Contributed by weirdbird
Hello to all bird lovers!
This is the very first post of my new specialized blog focusing primarily on birds (and other forms of wildlife I sometimes come across). I'm interested in studying and understanding these creatures' behaviours and ultimately answering the big questions concerning them: to what extent are they conscious, how smart are they, what are their communication capabilities, how can we 'communicate' with them, etc.
Here's a cool picture of a curious Canadian goose I took on March 30, 2012 (Ottawa):
It's also my 'mascot' picture. A lot of people find these birds to be a nuisance; so sad...
Some interesting facts about this particular bird (and its partner):
- The geese that come to this park are usually tagged; this goose and its partner weren't tagged, however. Their favourite activities: eating grass (they're true lawn mowers!), preening, more preening, going for a little dip, and napping.
- The geese (and the ducks) don't actually sleep in this park; they fly away at dusk and come back early the next day (there are sometimes little hatchlings that are left behind all on their own during the nightime; they're usually little mallard duck chicks though).
- Canada geese are often confounded with the very similar Cackling Goose species (they look almost identical!). You can tell them apart by looking at their beaks and overall size; Canada geese are larger-bodied and have a longer beak, while Cackling Geese have a stubbier beak, a shorter neck, and a smaller body.
- This goose was probably the male of the couple because it acted in a more dominant, protective manner than its partner which was a little more shy.