NOVEMBER 23, 2017 // 19
Canada goose
By LYNETTE RAE McADAMS
FOR COAST WEEKEND
E
asily the most recog-
nized waterfowl in North
America, the Canada
goose can be found in almost
every wet environment on the
continent, from the melted
summer tundra of the Arctic
north, to the warm Gulf Coast
waters of the deep south.
Distinguished by its large
size and obvious markings,
this handsome bird weighs in
at almost 15 pounds and boasts
a wingspan of nearly 6 feet.
Its bill, head and elongated
neck are all solid coal-black,
with a signature chinstrap
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running cheek to cheek in a
wide shock of bright white.
The body of the goose is col-
ored in soft browns and dusty
grays, with creamier down
feathers on the breast and
underside, and darker, more
pronounced brown flight
feathers on the wings.
In the language of science,
the species name, Branta
canadensis, means “burnt
goose out of Canada,” and
perfectly describes this group
of birds comprising seven
sub-species, six of which
make stop-overs or live year-
round along the southwest
Washington and north Oregon
coasts. Though each one
varies slightly, the differences
center mostly on size, and
only a trained eye can pick
them out easily.
Canada geese mate for life
and return each year to the
place where they were born to
breed and nest. Baby geese,
called goslings, take their first
swim less than 24 hours after
they hatch and, only one day
later, will be able to dive 30
to 40 feet underwater. With
flight lessons beginning be-
tween two and three months
LYNETTE RAE MCADAMS PHOTO
Canada geese
of age, young geese prepare
all summer to follow their
parents on their first migra-
tion, which usually takes
place when they’re only about
six months old.
A famous announcement
for the changing of the sea-
sons, migrations occur twice
each year — in the spring and
fall — and are an impressive
feat of biologic engineering.
In advance of the great flight,
the goose’s body alters its
chemical state, producing
extra thyroid hormones to
suddenly increase muscle
mass and help cope with the
physical stress of the voyage.
Flying at an altitude of
about 3,000 feet, some Canada
geese make migrations as long
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as 3,000 miles and can travel
1,500 miles in one day. Align-
ing themselves in a V-forma-
tion during flight, they use a
technique called “drafting”
whereby the lead goose breaks
the headwind, giving the geese
behind it a much easier ride.
Because the lead position
expends so much energy, the
geese trade off, with the lead
goose falling to the rear when-
ever it tires, and each goose
taking a turn up front.
The largest goose in the
world and one of the most
hunted, the Canada was
thought to be nearly extinct
until the mid 1960s. Little
more than half a century later,
the population has increased
so much that many urbanized
flocks, now dependent on
human interactions for food,
are considered pests.
Generally, a group of geese
is called a “flock,” but a group
of geese in flight is a “skein,”
and geese on the ground may
be referred to as a “gaggle,” a
“herd” or a “corps.”
In 2009, a US Airways
flight collided with a skein
of migrating Canada geese,
causing complete loss of
power and forcing the pilot to
make an emergency landing
in New York’s Hudson River.
Amazingly, all members of
the flight survived, and the
story was later memorialized
in the 2016 film “Sully,” with
Tom Hanks in the starring
role. CW
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