Somewhere in the depths of the genetic memory of domestic and some breeds of ducks is the belief that they can fly. Indeed, many of them can - not far and not high, but enough to ruin the life of their masters. For example, they are able to fly out of their pen into the garden to their neighbors and destroy the best variety of tomatoes under the root; or just fly over a high fence and move where goose eyes look - then you have to spend half a day searching, and it’s good if other people’s dogs didn’t attack the birds.
To prevent these unauthorized flights, bird owners often resort to wing trimming. We will tell you how to do it correctly so as not to harm the bird and not disfigure it.
In general, trimming wings is a simple procedure. When starting it, consider a few simple rules.
- Don't cut both wings, one is enough. Trying to take off, a bird with a clipped wing will immediately lose its balance.
- Leave a few flight feathers at the tip of the wing, then the clipping will not be noticeable - of course, when the bird's wings are folded. This matters when you are proud of your bird's appearance.
- It is recommended to trim the wings with heavy scissors; suitable for metal scissors.
- Trim the feathers shorter, 2.5-5 centimeters from the skin.
- Birds should not be clipped more than once a year.
Mallard wing before pruning
Mallard wing after pruning
Flight feathers are left, so trimming is almost invisible
Goose wing before trimming
Goose wing after trimming
Flight feathers are left, so trimming is invisible
Please note that only adult birds can trim their wings, and before that time they will change feathers three times. Wings are not trimmed until they are at least 15 weeks old, and geese are not trimmed until 17 weeks of age. By this time, all molts should have passed.
Geese are perhaps the most anti-crisis bird. They find most of their food on their own, rarely get sick, and do not require much trouble. If you haven't yet, read our article and decide. If you like ducks more, read the article. Our video will help you build a poultry house.
In autumn, sometimes flocks of birds are drawn to warmer climes. They can be used to judge when autumn ends. Geese become such messengers, as they are among the last to fly away. When geese fly, returning to their homeland, they portend the onset of the warmth of spring.
Scientists, trying to establish why geese fly away for the winter, agreed that the reasons are as follows:
- Lack of food: due to the onset of cold weather, the plant food necessary for natural survival disappears.
- Freezing of water bodies: geese - waterfowl, although they spend less time in the water, compared to ducks or swans, for example. However, the permanent absence of a reservoir for wild birds of this breed will be unacceptable.
In favor of these arguments, we can give an opposite example related to the Nile goose, which lives in a warm climate with a sufficient amount of plant food. This species does not need to migrate, because it is provided with everything necessary all year round.
Habitat
Even before the onset of cold weather, birds gather in flocks and prepare for a long flight. Watching the flying goose flocks, comparing their species, where they live in the summer and where they fly away for the winter, one can trace the following trend:
| goose breed | habitation | Wintering |
| bean goose | Taiga and tundra of Eurasia | Mediterranean and Black Sea coast, southeastern China and Japan, Central Asia |
| White | Arctic coasts, high latitudes of North America, eastern Eurasia - Chukotka, Wrangel Islands | Columbia, Canada, UK, California (USA) |
| Grey | Moderate climate, starting from Eurasia, ending with Lapland, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, southern Siberia | Asia, southern Europe, northern Africa |
| white-fronted, arctic | Tundra of Eurasia and America | India, Japan, Korea, China |
| Sukhonos | East Asia | East of Japan, China and Korea |
| Beloshey | Alaska | Commander Islands, Kuriles |
| Lesser White-fronted Lesser | Russian forest tundra | Azerbaijan, Greece, China, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Balkan Islands, Black Sea and Caspian coasts |
| Mountain | Kyrgyzstan | India |
Data
It is obvious that geese, when they fly, cover very long distances. This is confirmed by a recorded fact: a flight covering a distance of up to ten thousand kilometers.
To understand at what height they usually fly, you need to turn to the facts again. A record height of more than eleven thousand meters was recorded during the flight of mountain geese through the Himalayas. Geese, when they fly, are accustomed, as a rule, to an eight-meter height, since at such a distance from the earth's surface the density of the atmosphere is less and the oxygen in it is rarefied. The features of migratory birds, precisely, consist in the fact that from a rarefied atmospheric air get the energy needed to fly. The weather also affects flight altitude. It has been noticed that during bad weather flocks of geese fly much lower than when it is clear.
