Life expectancy about 20 -24 years- Weight: 12-20 pounds
- Migration is a learned process
- Migratory geese flight range 2 – 3 thousand miles
- Resident geese flight range: 100 –200 miles to find food, water, and safety
- Resident geese can fly long distances as their migratory cousins, but generally have learned that it is not necessary.
- Migratory geese do not become resident geese unless they are injured.
- 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.
- Resident geese were imported to the area for rebuilding dwindling numbers for conservation or hunting. The urban nuisance was not anticipated.
- 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 2,000–3,000 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
- 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: 28 – 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, coyotes and snapping turtles
- 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.
- Geese can consume up to 4 lbs. of grass per day causing about 2 lbs. of goose poop per bird.
