Geese

Only against the moon or when passing below clouds that are backlit by the moon.

You can also spot them if you are in an urban area where there are parking lot lights on.

If you are interested in observing night flight, listen for a member of the flock to be honking as they pass by. Seems most of the geese I see at night have a member of their flock emitting a honking signal.

There are many places, both online and offline, to purchase goose down pillows. Amazon offer a 'wash and dry me' white goose down pillow. Alternatively Marks and Spencer, House of Fraser and John Lewis also stock this product.

A wild mother duck thinks her ducklings should fend for themselves. They do follow her around, and she will show, by example, what to eat and how to collect it, but she will not gather food for the babies as a songbird would. A wild baby duck will eat small insects, snails and earthworms hidden in the grass, a lot of "greens" (grasses, weeds, etc.), and if they are at a pond, there are small water insect larvae right at the shoreline for them to shovel up and devour.

The Black swan is native to Australia. It has also been introduced to New Zealand. Although it is the avian emblem of Western Australia, it is found throughout Australia, except for the desert interior and Cape York Peninsula.

Canada geese will typically lay from 3 to 9 eggs each spring.

after they mate, the female will lay 1 fertilized egg every 1 1/2 days, until she's done laying, and will not sit on the nest to begin incubation until after the last egg has been laid.

then, once the last egg has been laid, she will begin incubation and (barring mishap) all eggs will hatch 25 days later, all on the very same day.

Geese have a hole in each side of their head which is their ear...just like humans do but we have an ear shell surrounding ours. The hole for the ear is covered by feathers thats's why you can't see it.

A goose's hearing, though, is far, far superior to a humans.

Yes they do (as do all birds). The nostrils are usually at the base of the beak; the kiwi is an exception because the nostrils are at the tip of the beak. Some birds (eg the turkey vulture) hav a tremendous sense of smell.

It's called laying an egg. When the gosling emerges from the egg, it's called hatching.

a young goose is called a gosling.

Any eggs are good if you put them in water an inch or two higher than the egg and they do not float off the bottom of the container.

"Gander" is the term for the male goose. The female goose is called a goose, or a hen.

Gosling

Canadian Goose Liver is not very different than for any other species of Goose that we know of, which are non-toxic but very unappetizing, except in the case of Foie Gras. Foie Gras is a culinary name that translates to "fat liver" usually made from the Golden Goose. As far as Canadian Goose Liver, it is edible, but unappetizing at best. As a whole, however, goose liver is not often used as a main course.

yes they are very noisy.

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They are only noise prior to the nesting period and during the fall migration.

Priior to he nesting period, geese will fight over territory where they will make their nests. Battles can be dramatic, with loud honking, wings flayling and water everywhere. I even saw two geese chest bump each other as they fought.

They are loud again during migration when they are in the air and sending signals to other members to stay in formation.

Otherwise they are very quiet birds who just like to sit and swim and graze all day.

There may be more facts than you expected, but you got some extra facts!

The Lesser Snow Geese visiting the Sanctuary are part of the Wrangel Island (Pacific Flyway) nesting population. Wrangel Island lies in the Arctic Ocean, north of Siberia, and belongs to Russia. A "population" is the number of animals of the same type living in an area. Birds nesting on Wrangel Island split into two separate wintering sub-populations. One winters in California, and one winters locally.

Lesser Snow Goose Facts:

Weight: 2.5 to 2.7 kg Wingspan: 38- 46 cm Lifespan: 10 to 20 years in the wild.

Distinguishing marks: White bodies, black wing-tips, a pink bill with black markings and pink feet.

Best times to view them at the Sanctuary: mid-Oct. to mid-Dec. and mid-March to mid-April.

January 2011 Mid-winter count (Fraser River and Skagit River flocks)= 65,000 birds, with very few young of the year. 2010 was a porr nesting season with a decline in the population.

Fall 2011 forecast is for about 75,000 birds, with perhaps 25% young in the flock, but this will not be verified until the mid-winter count.

There are hundreds of breeds of geese. Even assuming that the questioner is referring to domestic geese, these also come in a very wide variety of shapes and sizes, so the question is a little like: "How long is a piece of string?"

All young geese are called goslings.

a duck semlls like a fowl and chkin andcs fxcse d

A turtle's egg is very much like a chickens egg.. It should be incubated aka warmed to simulate either the parents warmth or warm sand/mud so that it will not spoil and the embryo can live. It does not require to much heat though.