How fast do these beautiful birds move? It is known that geese usually fly at very high speeds - up to eighty kilometers per hour.
Without rest, these birds sometimes spend up to ninety hours. For example, white geese, migrating, fly, covering a distance of about three thousand kilometers in sixty hours, that is, in a day they can cover a distance of about five hundred kilometers. It is hard to even imagine what unique properties of the body they must have!
Flying limitations
Speaking about how wild geese fly, it is impossible not to mention that even this natural ability has some limitations:
- Despite the fact that birds spend most of their time on land, they also feel great in the water, but it is difficult for them to take off from its surface, since they need a short run-up before flying.
- The ability to fly is lost when the feather molts, which lasts about six weeks. From this period, on average, 20 days, geese do not fly at all and try to hide in calm, remote places. This period happens twice a year.
- During the day, geese prefer to rest, best time when they fly - night.
- Males fly less during the period when they need to protect female goslings.
domestic relatives
There are different opinions about whether domestic geese fly or not. Some people believe that this breed is specially grown and fattened so that it cannot fly at all. Others argue that it's just a lack of training for flying. Both sides are partially right, because due to lifestyle changes, the new generation is gradually erasing, even at the genetic level, those abilities that they do not use. Domestic geese get more food, their body is not as volatile due to the weight of the body.
Nevertheless, domestic geese, although not so high and far, still fly, and can even fly away from home, as in the fairy tale about Niels' journey with geese. Therefore, poultry farmers usually trim the feathers for pets, which are responsible for keeping the bird in the air at a certain height.
Advice: you need to trim the feathers only from adult geese, which have previously experienced molting three times.
Reasonable details
Geese tend to fly in a wedge or line, depending on the breed. This is not at all accidental. Studies conducted by scientists have made it clear that the flap of the goose's wings helps its comrades flying nearby to gain the desired height. With this way of wave turbulence and formation, the entire flock flies much faster. In human society, this approach can be compared to the fact that a team striving for a common goal also achieves it faster and more efficiently. By the way, the aviation inventions of airplanes by the Wright brothers were made just as a result of observing how flocks of geese fly.
A little information about them. Geese belong to the order Anseriformes. About 8 species live on the territory of the Russian Federation: gray goose, white goose (I really want to write 2 funny geese, after all, it was not in vain that the song of the same name was invented), white-fronted, white-headed, dry-nosed and so on.
Geese fly, of course, due to their plumage. They have quite developed down and feathers. How often in various parks you can see these beautiful birds. Especially in the spring after their flight from warm countries.
Geese differ from their relatives - ducks, in that they have an elongated neck, a powerful beak, and along its edges there are small teeth. By the way, in this regard, swans have longer neck than geese.
Without clipping the wings of his geese, the owner risks being left without a flock or waiting for the return from two to 24 hours!
The goose is not much different from the goose, so it is difficult to distinguish between them. But still, something can be seen. The goose itself has a large body shape, and its beak ends in a hump at the end. Also, the male is more aggressive (due to the protection of the female and offspring) and he makes hacking sounds and may even hiss.
It is foolish to wonder if geese can fly - of course they can, and they do it pretty quickly. In winter they fly south and return in spring. During this period, they are nesting. Usually geese find a place near swamps or meadows. Only the female takes part in the incubation of the eggs. The male guards her throughout the process.
After the chicks hatch, the male also takes on the role of a guard not only of the female, but of all the offspring. It should be noted that if the goose is young, it has a fragile plumage, so it will have to wait more with flights. But on the other hand, all geese from childhood (however, like ducks) know how to swim. In this regard, they lag behind ducks, as they do not spend much time in the water.
Scientifically, these birds are called Anser. IN Russian Federation There are about 24 species of domestic geese. There are six females per male goose.
