Canada Geese

Christian Doyle
Ms. Overly
Honors Enviromental Geology- Pd.2
May 19, 2008
Canada Geese

One of the organisms that live in my pond in front of my house are Canada Geese or as scientists call them Branta Canadensis. These geese are native around the United States and are very popular around the valley. Geese have a black and white body with a black neck and a white “chinstrap.” Geese stand 30-43 inches long with a 50-71 inch wing span. Males can be 7-14 pounds and females can be 5.5-12 pounds. Geese are able to reproduce the second year of their lives when they become mature. When geese find their mate, they stay with them all of their lives. Around the end of March and April, during (http://www.livingworldimages.com/Canada%20goose%20(Branta%20canadensis).mating season, females lay 4-8 large, creamy, white eggs that they will stay with constantly. The eggs hatch in 25- 30 days and the young are covered with yellowish down feathers. Male geese construct their nests on raised sites near the water’s edge and bring food for the females. Geese are migrating birds, and migrate from Jackson every flying in a V formation for up to 4000 miles. Because they are able to fly 4000 miles, it benefits them because if the place they want to go isn’t warm enough, then they can just keep going. Canada geese are native to North America and their habitats are lakes ponds marshes and rivers. They eat aquatic plants, insects, grass seeds crops and other things under the water. The only predators geese have are larger meat-eating mammals, such as the Great Horned Owl, and their goslings may be taken by snapping turtles. The geese’s webbed feet leave triangular shaped tracks. These loud birds are nicknamed honkers because of its distinct honking sound. Geese help keep populations of insects down and also help keep aquatic plants from growing too much in the water. However they also provide food for other animals. These birds need water and trees such as willows to protect them, and need grass and aquatic plants for food. Some live in pairs and when it’s time to migrate then they fly as a flock. They don’t need an extensive habitat, as long as geese have enough water, food sources and protection; they are very flexible with where they live.