Why Did the Canada Goose Cross the Road?

Photo: Canada Goose, Deidra Bryant

Deidra Bryant

Ah, the notorious Canada Goose. We see them on golf courses, at parks, on corporate office campuses, near ponds, and of course, casually crossing busy roads in suburban neighborhoods. Although some still migrate, many, sometimes too many, make northern Virginia their year-round home. All our expansive suburban lawns are just too attractive.

The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) and I have an . . . interesting relationship. Now, the Anatidae family--which includes ducks, geese and swans--is actually my favorite family of birds. They have interesting feather colorations, I find their vocalizations therapeutic, and they’re a lot of fun to watch. I enjoy watching geese fly in V-shaped formations when they migrate, and I enjoy observing their interactions with each other when they’re gliding along the water. However, they’re scarily aggressive.

Canada Goose, Stephen Zarate/Audubon Photography Awards

They’re fearless towards humans, fast on the wing and foot (they’ll chase you), and are relatively large and hefty birds weighing around 7-14 pounds. Because of their size they have powerful flight muscles in their wings which can cause significant damage if they strike with them. The inside of the bill also has layers (lamellae) of hardened keratin that form sharp cutting edges, called “tomia,'' making goose bites very painful. Their loud hissing and angry honking also are intimidating. I always keep my distance because they can be unpredictable. ESPECIALLY in the springtime when I know it’s likely they’ll have goslings nearby.

Canada Goose, Benjamin Schelling/Audubon Photography Awards

I’m sure everyone has had, or knows someone who has had, a negative encounter with this confident waterfowl, whether it’s a goose stalking you, standing in the road as you’re trying to get somewhere fast, trying to steal food from you if you’re eating outdoors, or being a nuisance at airports. The confrontations are so common that there are many videos online and on television of them scaring young children and making grown men back away. However, I don’t want this article only to rant about their aggressive behavior. I want people to understand why they are the way they are, and why we should respect their space.

Nesting for Canada Geese begins around mid-March to late April here in northern Virginia. Females build their nests on the ground in places that provide concealment, such as under shrubs or at the base of mature trees that are located on the edges of wetlands or on small islands in lakes or ponds. Their nest sites are usually always within 100 feet of water, and the nest is a bowl-shaped scrape lined with dry grasses, twigs, moss, lichen, and soft, down feathers. After nest construction, which is mostly done by the female, she will lay one egg every 1-2 days for a total of between 2-8 eggs. Incubation is 28 days, and both males and females will defend the nest and the goslings. The males are the most protective/hostile and will defend the goslings until they learn to fly (10-12 weeks after hatching). When feeding, they’ll forage as a family and choose to do so in open areas so that the adults have a 360° view of potential predators.

Canada Geese with goslings, Marilyn J. Grubb/Audubon Photography Awards

Canada Geese also are very social. Parents will bring their goslings together in groups called “crèches” that are looked after by other mating pairs, like some kind of goose kindergarten. Parents also may form “gang broods” with other pairs and their families. These broods can range from 20 to 100 goslings being shepherded by only a few adults! Goslings may mingle and waddle away from their parents, but communal babysitting is key in areas with a high nest density, so another mating pair will look after them. It’s literally just one big family neighborhood watch, and I find that pretty interesting. So yes, they’re very aggressive towards threats several times their size, but once you understand their behavior in looking after offspring that aren’t even genetically theirs, expending their energy and risking their lives in doing so, it makes sense. They’re just really good parents.

Canada Goose crossing the road, Deidra Bryant

So why did the Canada Goose cross the road? Don’t worry about it. It has goose things to do over there. Be patient and let them saunter safely to their destination . . . or else.

Join the Fun this Spring and Summer and Monitor Breeding Birds with NestWatch

Photo: Purple Martin Nestlings, Deidra Bryant

Deidra Bryant

With the season of baby birds now here, it is important for ornithologists to collect data on nest construction, successful nestling development, and overall care from adults. To do this, nest boxes must be constructed and mounted properly. If scientists are reusing a nest box from the previous season, the box needs to be cleaned out so birds can have a nice place to call home. You can build and set up nest boxes at your residence too and casually watch as birds fly in and out. However, you can also take a more involved and scientific approach to observing and understanding the reproductive biology of native birds nationwide via the Cornell Lab of Ornithology NestWatch program. 

Purple Martin nestlings, Deidra Bryant

NestWatch is an interactive online program that allows you to view tips on how to build and install your own nest box, and upload your personal nest monitoring metrics to an archived database that aids in bird conservation. You can also read blog posts, annual reports from previous years (NestWatch Digest), and scientific publications regarding nesting ecology and breeding bird populations. You will have to make a free account with Cornell Lab to get the full experience though. Viewing the website is possible on multiple devices (via tablet, personal computer, smartphone) but I find that using a tablet or PC works best since the images and infographics are much larger and the text is easier to read. There are also some helpful documents that you may want to download and print from your personal computer like the Nest Check Data Sheet for when you’re in the field and don’t want to bring your electronics outside. 

Deidra Bryant monitoring Purple Martin nests

Getting started is very easy. When you open the webpage you will immediately see “How To Participate.” Although it’s tempting to just select a bird on the homepage and initiate a nest plan, the first and most important step is to read the Code of Conduct and take the short quiz to get certified. The test is a safety measure used to minimize risk of accidentally damaging the nest, causing parental desertion, and attracting predators to the nest. The test also communicates planning tips so you know what to expect and how to quickly, accurately, and safely record useful data. 

So, you have your nest box(es) set up in the proper manner using the provided species specific structure plans, followed tips on how to deter predators, and placed it/them in its respective habitat…what do you do now? You wait. You monitor your nest every 3-4 days and wait for someone to safely lay their eggs in the shelter you made for them. Use this time to familiarize yourself with how to enter data online using the multiple data entry tutorial videos from the LEARN tab on the website. If you’re lucky and get a resident, make sure you remember the Code of Conduct and keep your paper records safe from damage such as water stains, page tears, bird excrement, etc. Those notes need to be digitized after each visit or after a nesting attempt is complete. In graduate school I surveyed over 300 Purple Martin (Progne subis) nests in at least 10 sites in South Central Pennsylvania. I had several paper datasheets similar to the one used in NestWatch for every site and used them to excruciatingly transfer numerous results to an Excel spreadsheet. 

Purple Martin on nest, Deidra Bryant

As I write about Cornell University’s NestWatch program I think of the kind Amish families I met when I monitored their martin birdhouses for research. Young children and their parents would come outside and tell me what other interesting birds they saw flying around, and sometimes their neighbors would join in and observe if I brought my drone to geofence the site. One empty nester (no pun intended) would always ask me to sit with her on her porch and chat about gardening tips and her engaged sons while we watched the martins fly in and out of their nest gourds with bees in their beaks. One family had binders with laminated data sheets that were over a decade old! I also remember how I’d often come home with gifted bags of fruit and veggies from their orchard and/or farm when it was time to leave. It was such a wonderful experience with so many people and I’ll never forget it. Although we currently live in an age where our community often communicates through a screen, I think where NestWatch succeeds is employing citizen science to not only  bring us together to achieve something bigger than ourselves individually, but also to step outside and talk to friends and neighbors about how nest monitoring can be a memorable experience.