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Gosling
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Description - young: Newly hatched Canada Geese look much like ducklings with yellow and gray feathers and a dark bill. But within a week they grow to be rather awkward-looking, fuzzy gray birds. By nine to ten weeks old, they've grown their flight feathers and look like slightly smaller versions of the adult.
Feeding: Canada Geese, like most waterfowl, eat aquatic vegetation, grass, roots and young sprouts. They also eat grain and corn from agricultural areas.
Habitat: Canada Geese live around ponds, river and lake shores. They've become quite a common sight in city parks -- some cities are having trouble with overpopulation of the geese and, for this reason, are trying to discourage people from feeding them in the overpopulated areas.
Nesting: Canada Geese build their nest with grass and plant material and line it with feather down. The geese typically nest on the ground on islands and shorelines. However, they're very adaptable birds and in urban settings nest where ever it seems safe to them -- even on the edge of the runway at the airport or on the edge of the water traps on the golf course!
The female lays her eggs as soon as there is open water for mating and snow-free nest sites.
The female typically lays a clutch of 5 to 7 white eggs (though the number can range anywhere from 2 to 12) while the male guards the nesting area. Laying the eggs is not a simple task. Each egg takes a little over a day to lay.
The eggs typically take about a month to incubate. The process is faster the farther north the geese nest since the summers are shorter.
The baby geese peck at their shells with the 'egg tooth' found at the end of their bill. It takes 1 to 2 days for them to free themselves from the egg.
The newly hatched babies (called 'goslings') are able to swim immediately. The male and female goose both accompany the babies during their swims.
Goslings can dive and swim for 30-40 feet underwater and they eat almost continuously to attain growth for the first migration flight. |
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- chiliu
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1494 W: 0 N: 1175]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(6494) - [2005-06-19 17:21]
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Fantastic portrait!
Excellent detail,great colour,well composed.SUPERB SHOT!
TFS!
Nice shot Jerolim!
Very sharp, beautiful color contrast, yello goseling against the green grass.
Godd one!
![Silver Note Writer [C: 5 W: 0 N: 51]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/n-n-s.gif)
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