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Goose
...from Wikipedia

Goose (plural geese) is the general English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than geese, and ducks, which are smaller.

This article deals with the true geese in the subfamily Anserinae, tribe Anserini. A number of other waterbirds, mainly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their name.

True geese are medium to large birds, always (with the exception of the Nene) associated to a greater or lesser extent with water. Most species in Europe, Asia and North America are strongly migratory as wild birds, breeding in the far north and wintering much further south. However, escapes and introductions have led to resident feral populations of several species.

Geese have been domesticated for centuries. In the West, farmyard geese are descended from the Greylag, but in Asia the Swan Goose has been farmed for at least as long.

All geese eat a largely vegetarian diet, and can become pests when flocks feed on arable crops or inhabit ponds or grassy areas in urban environments. They also take invertebrates if the opportunity presents itself; domestic geese will try out most novel food items for edibility.

Geese usually mate for life, though a small number will "divorce" and remate. They tend to lay a smaller number of eggs than ducks, however, both parents protect the nest and young, which usually results in a higher survival rate for the young geese.

Not all couples are heterosexual, sometimes both females and males will form long-term same-sex couples with greater or lesser frequency depending on species (Bagemihl, 1999). Of the heterosexual couples, a significant proportion are non-breeding despite having an active sexual life. See Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, and Snow Goose.

Goose in its origins is one of the oldest words of the Indo-European languages (Crystal), the modern names deriving from the proto-Indo-European root, ghans, hence Sanskrit hamsa (feminine hamsii), Latin anser, Greek khén etc.

In the Germanic languages, the root word led to Old English gos with the plural gés, German Gans and Old Norse gas. Other modern derivatives are Russian gus and Old Irish géiss; the family name of the cleric Jan Hus is derived from the Czech derivative husa.

In non-technical use, the male goose is called a "gander" (Anglo-Saxon gandra) and the female is the "goose" (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)); young birds before fledging are known as "goslings". A group of geese on the ground is called a gaggle; when flying in formation, it is called a wedge or a skein. See also List of collective nouns for birds.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Subfamily: Anserinae

Geese
In addition to Canada geese, (see Wildlife Notebook Series, Canada Geese ), four other goose species are commonly found in Alaska—emperor geese, greater white-fronted geese, lesser snow geese, and brant.

Emperor geese (Chen canagica) are thought to be the state's most attractive geese. Their throat and lower neck are black, but the remainder of their neck and head are white. The body is bluish-gray with feather edgings of black and white. Emperor geese have yellow feet and legs and a white tail. They are a medium-sized but chunky goose, weighing 5 to 7 pounds (2.3-3.2 kg). Their major nesting ground is a small area along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta coast, but some nest along coastal areas of northwest Alaska and in Siberia. Emperor geese lay four to five eggs and are dedicated parents, but first-year survival for the young is relatively low. Nearly all emperors winter under harsh conditions in the Aleutian Islands, on the western and south side of the Alaska Peninsula, and on Kodiak Island. However, stragglers have occurred as far south as California and even Hawaii! Emperor geese are sometimes called “beach geese.” As the name implies, they are rarely found far from marine waters. Although emperors rely on marsh plants and berries for food during the summer and early fall, in late fall and winter they feed heavily on seaweeds and animal matter, such as clams and snails. The emperor goose population declined from an estimated 140,000 in 1964 to 42,000 in 1986. Combined with low first-year survival of young and periods of high nest predation, former levels of harvest contributed to the decline. Since 1984, an intensive research and conservation program has promoted an increase to over 71,000 in 1993.

Greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) are medium-sized, weighing 5 to 7 pounds (2.3-3.2 kg), and generally grayish-brown on the head, neck, back, and wings. They are distinguishable from other dark geese in Alaska by their pink bills, orange legs (young birds have yellow legs), and three-note laughing call. They were officially named for their white faces, acquired in their first winter, although they are commonly called “specklebellies” for the irregular black bars and spots on the breasts of adults. Immatures are white-breasted or have only small, black feathers.

Three populations of white-fronts breed in Alaska. Pacific Flyway white-fronts nest mainly on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Bristol Bay, and winter from central California to Mexico. This population declined from 400,000 to 100,000 birds during the 1970s but grew to over 295,000 by 1993 under restrictive hunting rules. The tule white-fronted goose (A. a. gambelli), a larger and darker subspecies, numbers only about 7,000 birds and winters with Pacific birds in central California. Its Alaska breeding range has not yet been fully determined, but the west side of Cook Inlet is a known nesting area. White-fronts nesting in the remainder of Alaska (none are found in the Aleutian Islands or Southeast Alaska) are part of the Mid-continent Population that breed throughout the western and central arctic of Canada. This population of over 300,000 birds migrates through the central United States and winters in Texas and Mexico. White-fronts are among the first waterfowl to return in the spring. They nest in a variety of habitats near water, usually some distance from other nesting geese, producing clutches that average four to six eggs. Parents and young form strong family units that remain together until the following breeding season. White-fronts leave Alaska early in fall and most are gone by the third week of September.

Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) are small (2½ to 5 pounds or 1.1-2.3 kg) and compact. They are distantly related to Canada geese. They have a black head and neck, blackish-brown back and wings, darkish breast, and white belly. There is a fluted white “necklace” about midneck (except young of the year). Young birds have light gray edgings on their wing feathers which are absent on adults. Lighter colored Atlantic brant are occasionally seen in Alaska during migration. Brant usually travel in wavy lines low to the water and have a guttural, grating call. Brant have been called the “sea goose” because they are never far from salt water year-round. Most Pacific brant nest in colonies along the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta coast. Scattered nesting also occurs along the northwest coast, arctic slope, and in Siberia, with some moderate-sized colonies in the western Canadian arctic. In the fall, brant from Alaska, Canada, and Russia spend six to nine weeks on Izembek Lagoon and adjacent areas near Cold Bay. There they feed on eel grass and build up fat reserves for migration. In late October or early November, the brant leave Izembek en masse, in a non-stop migration across the Gulf of Alaska, mostly to Baja Mexico. Smaller numbers winter in British Columbia, Puget Sound, and a few bays along the Oregon and California coasts. A major shift in brant wintering, from California estuaries to Mexico, occurred by the 1960s. Annually, brant numbers are subject to “boom-and-bust” production and have ranged from 110,000 to 185,000 since 1960, with about half coming from Alaska.

Lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) are medium-sized (4 to 7 pounds or 1.8-3.2 kg) and are completely white except for their black wing tips. Adult birds have pink legs and a pink bill, while the young have grayish-brown bills and legs and feathers tending to sooty-gray. Dark-bodied “blue phase” snow geese, common in the eastern Canadian arctic, have been seen rarely in Alaska. There are very few nesting snow geese in Alaska. Most are found on Howe Island, near Prudhoe Bay, in a colony that sprang up in 1971 and has grown to over 450 pairs. Apparently, they were once numerous on the Seward Peninsula and nested at the mouth of the Yukon River, but climatic conditions or unknown factors led to their disappearance. Most snow geese that occur in Alaska are spring and fall migrants, stopping to feed and rest on their routes to and from other nesting grounds. A large portion of the western Canada arctic population, up to 325,000, congregates in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska during September. These birds breed on Banks Island, Northwest Territory, and feed intensively on the Alaska and Yukon coastal plain before flying through Alberta and Saskatchewan to California for the winter. Snow geese in western Alaska and those found along the Gulf Coast nest on Wrangel Island in Russia, where the population has ranged from 40,000 to 100,000 birds since 1970. Some of these birds apparently use an over-ocean route in fall from the Alaska Peninsula to California. The remainder take a more leisurely coastal route through Southeast Alaska, stopping at the Stikine River Delta, and winter in Washington and British Columbia. In the spring, on their way north, these birds stop over in Cook Inlet and can often be seen near the mouth of the Kenai River. The timing of ice and snowmelt in spring is more critical on both staging and nesting grounds for snows than other geese because they nest in the far north and have a short breeding season. A late spring means that less food may be available at their northern “refueling” areas and that snow cover may delay or completely prevent nesting. In these years, which may occur frequently at high latitudes, few young snow geese will be produced.

Besides these four species and the Canada geese, two other species of geese have been seen in the state. These are the Ross' goose (Chen rossii), a small version of a snow goose, and the bean goose (Anser fabalis), an Asiatic relative of the white-fronted goose.

Source:
Text: Tom Rothe
Illustration: Bill Ray
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/

Canada Geese

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are the most familiar geese in Alaska and across North America. They are classified into over 15 subspecies varying in size and shading. All have a distinctive black head and neck with a white cheek patch; most have a full or partial white ring at the base of the neck, brownish wings, back and sides, white to grayish-brown breast and belly, white rump patch, and black legs and feet. Common characteristics of all geese include similar coloration of males and females, life-long pair bonds with mates (although those that lose mates will re-pair), first breeding at 2-3 years of age, well-adapted for walking on land, feed primarily by grazing on vegetation, and they are very social except during nesting. Pairs generally establish a nesting territory, produce four to five eggs per nest, and raise their young as a family unit. Later, families often combine to form “creches” guarded by several parents. As with most other waterfowl, geese are flightless for about a month in mid-summer, while new wing feathers are grown. Predators of Canada geese and their eggs vary widely among areas and include foxes, coyotes, wolves, bears, wolverines, gulls, eagles, and ravens. Canada geese are popular and accessible to many wildlife watchers, even in urban areas. They are prized by hunters across the continent.

