What do geese know that we don't?
The value of organization, for one. While the structure of the United States government, built over centuries, is being torn apart in a matter of months, we can still look up and see those tight Vs in the spring sky as flocks of Canada geese return north.
Though many geese never leave the Chicago area. A pair showed up at my feeder last week. Most of the birds we get are "LBBs" — little brown birds, sparrows, wrens, finches — shamed by the occasional red cardinal. My feeder has also been visited by everything from ducks to hawks, which, of course, are not interested in the birdseed, per se, but the wildlife below — bunnies and squirrels — scavenging what falls from various beaks.
The geese were nibbling at those paltry leavings when, big-hearted fool that I am, I went outside. The geese removed themselves to a safe distance and I grabbed a heaping scoopful of seed and tossed it on the ground. There. Bon appetit.
Have you ever watched geese eat? I hadn't. One goose would plunge its face into the seeds, happily gobbling. The other wouldn't. It stood guard, head on a swivel, looking left, then right. This went on for several minutes. Then they'd switch.
"Sentinel behavior," said Michael P. Ward, an expert in conservation and bird behavior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Trying to detect predators. A lot of things want to eat birds, and they're better working together, taking turns."
Cooperation. Looking out for each other. Another practice that has fallen on hard times in the human world.
One doesn't get a goose expert on the phone every day. I seized the opportunity.
That flying V formation? I assume it's to keep the flock from getting separated.
"No, it's actually aerodynamics," Ward said. "The wind goes around the lead bird. The bird in the very front of the V pays a cost."
There is no designated head goose. They take turns at the point of the V. Again, sharing the burden.
I suggested more geese are sticking around Chicago due to global warming.
"That is definitely correct," Ward said. "Winters in Chicago have become more mild. Geese learned to take advantage of human food. Geese are hanging out on people's roofs. In Chicagoland, the majority of them are staying. Then you have birds that come down from farther north."
The geese seem to weigh the chance of starving to death in Illinois — where snow can cover the fields they like to forage — against being shot by hunters in Kentucky.
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"People see geese as this dumb bird that gets in my way, but if you actually start studying them, they make decisions and have strategies," Ward said.
I don't see too many geese up here. I'm not sure why, but I used to take the train to the Buffalo Grove station for years. Those geese were mean. I had to plan my route to avoid them.
ReplyDeleteOn the Near South Side at the rowing dock on the somewhat hidden Eleanor St. the dock it totally covered in geese shit. It's disgusting! They're everywhere in Washington Park all year too.
ReplyDeleteRoast goose sounds kind of nice if they'd legalize it!
Canada geese have another advantage, at least with regard to human consumption. They are bottom scavengers and therefore don't taste very good.
DeleteWhat do you imagine geese eat?
DeleteMostly grass just like cows
If prepared properly they are delicious.
In typical fashion, dumb people view Canada Geese as stupid, and they forget that we can learn much from wildlife. Given what is happening to us now with the dismantling of the US government, we are the dumb species.
ReplyDeleteI often thought of them as promising and convenient candidates for a succulent midwinter entree. Unfortunately, I learned, these particular geese taste awful, winged mud carp.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure the awful taste of geese isn't another manifestation of geese intelligence: self serving propaganda from the sky?
DeleteBy the way, I'm told that carp are delicious. Their propaganda machine is apparently more effective than the States'.
john
The second comment out of the first 5 noting that Canada geese are evidently not used as the traditional "Christmas goose" because of their own dining habits. I did not know that. I have seen plenty of wooden docks in the city totally covered in their droppings, however. Gross, indeed.
Delete"geese are used to ignoring joggers" I can vouch for that, as I've frequently been surprised by how they'll stand their ground on a path as I head toward them. So, it's also good to know that "They can’t really hurt you." The most I've encountered has been a disdainful hissing as I go by, though.
Beautiful photo atop the blog, NS!
Flocks and flocks of them on our many rivers makes shorelines hazardous waste dumps. They used to leave in the winter, but no longer due to global and local industrial warming.
DeleteI have watched adult geese kill young, will literally grab them by their little ne ks and force them uner water till the drown, assuming the adult male didn't break the younger's neck in the process.
Amen to this! I have twice -- with my own two eyes -- witnessed the intelligent and well-organized behavior of geese. One was an ingenious method for protecting goslings swimming on a river by using a fake-out maneuver. Another time I watched a gaggle crossing the road in front of my car with soldierly precision. There were three geese in charge barking orders: one in front leading the way, one behind to keep everyone moving, and one off to the side to prevent straying. I've seen other instances of animal intelligence and thoughtful action. When I was a kid I pried up a flat rock that revealed an ant colony and I was deeply impressed by the way the ants immediately got busy and knew exactly what to do to move and protect the colony's resources. I know they were ants and not higher-order creatures, but wow just the same.
ReplyDeleteI think your feeder needs to be better supported. Looks like a strong wind will knock it over.
ReplyDeleteAltruism is something we need much more of.
ReplyDeleteSadly, i think they only way it comes back is if something very very bad happens.
I like geese, but then again i like birds. Watching a goose land on water is mesmerizing. I think if people would like more birds (and less geese) we need to stop encroaching into their habitats. Restore more prairie, stop global warming, fight the fascists, be more altruistic.
After all, one to three pounds of geese sh...poop seems like a lot, but compared to what right wing media (and most of media now a days) leave after only a few hours... I think I'd take the south side rowing dock any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.
Go see for yourself that rowing dock & you'll change your mind instantly!