Take a handful of moss, wet it thoroughly, and squeeze out the excess water. Place the moss in the bottom of the pot. Place your turtle eggs on top of the moss Wet and squeeze another half-handful of moss, and place on top of the eggs. The eggs should now be secured snugly between 2 layers of moist moss, similar to what turtle eggs may find in the wild. Place the whole pot into a plastic bag, and leave it in a warm location. Check eggs every couple of weeks to ensure that the moss has not dried. Eggs should hatch in approximately 70 to 77 day.

around on the 2nd to 3rd stage. most likely 2nd

I can only speak for the Canada Geese because they are the species I am studying. First, not all Canadas are aggressive. The elders and the males are the most protective of the group. And the term to use is "protective" not "aggressive". They are protecting their families much the same way a father or grandfather would protect his children. But the level of protectiveness depends on the individual. Geese who are used to people won't be so sensitive because they know what people are and that they will not hurt them. Country geese will be the opposite.

If a goose hisses at you he is telling you to back off because he doesn't know you and that frightens him. Now, that doesn't mean that you should go up to him and give him a big hug and tell him everything will be alright! When you get the hiss take a few steps back and stand still. Wait a minute or two and when he realizes you pose him no threat he will calm down. And tossing him a treat or two at that moment may not just ease tensions but may start a wonderful friendship!

A snow goose eats rootstocks and other grasses

The fantastic annual migrations that birds make between their breeding and wintering grounds is one of the wonders of our natural world. Most of the world's 29 or so species of geese are no strangers to migration, and some routinely accomplish amazing feats. In Asia, Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus) regularly migrate over the Himalayan Mountains, even over Mt. Everest at an altitude of 30,750 feet (9375 m) where the air is thin and the temperatures drop to minus 60 degrees F.

Migrating birds, especially waterfowl, follow broad but well defined migration routes called flyways or migration corridors. There are four primary corridors in North America. From east to west, they are the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific flyways.

Figure 1 - Migratory Flyways

Figure 2 - Migratory Flyways

Many species of geese and other waterfowl breed in the far northern reaches of North America, and begin their journey south following well defined geographical features like coastlines, rivers and mountain ranges.

Snow Geese breed in the Arctic Tundra and winter in farmlands, lakes and coastal areas in the American south, southwest and east coast. These attractive geese occur only in North America, and make an annual round trip journey of more than 5,000 miles at speeds of 50 mph or more. Seen in flight, adults are white with jet black wing tips.

Figure 3 - Snow Geese (Anser caerulescens)

Figure 4 - Snow Geese (Anser caerulescens)

In winter months, Snow Geese form highly gregarious flocks that may number into the thousands. The bill of the Snow Goose has a distinctive "grin patch" along its side. The Ross's Goose looks like a Snow Goose, but is smaller, and its bill lacks the "grin patch." The two grayish birds shown here are young Snow Geese.

The dark bird shown here near the center of the photo is a blue phase of the Snow Goose. Note the white face, and the very dark body. Formerly considered a separate species, the blue phase and the white phase of the Snow Goose are now lumped into one species. The similar but smaller Ross's Goose looks very much like the Snow Goose, and also has a blue phase that is considered rare.

Figure 5 - Blue Phase of the Snow Goose

Figure 6 - Snow Geese in Flight

Snow Geese winter in immense flocks, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands. When they take flight, the flock appears as a white cloud rising from the marsh. Population biologists census waterfowl in winter months to determine population trends. Can you estimate the number of geese visible in this flock?

The Brant is the salt water cousin of the Canada Goose. These birds breed farther north than any other species of goose, and winter in coastal areas of Europe, North America and Japan. Note the white patch on either side of the neck. These birds are truly marine. They have special salt excreting glands that enable them to drink salt water and feed on eel grass, crustaceans, mollusks, and marine worms.

Figure 7 - Brant (Branta bernicula)

Figure 8 - Brant in Flight

Brant in flight have a dark appearance with a conspicuous bright white rear end. Flocks in flight do not form up into a "V" formation, but instead fly low over the sea in long wavy lines that seem to ball up then string out again with no particular leader.

The Canada Goose is widespread over North America, and has been introduced to Europe and New Zealand. The white patch on its face and throat is distinctive. Some 10 races are recognized, ranging from the very large nominate race to the darkest and smallest race B. diminuta. These geese are migratory, but in many residential areas with plenty of food, water and shelter, they are becoming quite resident. Some local populations are getting so large that they are becoming a pest species.

The collective noun for foxes is a leash of foxes. Another collective noun for foxes is a skulk of foxes.

The average lifespan of a goose is about 20 to 22 years. They can live to 30 and a 40 year old is not uncommon. The record was a gander that lived 101 years: outliving his owner!