Bird Behaviour: Goose Mating Behaviour

Goose Mating Rituals

Male Embden goose mating

"Birdwatching is not an exact science. Sometimes you need to go back and review what you have seen and reassess bird behaviour in light of more recent observations. Such is the case here. At the start of the mating season I reported seeing what I assumed was two male geese mating one after the other with the same female. Since then it has become obvious that the second 'mating' was a ritual act by the dominant female in a threesome, to do exactly that, to establish her dominance over the second female.  It has been established that goosy threesomes are, in fact, very common. In this instance there is one male with an alpha female and a beta female. This is their story.

Pictures of Little Goslings

 baby geese

Embden Geese Goslings

This photo journal features some very new goslings. Wildlife photographer AnnMackieMiller lets the baby geese tell their own story in this light-hearted article.

There is such a lot to learn when you are fresh out of the egg.

Lesson number one: Stick close to Mum ... or Dad, preferably both!

Goslings are born able to feed themselves but sometimes it takes a bit of practice. This lot seemed to handle themselves fine, if a little enthusiatically at times.

Then you have to learn how to get out of trouble, how to get along with your brother and sisters and how to get Mum to let you snuggle.

It's all hard work for a gosling.

Learning how to graze

'Opps' Tugged too hard there

Clue to perfect grazing:

Embden Don't tug on the grass too hard or you end up on your bottom.

1. Take a GOOD look. 

   

   Close inspection needed'

   
   

   Learning to duck and dive

   

   Trouble? Dive, dive, dive

   At the first hint of trouble - duck and dive.

   The first day out on the canal and it is a scary place. Goslings and ducklings both learn to dive their way out of trouble where ever they can. Adult geese also use ducking under the water to escape.

   The little one in the picture was spooked by another adult goose.

"I'm going under..."

I'll just stay behind Mum

Safe

Learning to spead the love

We may fight a lot but we still love each other.

Geese show affection to each other. As adults it tends to be very loud, with goslings, not so much.

"now now children, no fighting"

Adult Embden goose with two goslings

Adult Embden goose with two goslings

"I luvs ya really."

Learning to snuggle

Don't be afraid to show what you want. When there is a cold wind blowing and your tummy is full, what better spot than under Mum's wing?

These day old goslings are looking for some heat under Mum while Dad keeps watch for baddies.

"Let me in Mum"

"It's cold out here."

"Snuggle time."

Information about these geese

These are part of a large flock of domestic geese gone wild living onGreenhill. Mostly they are white Embden geese but there are also Toulous geese who have more grey feathering. There is also a mix of both with some greylag goose thrown in. One Canada goose was seen mating with a white male but this is unusual and it remains to be seen if there are any goslings as a result.

The female of this partnership is pure white while the male has grey feathering on his wings. If you look at the goslings, you will notice they have some dark patches among the yellow. These are likely to turn into grey markings when they are fully grown.

The all-white geese are harder to identify but with observation you can notice differences in beak markings and the hue of their legs, some can be very pale. The females are all considerably smaller than the males.

Goslings on Bingley Canal

Pictures of Geese: Greenhill Goslings

Embden Goose with Goslings

This photo journal documents the appearance of the first goslings born along Bingley canal in 2011. These original pictures are particularly endearing and are coupled with information on geese you may not know.

Five tiny balls of fluff on legs have appeared on Greenhill, Bingley. Surprisingly not from any of the nests that have been under observation, so this one must have been well hidden.
This photo journal documents the first appearance of the first goslings born along Bingley canal in 2011. These original pictures are particularly endearing and are coupled with information on geese you may not know. Five tiny balls of fluff on legs have appeared on Greenhill, Bingley. Surprisingly not from any of the nests that have been under observation, so this one must have been well hidden.
It may seem the wrong time of year to be sharing pictures of baby birds but I have method in my madness. First of all I am moving content away from Hubpages and probably more importantly I am rasing money to feed the Greenhill Geese over the winter - something I do every year. They do get fed a lot by visitors with bread but bread actually has no nutritional value for birds and they cannot digest it properly so I buy grain so for then. It's expensive! So if you can help even with £1 or $1 and if you enjoy my pictures go to my FundRazr page --> Feed Greenhill Geese.

Adult Embden Geese with Goslings

It is interesting to note that while only the female sits on the nest, and often the male is nowhere to be seen, now the goslings are here, both parents are diligent in their protection. Indeed, it has been noted that the males seem to know when the eggs are about to hatch. The adults do not feed the young, they are born able to feed themselves. They are, however, responsible for their safety.

Unlike mallard ducklings that tend to busily flit around quite far from their mother, the goslings stay very close to the parents, often right in between them. On land, where they graze most, the male is usually standing guard while the female sits and the goslings graze. Then while the male feeds the female will stand guard.

Adult Embden Geese and Goslings on Bingley Canal

These baby birds are only one or at the most two days old. Once they hatch they are immediately led to water in our case the canal . 

Copyright notice

All the images used here are taken by AnnMackieMiller, copyright 2011.

The wildlife photographs are displayed here as low resolution - that means they look blurred when blown up - to discourage theft. However, high resolution electronic copies are available for sale for use on websites and blogs - NOT for use on products - that is retained for the author's own use.

Goslings

Embden Geese Goslings on Bingley Canal

If you are interested in any of these or any other bird images, please feel free to contact me.