DeleteI grew up in Arlington Heights in the late 70s Geese were a real novelty, and sighting a flock a rare treat. One year, hundreds of geese congregated in a plowed cornfield by the Lutheran Home retirement center on their fall migration. They stayed for about a week or two and, in that pre-internet age, word somehow quickly spread. Cars lined the surrounding streets every evening as everyone and their uncle came to gape. You’d run into someone at the grocery store or church and the first topic of conversation was “Did you see the geese?” Lately, we’re spotting Sandhill cranes everywhere, even overwintering pairs. Not sure if it’s because they’re more plentiful or because their migratory patterns have changed.
ReplyDeleteWasn't this bird renamed "American Goose" by executive order?
ReplyDeleteOff-topic, but given the recent depressing news with regard to the Sun-Times, it was nice to see a cheerier notice in today's Bright One:
ReplyDelete"Lee Bey, a former editorial board member, who also writes a monthly column on architecture, is now the full-time architecture critic for the Sun-Times. The change reflects Chicago’s strong interest in the built environment — and the forces that shape it — from neighborhood development and building preservation to the latest additions to our skyline."
Through song, color, manner of flight, communication, and nesting habits birds can leave us in awe. Annoying as they are, Canada geese are no exception. I've observed them at my brother's lake house in central Illinois during all seasons. They make a lot of noise when in flight, barking orders at each other, and drop excrement anywhere they land. It puzzles me why it is illegal to hunt them when pheasant is fair game. They used to be rare around here, but not any longer. I've seen them in flocks of up to 200 at a time. They are especially clever around water in the winter. When the lake freezes over, they work together by taking turns stirring up an area of water. They know that water in motion does not freeze. Therefore, their actions provide a continuous source of it. If only our current flock of politicians could be as wise, we would all be better off. Who knows? We might even find a way to survive.
ReplyDeleteIt is legal to hunt geese in waterfowl zones throughout Illinois. The bag limit 2 per day and possession of up to 9 is legal. hunting has different seasons for different animals.
DeleteHunting is illegal in Chicago for obvious reasons as with most urban areas.
Moving water won't freeze? Ever seen a frozen river?
Back when I was working for a living, our office/factory was near a pond that attracted flocks of Canada geese. They often paraded around the building and drove our V.P. nuts as they honked outside his window, making phone conversations difficult. One day our sales manager stopped by my desk and said, "Dan, I'm going to be on the road next week, so I'm putting you in charge of spreading the bread crumbs outside Bernie's window."
ReplyDeleteLove this story, dannyathome!
DeleteGeese are well-protected in Ohio. Anyone who tortures, kills, or harms them in any way is subject to harsh penalties, including jail time. Even running over a goose will get you into...um...well...deep shit.
ReplyDeleteFor some thirty years, at least until he became a repetitive, prejudiced, and unamusing Saturday evening pest, I never missed Garrison Keillor's radio show on NPR. He introduced me to a lot of rural Midwestern expressions that many city dwellers and suburbanites are unfamiliar with. One of them was: "You haven't got the sense that God gave geese."
From reading today's EGD, I've learned the truth of that old country saying. They are far more intelligent than I ever realized. And all I have to do is look around me to see how little sense American humans seem to have these days. A gaggle of geese possesses far more intelligence than the carloads of clowns in D.C. And one of them would definitely make a much better POTUS. For starters, we'd hear a lot less honking.
While you are correct that geese are well protected from being killed any old time or place. You can hunt geese in season in Ohio and many people do
DeleteHunting them is one thing, killing them is another. Hunting geese in the fall has always been perfectly legal. I was talking about the sickos who would chase and kill them for a number of reasons...their pooping, their honking, the biting, or even blocking their way while driving.
DeleteOhio geese have been killed with cars, pickup trucls, motorcycles, crossbows, firearms, or were just plain beaten to death. Mostly by male teen-agers and young men. Drunk, stoned, and sober. Haven't heard much about such killings in recent years. I believe it's a felony now. The fines are heavy, and the punishment often includes incarceration as well. Which is as it should be.
I am not convinced that they can't really hurt humans. I was saw a flock crossing the roadway on an exit ramp near O'Hare. Two adults as crossing guardand about ten goslings in the class. Cars swerving and screeching.
ReplyDeleteI pulled onto the shoulder and tried guiding the leader back to grass. They double teamed me. Wings spread, necks fully extended, loud honking. Intimidating. They hit me with their wings and punched me with their heads.
I hope the drivers slowly driving past were entertained by the sight of me running back to my car chased by the flock.
Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area, which straddles northern Dodge County and southern Fond du Lac County in Wisconsin, is a wonderful location to view migrating waterfowl and waterbirds, including thousands of Canada geese. Seeing and hearing thousands of Canada geese, especially in the mid- to late-afternoon timeframe, are sights and sounds worthy of the drive. We've only been there in late October/early November, but I suspect Spring viewing is as impressive as Fall viewing.
ReplyDelete"Fly Away Home" is a very sweet, based on a true story, movie about Canada geese migrating south into the U.S. from north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Released in 1996, it stars a very young Anna Paquin and Jeff Daniels. The soundtrack is stunning and is worth the listen even if the movie fails to entertain.
Used to listen to them as they began their winter flight to Canada while walking the town seeking candidate petition signatures. Clean crisp air, streets of colorful leaves, old and new neighbors for blocks. Relaxing and invigorating. The county takeover of local elections ended that by making elections in November. Twenty years later, the geese now fly overhead year 'round like dementia agitated and confused dementia patients. Or maybe its the pot production plants' emissions messing with their minds.
ReplyDelete