CANADA GEESE
At The Game Bird Gazette
Magazine Offices!
Editors'
Note: Raising Canada Geese as well as other ducks, geese and
swans is an activity that is very popular. There are, in fact,
thousands of people who enjoy keeping and breeding Canada Geese
and oth
er waterfowl. There a lots of captive bred geese,
eggs and goslings offered for sale in the classified advertising
section of the Game Bird Gazette magazine. Many other species of waterfowl are also readily available from breeders advertising in the magazine.
Spring is an exciting time for the staff of the Game Bird Gazette magazine, particularly because the sky is alive with the alluring sights and sounds of Canada Geese and a variety of other birds flying overhead or alighting in or around nearby ponds. The migration of Canadian geese begins early in the spring, and even earlier, and first sightings invariably bring mention in the local paper.
Much to our delight, the number of geese stopping to visit in our neighborhood
has been increasing. Many of them are wild Canada Geese which
are here to feed and rest on their way to traditional nesting areas
further north. We are located in the center of the Salt Lake Valley where there is only a
small amount of open water and habitat remaining for wild
waterfowl. Most of what marsh habitat existed has been drained
and replaced with homes, condos or business offices. However,
some of these condos, apartment complexes and business parks (such as where our offices are located) have
ponds and surrounding habitat that Canada Geese find quite
suitable for nesting and raising their families. Because of the
favorable habitat, many of the geese are nesting in these places
every year instead of continu
ing northward. Several families of
canada geese have actually been spending the entire year here on the grounds of the Spring Run Executive
Offices at 900 East and Murray Holladay Road. The Gazette editor,
George Allen, took the pictures of the family of Canada Geese at this location which appeared on the cover of the magazine and in several other national publications. Interestingly, the geese outside the Gazette office pay little mind to the hustle and bustle of the busy Van Winkle expressway
located just yards away, nor do they seem bothered by numerous
office workers who go out to watch them during their lunch break. Those who are watchers or
breeders of Canada Geese will know that they are hearty and
intelligent game birds that easily adapt to changes that occur in
their environment. As a consequence, they have the widest
distribution of any of the geese and are, of course, the best
known. Males and females are nearly identical in color, both
having a white "chin strap" running from one side of
the head to the other and body color that is generally
grayish-brown. Canadas are impressive in
flight with large numbers often traveling in long lines in a
V-shape formation. Their noisy honking carries a long distance
and often catches the attention and admiration of human folks on
the ground far below! The courtship behavior of
the canada goose is delightful to watch. The gander approaches
the femal
e with its neck fully extended, head low to the ground,
bill open, tongue raised, as it utters a hissing sound. He may
circle around her and affectionately make contact with his bill.
If there is a mutually amorous feeling, the two will
simultaneously move their necks in a very intriguing weaving
pattern. In nature Canadas
normally mate for life unless one partner is killed or otherwise
dies at which time another mate may be
taken. Breeding occurs on coastal marshes, open prairie, northern
tun-dra and a variety of other places. More unusual nest sites
include atop beaver or muskrat homes, on rocky ledges, or on
platforms placed high up in trees. From 5-6 eggs are usually laid
although there may be as many as ten. Male Canada Geese stand
guard at the nest sites or in front of their young and defend
against any intruder or predator that may come by. A warning is
first given by holding the neck and head low and hissing loudly,
but should an unwelcome visitor not be dissuaded, the warning
quickly gives way to a full scale attack by the ganderwho mayjump
or fly directly at the intruder and strike out with its powerful
wings. In 1840, the famous painter John James Audubon reported
being injured by a wild Can
ada gander he was observing at a nest.
For a while he believed his arm had been broken due to the
attack! So whether you are inspecting honker nests on the game
farm or in nature, by all means be careful! Canada Geese have been
extensively hunted for a very long time. Untold thousands have
been killed with lead and steel shot. In addition, much of their
favored habitat, particularly in America, has been taken up for
human development. As the pioneers moved westward with guns in
hand and families to feed during the 1800s, many of the geese
moved northward to more private locations in Canada where most of
them breed today. However, due to the restoration of millions of
acres of wetland habitat, as well as strictly enforced hunting
regulations, their future in the U.S. is very bright.
More exciting links for lovers of ducks, geese and swans
Gamebird.com Shopping Center (waterfowl books)