subject: Pertinent Details About Canadian Geese [print this page] For the past few years, the number of Canadian Geese has risen to a great extent in the urban as well as the sub-urban areas 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 big Canada goose to various areas they were soon thought of as pests.
Among the numerous subspecies of the geese of Canada, eleven of them have been named. A few of these birds are distinguished because of their varying features. Geese of darker color are common to western Canada, while smaller geese are primarily found in the north.
An interesting fact about the Canada geese is that the migratory populations are no longer flying as far to the south during the winter months as they used to previously. This change in northward migration is as a result of the changes in farming practices which makes grain more available during fall and winter, in addition to changes in the weather and hunting patterns.
The geese in Canada travel to the north once the breeding period is over. The geese which have no nests and those birds which don't breed leave to the distant north by travelling a distance of about 1500 kilometers. The geese which normally do not migrate in winter approach the north by the latter half of summer. This is necessary to enable them to molt. Geese molt in densely planted areas.
The giant Canada goose nearly became extinct in the 1900s and has been reintroduced to the local landscape however the excess number of these geese has led to their classification as pests. An interesting fact about the Canada goose is that they stay togetherfor life and both genders are known to select their mate of similar sizes.
The Canada goose prefers marshes and areas near grass and grain fields and areas situated near water. They like to work on grass as 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 commonly found in areas inhabited 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 environs and thrive well.
The Canadian Geese lay two to eight eggs at a time. Each egg is 3.3 inches long and 8.3 centimeters wide. The eggs are creamy white in color. They incubate for approximately 25 to 28 days and each egg hatches to display a yellow hatchling with eyes open. The young one remains in the nest for about 45 to 50 days before it becomes independent.
