Species of the Month

May’s article written by Nick Nagtegaal, Co-Op Student - Hamilton District Christian High School

As you walk along a body of water you will often see Canada Geese swimming or walking along the shore. Canada Geese naturally live near lakes, ponds, rivers, and fields. They have been moving into parks and golf courses because of their large open areas. Canada Geese prefer open grassed areas near a body of water, so they can escape from prey when they have their goslings. Being in an open field allows them to see any predators hunting them. Canada Geese are grazing birds, meaning they eat things like roots, shoots, stems, berries, grain, leaves, and insects. They can also eat aquatic plants by putting their heads underwater.

Canada Geese stand out from all other geese because of their black neck with the white patch at the top. The person who discovered them had the last name Canada, which is why they are named Canada Goose. Canada Geese live in almost all of North America throughout different parts of the year. Canada Geese can become permanent residents in the southern parts of Canada and the northern part of the US. They can also live further north, extending up to Alaska and Labrador, and migrate during winter to the Southern states and Mexico. When Canada Geese migrate you have probably seen that they fly in a V formation. This is to conserve energy by using the wind currents created by the birds in front of them. Communicating through honking, they switch roles does disperse the work. By using this technique Canada Geese can fly 2400km in a span of 24 hrs.