by Gena Husman

Created on: September 01, 2009   Last Updated: September 02, 2009

The Canada Goose Family

Blessing-or curse? For most of the last 22 years our pond has been a combined summer camp and training ground to at least 1 or 2 families of Canada geese - one year we had 5 families. We name the families according to the number of babies in each family - the 2-baby family, the 5-baby family, etc. They move in and take over from around the beginning of May until early August.

Actually, we look forward to their arrival each spring. The first ones show up around mid March and begin their courtship and mating when the ice on the pond starts to thaw. The pair(s) then disappear back in the marsh where they build their nest and incubate their eggs for about 28 days. During this time the male comes up alone to the pond 2 or 3 times a day to eat the corn we put out for him, and then brings the female up for a short time in the late afternoon.

We start looking for the first goose family to show up at the pond around the beginning of May. They walk up through the field from the marsh because the goslings can't fly. Some years we have 1 family, some years we have several; and some years no one shows up. Some of the families are friendly and we share family moments with them; some of them keep to themselves and we barely see them.

Canada geese mate for life, but if one of them dies, the other will eventually find a new companion. They are wonderful parents who spend a lot of time working with their babies. The adults actually have a series of maneuvers and "games" designed to prepare their offspring for life in the wild; and over the years we have noted that the maneuvers are identical from family to family

We have invented names for some of their training programs. "Pop-up" is where the whole family swims out to the middle of the pond and drops out of sight under water. The babies swim for 30 or 40 feet before popping up to the surface-everywhere.

In the "Chorus-line", the family stretches out in a line across the pond and runs across the top of the water flapping their wings as if getting ready to fly - this is an older kids' game. Young geese from the other families watch from the edge of the pond in admiration.

"Attack!" is when the whole family runs full tilt along the pond bank with their necks straight out in front, hissing ferociously.

In late July after all the training games are over, and the last adult molts, and the babies are strong enough to fly, they leave the pond to join up with other flocks which may eventually either migrate south or winter in the north. And, if they are able, at least 1 (or more) of these geese will find its way back next spring to start its family on our pond.

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