Canada Geese of New England

By Xavier

animals.nationalgeographic.com

I was interested in studying Canada geese because I like watching them fly in the sky. In this report you will learn about their appearance, what they eat, their defenses, how they move, their babies, where they live, and other interesting facts.

Canada geese are a type of goose. They have a black head and neck with white on the bottom of their head. Their wings are brownish and the rest of the body is brownish and gray. Males usually weigh between 7 and 14 pounds. Females are lighter colors and weigh between 5 and 12 pounds. Males make a different honking sound than the females.

Canada geese are omnivores. This means that they eat meat and plants. They eat corn, fish, and mice. They also eat grasses.

They fly and run. The babies sometimes have to run from predators. They fly in a v formation. They make a v. The tip of the v points south. Some people use the Canada geese to know which way is south in the winter. They can fly a long time because they have a lot of fat. It makes them have enough energy to fly that long.

The main enemy of the Canada goose is people. People use guns and hunt them. They have other predators. The arctic fox is a natural enemy. They have other natural enemies. Coyotes, red fox, gray wolves, snowy owls, great horned owls, golden eagles and bald eagles are enemies too.

A female Canada goose lays her eggs in a soft nest. She keeps them warm. The small geese are called goslings. Goslings can fly when they are six to nine weeks old. After two or three seasons, they can find a mate and start a new family. They can live ten to twenty-five years.

I peer up at the sky. I look for the v formation of the flock of geese returning to Canada for the summer or leaving Canada for the winter. I think that they are going south or north. They are flying to where they need to be. They are very cool birds!

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Last Updated: 10/30/07