Canada Geese at the Pond Have Goslings

Our resident Canada Geese have had goslings! This may be good or bad news depending on if you mind the goose poop near the pond. Babies take 25-30 days to hatch and are born with their eyes open. Within 24-48 hours they can walk, feed, swim, and dive.  Both the mother (goose) and father (gander) care for their babies together and tend to stay together for life (statistically 85% do). The parents are known to passionately defend their offspring until their young ones are able to fly, which is in 2-3 months. You may also find that the larger flock will also pitch in when needed, depending on the dynamics of the group. Goslings become much more independent when they reach a year old, sometimes staying with the flock and sometimes going off to join other young geese.

Once Canada geese start nesting in a particular area, they typically return to the same location for about 12 years. There are some natural deterrents such as foxes, eagles, bears, decoy animals, or even tall grasses. Their life expectancy is 10-24 years. Canada geese have federal protection status from harm, which includes destroying their nests or eggs or intentionally hitting them with your car (yes, they have the right of way in our neighborhood).

Rarely are Canada geese aggressive, and usually, high tail it the other way when we are walking our dogs, visiting the pond, or slowly driving by. They also seem to cohabitate well with our resident Crest ducks. One fun fact is Canada geese are fairly intelligent birds and have good memories. It is said that they remember faces, so be kind to them and let them be.