Flock Shock

- Life expectancy about 20 years.

- Weight: 20-25 pounds.

- Migration is a learned process.

- Migratory geese flight range 2 – 3 thousand miles.

- Resident geese range: 100 – 200 miles for food, water, and safety.

- Resident geese can fly long distances, as do their migratory
cousins, but have learned that it is not necessary.

- Mating season: February to March.

- Geese mate for life and will stay together during all seasons.

- Geese will find a new mate if mate dies or is killed.

- Migratory geese nest in Canada.

- Geese nesting in the U.S. are “resident” geese who were born here.

- Nesting Season: Mid March to mid May.

- Age of geese when they begin to nest: 3 years.

- Geese return to the general area of their birth each year to mate
and nest. Sometimes the exact site, sometimes a nearby pond or
other body of water.

- The instinct to return to their general area or birth is very strong.

- Migratory geese fly 2,000 to 3,000 miles to return to these sites.

- Resident geese do not know how to migrate.

- When geese are chased from their traditional nesting area or the
nesting area has too many nesting pairs, they find alternative sites
to nest, sometimes farther from water, sometimes in nearby ponds,
sometimes on rooftops or balconies. They will hide their nests.

- Geese prefer isolated sites near water to nest. Islands are their
favorite location.

- Nests are usually on the ground, in the open.

- Sometimes geese nest in brushy or swampy areas not subject to
flooding.

- When egg laying begins the “Father” goose will stand sentinel
watch nearby, but not so close as to give away location of nest
to a predator. When a solitary goose is seen during nesting
season a nest is somewhere in the vicinity.

- The eggs in a nest are called a “clutch”.

- Average number of eggs in a nest: 5.

_ Mother goose lays 1 egg at a time, approximately 1 day apart until
the full clutch is obtained.

- Eggs not being incubated are cool to the touch.

- Mother goose waits until all eggs are laid before she begins to sit
on nest to incubate eggs.

- Incubation time is 28 to 30 days.

- Undeveloped eggs (still fluid) will sink or float vertically with the
wider portion of the egg pointing down.

- Developed eggs will float horizontally or at a slight angle and break
the surface of the water. At that point they are one to two weeks
away from hatching.

- All geese eggs in a single clutch hatch on approximately the same
day.

- Baby geese are called “goslings”.

- Natural predators of geese are foxes, raccoons, owls,
snapping turtles, coyotes, wolves and dogs.

- Goslings can fly approximately 2-3 months after hatching.

- During June adult geese lose wing feathers and are unable to fly.
This is called molting.

- Molting season runs from early June to late July.

- Geese can fly again approximately 6 weeks after molting.

- Generally by early August all geese (except injured geese)
are able to fly.

- During the molt geese need to be near water (any water) for
easy escape from predators. The molting area needs an easily
accessible food supply.