The goose is a pack animal. Therefore, flights are carried out in flocks. And only during nesting they are distributed in pairs. And how far can they fly and in general, at what height do geese fly? So, the flight of geese for wintering at a distance of about 10,000 kilometers was recorded.
That is, the distance from North America to the south of Argentina. The maximum flight height of these birds was also recorded. When flying from Central Asia to the Himalayas through mountains with a height of about 11,000 meters. As they considered this a record height for birds of this species.
The goose, as a domesticated animal, has a special breed for farming. Farmers have been making money from this for a long time. They are used to obtain eggs, meat, feathers for pillows, down for jackets and of course offspring. And such a business, it is hard not to agree, is quite profitable. Given the fact that these birds are quite picky about either feeding or keeping.
Most often they are medium-sized birds. Do domestic geese fly? Usually, at their maturity, geese are cut off their plumage so that they cannot fly far. Also, geese can simply be fattened, so it will not take off for sure.
To do this, from the entire flock of birds you need to choose three geese. They should be fattened separately in a cage and specially boiled barley, oats. Give food 3 times a day. This should continue for approximately 3 weeks. And good goose meat, served hot, can be laid out on the table.
Without a doubt, all geese can do. You can start decorative breeds of geese at home, and admire their beauty. Having tamed them, it will be possible to release geese and also admire the grace of their flight.
This is how briefly the article talked about the flight abilities of geese, about their maintenance and feeding. Good luck with animal husbandry!
The wild goose is a waterfowl, which is an intermediate option between ducks and swans: it is much larger than the former, but smaller than the latter. Like them, it belongs to the family of ducks - Anatidae.
Description of the wild goose
All wild geese have short legs and a fairly long neck. Unlike swans, they have fully feathered bridles (the gap between the beak and the eyes). The beak is high and compressed laterally. The plumage depends on the species of wild geese and can be completely white, black, gray with black markings, brown, dark in combination with light spots (for example, in the chest or wingtips). The color of males and females is the same, and not different, as is the case with most ducks. On the edge of the beak of wild geese, tooth-shaped transverse ridges run along the inside - special plates designed to filter food particles from water and silt. The paws are large, webbed, adapted for raking in water when swimming.
Species of wild geese
In total, there are 14 species of wild geese, which form several genera. It is also customary to include in this number the related geese. The main types of wild geese:
- Anser anser - gray goose (in addition to the gray color, it differs from others in a much lighter plumage and an extremely narrow line at the base of the beak; weight usually gains up to 6 kg 600 g);
- Anser fabalis - goose goose (has a gray-brown feather color and a dark orange band in the middle part of the beak; its body weight reaches 4 kg 500 g);
- Branta canadensis - Canadian goose (differs in gray-brown color, black neck and head, light chest, white line on the tail and a spot of the same tone on the cheek; has a body length of 64 cm to 109 cm; birds form a wedge when flying);
- Anser albifrons - white-fronted goose (with a gray-brown feather color, a white forehead and a light sickle in the area of the uppertail; body size reaches from 66 cm to 86 cm);
- Anser cygnoides - a dry goose (it got its name because, in case of danger, it immerses the body in water, leaving only the head outside; but it can also completely hide under water, following to a safe place);
- Eulabeia indica - mountain goose (has a light gray color and a white head; the back is slightly darker than the rest, in wavy lines; weighs from 2 kg to 3 kg 200 g);
- Anser erythropus - white-fronted goose (the smallest representative of goose - the body weight of adults does not exceed 2 kg 500 g);
- Chen hyperborea - white goose (white bird with black markings along the edges of the wings; body length reaches from 58 cm to 79 cm);
- Philacte canagica - white goose (differs in a gray-blue color with a white-black pattern in the form of scales and a white head; it grows up to 66-71 cm in a dyne);
- Branta rufiolis - red-breasted goose (the brightest of the representatives of the goose order, has a red chest and neck with a light border, exactly the same spots on the cheeks; the back and belly are black, 2 white marks are located in the beak area);
- Branta bernicla - black goose (this species of wild geese has a black chest, neck and head, a dark gray back, a neck with a white stripe in front);
- Branta leucopsis - barnacle goose (distinguished by light plumage on the head, with the exception of the back of the head).