Alaska has six subspecies of Canada geese—two small, two medium, and two large. Cackling Canada geese (B.c. minima) are the smallest subspecies, usually weighing 3 to 5 pounds (1.4-2.3 kg), and they have a distinctive high-pitched call. Cacklers nest only on the outer coast of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska and winter primarily in California's Central Valley. In recent years, an increasing number of cacklers has wintered in western Oregon. Spring migration takes cacklers up the Pacific coast, with a stop in Cook Inlet marshes, through the Alaska Range to the nesting grounds. Fall migration includes staging on the upper Alaska Peninsula for several weeks, then a trans-oceanic flight to Oregon and California. Through the 1970s and early 1980s, overharvest and nest predation reduced the population from over 350,000 to about 30,000. Through a cooperative management effort among wildlife agencies and user groups from Alaska to California, cacklers rebounded to 160,000 by 1993 and are increasing.

Aleutian Canada geese (B.c. leucopareia) weigh 4 to 6 pounds (1.8-2.7 kg) and usually have a broader white ring at the base of their necks than other subspecies. These birds are seldom seen in Alaska outside of their Aleutian Islands breeding grounds. They probably follow a coastal migration route through remote areas of the state and across the Gulf of Alaska on their way to and from their wintering grounds in California's Central Valley. A small group of Aleutians nests on the Semidi Islands and winters near Pacific City, Oregon. Although they formerly nested throughout most of the Aleutian Islands, foxes introduced for fur farming between the 1750s and 1939 extirpated Aleutian Canadas from most islands. In 1967, there were fewer than 800 geese in the population and it was listed as an endangered species. An intensive rangewide recovery program and restocking of geese on fox-free islands has ensured their safety. In 1991, the growing population numbered over 7,000 and was downlisted to a threatened species. Most now nest on Buldir Island, with small numbers on Chagulak, Agattu, Nizki, and Kaliktagik islands.

Taverner's (B.c. taverneri) and lesser Canada geese (B.c. parvipes) are the two medium-sized subspecies that are very similar and may collectively be called “lessers.” They differ only slightly in size and color (Taverneri are smaller and darker breasted). These two populations are the most widespread and abundant Canada goose subspecies in Alaska. Taverner's are geese of coastal tundra, nesting just inland of cackling Canadas on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and extending north to the Arctic Slope. Lesser Canadas (parvipes), related to larger subspecies to the east, nest in Cook Inlet and throughout river drainages between western and Interior Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Both subspecies winter primarily in Washington and Oregon. Taverner's Canadas gather at Izembek Lagoon near Cold Bay for a direct trans-Pacific flight. Parvipes take either the Gulf of Alaska coast south or follow interior paths up the Tanana River through British Columbia.

Dusky Canada geese (B.c. occidentalis) are the darkest colored Canada geese in Alaska. Duskies average 6 to 8 pounds (2.7-3.6 kg), but males can weigh 10 pounds (4.5 kg) or more in spring. The population of dusky geese has always been small, with the shortest migration of all Canada geese in Alaska. They nest only on the Copper River Delta near Cordova. Most birds overwinter in the rich grassy fields of Oregon's Willamette Valley and along the Columbia River near Portland, but a few stay farther north in coastal areas of Washington and British Columbia. The great Alaska earthquake of 1964 produced an uplift and drying of their nesting grounds that initially helped duskies increase to over 25,500 by 1979. However, long-term habitat changes favoring predators, such as brown bears and coyotes, have reduced dusky goose production, and the population has hovered between 10,000 and 18,000 since the 1980s.

The largest geese in Alaska, Vancouver Canada geese (B.c. fulva), weigh 6 to 10 pounds ((2.7-4.5 kg) during the fall, but males can weigh 12 to 14 pounds (5.5-6.4 kg) in spring. These geese are found in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia where most remain year-round. Vancouver geese, unlike other Canadas, nest in coastal forests and winter along marine waters. The biology of these birds is not well known because they are more secretive, frequently building nests and rearing broods in old growth spruce and hemlock forests. Vancouvers sometimes nest in trees. Succulent plants, including skunk cabbage, are favored summer foods, but Vancouvers heavily rely on animal matter during the winter. Clams, salmon eggs, and even dead salmon are readily eaten!

For more information about geese, the reader is encouraged to review Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America (F.C. Bellrose, 1976, Stackpole Books) and the Wildlife Notebook Series entry on Geese.

Source: Text: Dan Timm and Tom Rothe
Illustration: Bill Ray
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/

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Edguy: Lavatory Love Machine
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