PHOTO GALLERY EMBDEN GEESE WITH DAY OLD GOSLINGS

There is always at least one adult on watch

Keeping watch as moorhen looks on

A quick nips gets one moving

One, Two, Three, Four ... there's one missing ...

"I'll clear the way love,"

Saving Greenhill

Greenhill Site

Greenhill is a 40 acre green field site at Micklethwaite Wharf, on the Leeds to Liverpool canal, near Bingley in West Yorkshire. It is home to a resident flock of about 70 white/grey geese who have gone wild and bred here.  In addition there are dozens of mallard ducks, Swedish geese, whie domestic ducks, moorhens, swans, Canada geese and visiting greylag geese. The ancient hedgerows are important navigation for rare continental bats that roost in the area. With easy visual access to this site from the tow path on the other side of the canal, it is a favourite of every generation who come to watch the antics, to listen to the squabbling geese and to feed them.

It is where I do most of my goose photography and it is under threat. A private developer want to put 400 houses on the site and Greenhill Action Group are fighting the planning application. As usual the developers have the upper hand and are using all the tricks at their disposal to get planning permission to destroy this peaceful place.

How Geese Nest in the Wild: Domestic Geese Gone Wild

Domestic Geese Gone Wild

Embden Goose on nest

Near Micklethwaite Wharf on the Leeds to Liverpool canal, in Yorkshire, England, a flock of geese flourish. The original geese were white (gray) domestic geese that escaped from local allotments. Over the years the flock has grown and now numbers about 60 birds. Last year there were only five (5) live goslings born on what locals call the Greenhill.

Interestingly, this year, the flock has split in two. Half stay on the Greenhill while the rest have taken over a field further up the canal. This field is not far from their original site. What is heartening is that there are a lot more nest being built along the canal this year.

In sight of the tow path, the footpath that runs along the opposite bank of the canal from the geese, there are at least ten (10) nests. Only one is obvious on the Greenhill having been built under an ancient hawthorn tree. This is not to say there are not other nests out of sight.

The remainder spread along the side of the canal from the swing bridge at Micklethwaite Wharf to a small weir (an old run-off) about a mile away.

The presence and proximity of the nests provide a unique opportunity to observe nesting behaviour of domestic geese gone wild.

All the images used here on this photo journal are by AnnMackieMiller and are copyright 2011.

A Typical Goose Nest 

nesting Embden goose

Geese are not particularly skilled nest builders. Before laying, the hen will scratch out a hollow, usually near water since the goslings need to get to water soon after birth. The nest is basically the shape and size of her underbelly and she lines it with down plucked from her under carriage. Hence the large amount of down you see floating around the areas where geese nest. Something gratefully harvested by smaller birds for nesting material.

nesting Embden goose

nesting Embden goose

After she lays the eggs, which she does while the gander keeps guard, she will build up the nest with twigs and grass around her. Typically you see them picking the material up, throwing it over their back then sitting on the nest and gathering it around them. Presumably this is for further protection and containment for the eggs and young chicks when they hatch.

How to spot a goose about to lay eggs

  

male goose guards female on the nest

Nesting behaviour becomes evident when the female is ready to lay her eggs. The male takes no part in the nest building or indeed of sitting on the eggs. His role is limited to protection: the male will stand guard while she is laying and will chase off all comers who come near.

What you will notice first is the hen picking up grass and twigs and throwing them over her back, almost in a circle. She will then squat down, creating a hollow and pull the debris around her. After this she will pluck down from her underbelly to line the nest. 

She will then make a lot of noise to get the male to come stand guard if he isn't already there - they are noisy characters. 

male goose guards female on the nest

"Just Checking"!

A note about the geese n Greenhill

 Most of the geese here are Embden geese, white domestic geese of the 'grey' goose family.   In the flock there are also Toulous geese, which have more brown in them and are much larger.  Over time there has been much cross-breeding between these two types of domestic geese as well as wild geese.  Several show signs of having greylag in their DNA. I believe there are also some Toulous Geese and at least one China Goose.  It all makes for some very interesting combinations of colours and feathers and makes it even more exciting to watch for the new goslings.

The first goose nest

Embden Goose with Eggs

The first eggs to be laid this year were along near the weir, under a tree. The parents were two pure white Embden geese, the gander standing guard and nipping at her neck and 'encouraging' her every time she laid an egg. They were laid on the 14th March 2011 in a rather precarious position right on the bank. Indeed, one egg almost landed in the canal.

The next day it became evident that these two were actually part of a threesome, something that is not uncommon and which I have documented elsewhere. The 'third' was a pretty little grey companion that clearly had greylag ancestory. The first clue that they were a threesome was when the male came down to the nest when called by the female. They graze in a field high above the canal and one could clearly hear him answering to each of the female's calls as well as being able to see him racing along the field to get down. With him came the grey companion.

Embden Goose with Eggs

Embden Goose on nest with eggs

Embden Goose on nest

Since then I have seen all three together and seen the male and little grey companion in several 'greeting' displays. The little grey goose turned out to be female, but that is a story for another day.

In total she laid nine (9) eggs that day.  The next day she had clearly recovered the wayward egg and appeared diligent in sitting on them and in turning them.

Unfortunately, since then, this nest has not been well attended.   All three geese continue to protect it by chasing away everything that comes near, but neither of the females is sitting on the eggs much.  It is unlikely any of the eggs will hatch given that they have been left exposed too often and too long.  Perhaps this was their first breeding season and this is simply inexperience.

In actually fact, these eggs never hatched. 

PHOTO GALLERY OF WILD GEESE NESTING