Goose habits
Wild geese are migratory birds. In spring, they return quite early, when the vast majority of reservoirs are still under a layer of ice, and the first thaw patches are just showing in the snow. In the south, this period usually falls in March, in the north - in April.
At the moment of flight, wild geese like to stay in flocks. As a rule, they line up in the sky in a wedge and less often in a line. The number of individuals in herds is different and can range from a few to hundreds. At stops for feeding and rest, all wild geese gather together, forming an unprecedented spectacle. They arrive at nesting sites in pairs. Only a few species form pairs locally. They prefer to build nests near the dwellings of a falcon or buzzard, which boldly drive away dogs, foxes, arctic foxes and often even humans from the surrounding areas.
During molting, wild geese are prone to a secretive lifestyle. because they lose their ability to fly. During this period, they move to calm and deaf places. With the completion of the molt, they are activated again. They go to feed when the sun sets, and at night they return to the shallows. At dawn, they again go in search of food until late in the morning.
Where do wild geese live
The most traditional habitats of the wild goose are wet meadows, grassy swamps, estuaries and lakes overgrown with dense thickets of aquatic vegetation, river floodplains.
The gray goose inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere, living in the Black Sea region, the Caspian Sea, in the forests of Europe and in the southern part of Siberia. The bean goose breeds in the taiga of Eurasia and in the tundra. The Canadian goose occupies the North American continent and breeds from the north of the USA to the Arctic. Behind last years well acclimatized in Scandinavia and Great Britain. The white-fronted goose is an arctic species that lives in the tundra zones of Eurasia and America.
The dry goose inhabits a small area in the eastern part of Asia, where it has chosen both flowing and stagnant water bodies. The mountain goose lives in the mountain-steppe, steppe and desert landscapes of the Kyrgyz meadows. The white-fronted goose is found in the forest-tundra of Russia. The white goose settles mainly along the Arctic coasts. The white-tailed goose occupies mainly Alaska. The red-throated goose breeds in the eastern part of the Siberian tundra. The black goose lives in the tundra zone of Eurasia. Barnacle Goose lives only in the Eastern Hemisphere, nesting in the mountainous tundra from Novaya Zemlya to Europe.
What does a wild goose eat
According to the nature of the food consumed, wild geese belong to herbivorous birds. In spring, wild geese feed on water bodies, where they feed on shoots of aquatic plants. On the ground, they find food in the fields of winter shoots and in meadows, plucking young grass. During nesting, they almost completely switch to near-water and aquatic food, most willingly eat pondweed - they eat the most tender parts of aquatic vegetation. After they take to the wing, wild geese mainly feed on ground vegetation, seedlings in the fields, seeds of cultivated and wild plants.
Wild goose nesting
At the time of reproduction, wild geese enter only in the 3rd or 4th year of life. Nesting places are occupied immediately upon arrival, and the construction is taken only after the ice and snow melt. The nest is built by the female. Any aquatic plants go to its outer part, and wood materials (branches, twigs) are also used in places. From the inside, the tray is lined with soft and dry herbs.
In the laying of wild geese, there are from 4 to 10 white eggs with a slight fawn or greenish tint (more often - 4-5). The color of the shell depends on the type of wild geese. Egg laying occurs mainly in spring: March (second half), April and May. Sometimes the first summer month is also captured. During the incubation period, the female does not leave the nest. Keeping close to him even at the time of feeding (at this time she covers the masonry with fluff and dry grass). In general, evaporation lasts about 27-28 days.
Wintering wild geese
Departure of wild geese for wintering falls in the second half of September in the northern zones and at the end of October in the southern.
The goose, for example, waits out the winter on the Atlantic coast - in Germany, England, as well as in Japan, China and India (Siberian goose). The gray goose departs in autumn for the African and European coasts, on British Isles, stops in Indochina, India, Afghanistan, Iran, China. The white goose migrates to the Pacific coast for the winter, occupying places from Mexico, Texas, Louisiana to North America. Partially settled in Japan. The white-fronted goose migrates to the western coastal states, the white-fronted goose to the subtropics. The white-fronted goose prefers to winter in Greece, China, on the Caspian and Black Sea coasts.
