of time on land and water
• Flying in a V formation helps them save energy and enables them to travel long distances. It also helps with eye contact and communication.
• Communication with each other during flight is by honking. They have about 13 different calls ranging from the ka-lunk sound you hear while in flight, down to softer sounds made while feeding.

• The lead bird flies at the lowest point with each goose following flying at a slightly higher level than the one in front of him.
• They can fly 1,000 km in one day.
• Canada Geese can fly at a speed of 40 km per hour and up to 70 km an hour if there is a strong tailwind.
• They can fly at altitudes from 2,000 to 9,000 feet.
• Predators of Canada Geese include, crows, owls, eagles, raccoons, fox, wolves and bears.

Happy Birding!

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Author - Jane Paradis