Saturday, March 24, 2007

Duck feeding #1

3 Comments:

Blogger Circuits@Buckingham said...

I think you'll find that they are canada geese..... your poor children, they will be mocked on field trips....

"The black head and neck with white "chinstrap" distinguish this goose from all except the Barnacle Goose, but the latter has a black breast, and grey, rather than brownish, body plumage. There are seven subspecies of this bird, of varying sizes and plumage details, but all are recognizable as Canada Geese. Some are hard to distinguish from the Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii), with which the Canada Goose was long assumed to form one species; the name Lesser Canada Goose is, confusingly, often applied to B. hutchinsii.

This species is 90-100 cm long with a 160-175 cm wing span. Males weigh 3.5–6.5 kg, (8–14 pounds), and can be very aggressive in defending territory. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter at 3–5.5 kg (7–12 pounds), and has a different honk. Exceptionally, weights of 11.3 kg (25 pounds) and a wingspan of 224 cm (88 inches) have been recorded in the largest race.

Specialized for plant feeding
Example of a crèche
Example of a parade
Aggressive behavior during mating seasonThese birds feed mainly on plant material. When feeding in water, they submerge their heads and necks to reach aquatic plants, sometimes tipping forward like a dabbling duck. Flocks of these birds often feed on leftover cultivated grains in fields, especially during migration or in winter.

Canada Goose in mid-flight Canada Geese have reached western Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries. The birds are of at least the subspecies parvipes, and possibly others. Canada Geese are also found naturally on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, eastern China, and throughout Japan.

Greater Canada Geese have also been widely introduced in Europe, and have established feral populations in Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. Semi-tame feral birds are common in parks, and have become a pest in some areas. It is now proven that most Scandinavian and some British birds have established a migration pattern. The geese were first introduced in the Britain in the late 17th century as an addition to King James II's waterfowl collection in St. James's Park. Finally, Canada Geese were introduced as a game bird into New Zealand, but they have also become a problem in some areas there.

By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 1800s and early 1900s had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota by Harold Hanson of the Illinois Natural History Survey. With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of the subspecies occidentalis, may still be declining. They have adapted well to urban environments, especially those with well-trimmed lawns and large ponds, such as golf courses and city parks.

Atlantic Canada Goose, Branta canadensis canadensis
Interior Canada Goose, Branta canadensis interior
Giant Canada Goose, Branta canadensis maxima
Moffitt's Canada Goose, Branta canadensis moffitti
Vancouver Canada Goose, Branta canadensis fulva
Dusky Canada Goose, Branta canadensis occidentalis
part of "Lesser complex", Branta canadensis parvipes
The distinctions between the two geese have led to a great deal of confusion and debate among ornithologists. This has been aggravated by the overlap between the small types of Canada Goose and larger types of Cackling Goose. The old "Lesser Canada Goose" was believed to be a partly hybrid population, with the birds named taverneri considered a mixture of minima, occidentalis and parvipes. In addition, it has been determined that the Barnacle Goose is a derivative of the Cackling Goose lineage, whereas the Hawaiian Goose is an insular representative of the Canada Goose.



whatever next... you'll tell them electricity comes out of the ground!!

5:42 PM  
Blogger Rebecca said...

I am glad that you bought this up, I get the wooden spade handles and the need to wear wellys if you are going to put your hands in the soil but what happens at the seaside, I could have nightmares about the times we've dug a moat and filled it with water, you would think there would be warning signs, still it's handy to know I don't need a primus I can just take the kettle down there and plug it in !

7:44 PM  
Blogger Nick & Liz; said...

Do you people have nothing better to do than take the p***???!!!!!!!!

7:48 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home