Archive - November 2016

​The Canada goose is a common migrant in Illinois and a common winter resident in most of the state. It is a common summer resident, too, and some of these birds live year-round in Illinois.

Migration is a regular, annual movement from one area to another. In North America, some Canada geese fly from their breeding grounds in the north to more southern locations where open water and food are easier to find in winter. Some geese stay in areas where the water freezes over for some time, and in those places, these birds often take shelter on the ice at night and when they are not feeding during the day. They fly to farm fields or grassy areas away from the ice to find food. They will move farther south when their food supply declines and/or weather conditions worsen. Other geese are permanent residents where they live because food and open water are available all year. The Canada goose populations in Illinois that migrate into the state from the north come from as far north as central Canada. When interior Canada geese arrive in Illinois during the fall and winter, they often congregate on the same areas used by giant Canada geese. Interior Canada geese leave their nesting grounds in early September, but many of these geese may not move into Illinois until weather conditions in the northern regions make finding food difficult. They may start their return trip as early as mid-January, following the melting snowline northward. Interior Canada geese usually arrive back at the breeding grounds in April, often before all of the snow in that area has melted.

Canada geese stay near a water source throughout the year. They use the water for shelter from land-based predators, and they feed in the water, although they also search for and eat food a long distance from water. Rivers, wetlands, Lake Michigan, other large lakes, ponds and swamps all provide habitat for these birds.

​Canada geese may form male-female pairs when they are one or two years old, but most females do not nest until they are three to five years old. This pair bond lasts for life. If one member of the pair dies, the surviving bird seeks a new mate. Breeding occurs in the spring. A pair of geese tends to return to the same place to nest year after year, but if it is not available, they will nest nearby.

Nesting can start as early as late February in Illinois. The nest is placed near water, often along the bank of a lake or stream.  They have also been seen nesting in marshes, on cliffs, on islands, on platforms in trees, on the banks of water bodies, on building roofs, on muskrat houses, on median islands in parking lots, in abandoned bird nests and in other places, some of which may not be ideal for raising young. They will nest in humanmade structures intended for goose nesting, too.

The female leads the male to a possible nest site. If it is suitable, she either starts from the base of a previous nest or makes a new depression in the soil or whatever substance the nest is to be built upon. If she is within reach of plants, she will grab and pluck them with her beak, then add them to the nest. She continues to add materials to the nest as she lays eggs. Starting with about the third or fourth egg, she pulls down feathers from her breast and adds them to the nest. The number of eggs laid varies but is usually from four to seven. The female incubates the eggs while the male guards the nest from a short distance away. She usually leaves the nest once in the early morning and once in the late afternoon each day to eat, drink and clean her feathers. When away from the nest, she covers the eggs with down feathers to keep them warm and protected. The eggs hatch in about four weeks, and all of the eggs in a nest usually hatch within a few hours.

The young birds leave the nest soon after hatching from the eggs. They can walk, swim and feed as they follow their parents. The young geese grow quickly and are able to fly in about two months.

A pair of geese has a territory around the nest that they defend by making sounds, by making threatening postures and, sometimes, by physical contact (biting, charging, beating their wings). They have a tendency to be aggressive to humans, other geese or other animals when they feel that their nest or goslings are threatened.

​Canada geese can live for many years. It is common to find individual Canada geese that are more than 10 years old. Records have been kept that show one wild Canada goose living to at least age 33 years.

These birds fly in flocks that may vary in size from a single family to hundreds of individuals. They usually fly in a “V” shape or in a line or “string.” They may fly as high as 8,000 feet or more when migrating, but most migrating flocks are within 750 to 3,000 feet from the ground.

Adult Canada geese molt their flight feathers all at once in summer and are unable to fly for about 45 days until the replacement feathers grow and mature.  Adult geese that have a successful nest usually begin molting two to three weeks after the goslings hatch. During the time when the adults and goslings cannot fly, they gather with other Canada geese at areas where there is plenty of food and safety from predators.

Most Canada geese that do not mate or that have a nest that was not successful undergo a “molt migration.” They leave Illinois between mid-May and early June and may travel north as far as central Canada. Here they molt their flight feathers, then return to the south from August through October. This trip may cover more than 1,000 miles to reach the molting grounds and another 1,000 miles to return to Illinois.

These birds are strong fliers. It is estimated that they fly at about 40 miles per hour during migration.

Canada geese have become adapted to human-altered areas like parks, golf courses and suburban neighborhoods that provide them with food, water and nesting space. In some places they are considered to be pests because there are so many geese in small areas, and they deposit large amounts of waste materials. Noise makers, trained dogs and other methods have been used to try to disperse such geese.

​Canada geese are migratory birds and are protected by the Migratory Birds Act. Hunting, possession of the birds and interference with these birds’ activities are subject to regulations. Hunting seasons are set annually. In Illinois, special youth goose hunts are held.You can find the details about waterfowl hunting here! A list of public hunting areas is available here!