Most of us are familiar with the large gray geese seen on many farms. Sometimes a boy or girl will be in charge of taking care of a dozen or more. These are called domestic, or tame, geese. They are raised for their eggs and to sell to meat markets, or as food for the farmer’s family.
But we are going to look at some of the many wild geese in this and the three following articles. While different in some ways, particularly in their coloring, they all have similar habits and patterns of life. They are big birds, often weighing 20 pounds or more and measuring two to three feet from the tip of their beaks to their tail feathers. The wingspreads on most of them are six feet or more-equal to the height of a tall man.
Their lives depend on lots of water and, except when flying, they are always either swimming or on marshy ground nearby where they make their nests. Usually the females do this by themselves, picking spots slightly higher than the swampy surroundings. Their nests are large, made of twigs, branches and coarse grass, and lined with a thick cushion of soft down plucked from their feathers.
Usually six to nine large round white eggs are laid and incubated by the mother, whose webbed feet will sometimes accidently knock an egg out of the nest and send it rolling. But this doesn’t bother her much. When it stops rolling she stands over it with her back to the nest, lowers her long neck and with her big beak patiently rolls it backward to the nest and up and over the side, back where it belongs.
Baby geese (called goslings) are cute little puff balls of yellow down. They are right at home the first time they get in water and paddle off for a swim. They have waterproof feathers and webbed feet which ensure their water safety. With most varieties the little ones stay with the mother all summer, then travel with her on the fall migration, and stay with her through the following winter season. In this long program they are sure of excellent training for their adult lives.
Food eaten by these birds includes leaves, roots and seeds, all of which may be found under water, on its surface, or on adjoining dry land. They also like fish and other water creatures. At times they annoy farmers by getting into their crops. When grazing in fields or open areas, sentinels take their place along the edges while the others feed. They take turns standing guard.
Geese of each colony usually remain together, both in migrating and meeting throughout the year. Pairs stay together the year round, and some pairs remain with one another until the death of one of them.
They are remarkable examples of the wonders of God’s creation, as a Bible verse tells us: “Thou art worthy, O Lord... for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:1111Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11).
(to be continued)
ML-10/13/1991
OCTOBER 13, 1991