The goose is a large, heavy bird, therefore, as a hunting trophy, it is more advantageous than smaller representatives of waterfowl. In nature, there are several varieties of goose, each of which lives in its own ecological niche.
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And now let's put the dolls aside and play toy soldiers! Just not in those who bdysh-bdysh, tydydydydydy - and everyone is lying around. And in such a stable role play in which the child plays ...
Geese are members of the duck family. form a separate genus. These birds are excellent swimmers and excellent flyers. They nest in the summer.
For this, the Northern Hemisphere, temperate and subarctic latitudes are chosen. They fly south for the winter. They hibernate in areas where the temperature does not fall below 0-5 degrees Celsius. They fly away in groups, sometimes they line up in lines, sometimes in a wedge. They fly preferably at night. In the daytime, geese settle down to rest. They always live near water bodies, while spending most of the day on land.
Appearance of geese
Adult individuals weigh from 1.2 to 4.5 kg. The largest representative of the family is the gray goose, whose body weight can be from 2.2 to 4.5 kg.
The smallest species is the Ross goose, which weighs 1.2-1.6 kg. Neck of medium length. The legs of geese are colored orange or pink and are of medium length. They have an orange, pink or black beak, depending on which species the goose belongs to. The width of the beak is greater than its length. The edges of the beak are decorated with small teeth, thanks to which water is decanted, and food, even the smallest, remains in the beak.
Listen to the voice of the goose
The body of the goose is covered with thick plumage and down. The plumage combines several colors: white, gray, black and dark brown. Outwardly, there are practically no differences between males and females, except that males are slightly larger and have a small growth on their beak.
Goose food
The basis of the diet is plant foods. Prefers to eat grass, berries, cereals. They also eat aquatic plants. In the spring, when the first young grass and winter crops appear, geese actively eat them. During the nesting period, most of the diet is made up of aquatic plants and those growing very close to water bodies. In other periods, geese feed mainly on berries, agricultural vegetation, seeds, and rarely on small vertebrates and various insects. These birds pluck grass and plant leaves with the teeth of their beaks.
Reproduction and lifespan
These birds are monogamous, pairs are created for them once and for life. Nests are made right on the ground, in a place where there is dense vegetation. Make it near water, but in a dry place. A nest is built from branches, stems, leaves. Inside it is a litter of fluff, which the female plucks from her chest. The clutch usually consists of 4-12 eggs. While the female incubates the eggs, the male guards the nest. A month later, chicks hatch from the eggs. From the next day after birth, the offspring can go down with their parents to the water and look for food. If the chicks are in any danger, then the female protects them. The males hide during this time. Sexual maturity occurs in geese at the age of 2-3 years. The life expectancy of geese in the wild is 20 years. In captivity, these birds can live up to 35 years.
Species of wild geese
There are 2 large groups of geese: domestic and wild. The largest representative of the wild is the gray goose. It has a grayish-brown plumage. The plumage of the back has a light border. Their beak is pink or orange. The nesting period takes place in Asia and Europe, in the temperate climate zone. It is also arranged for wintering in European and Asian territories. The white goose lives almost in the far north, in polar conditions. It nests in the northern part of Canada, on Wrangel Island, in the northeastern territories of Yakutia, in Chukotka, in the northwestern regions of Greenland. Winters are spent in California and Colombia. An adult weighs about three kilograms. White geese owe their name to the color of their plumage. The base of the beak and the edging of the wings are black.
Another representative of the geese is the bean goose. This bird is large. The plumage has a brown-gray color. An adult weighs up to 4.5 kg. They chose the tundra for nesting. They spend the winter in the southeastern part of China, Central Asia and the Mediterranean.
Sukhonos also represents the genus of geese. Its weight averages 4.5 kg. Birds have a long black beak, the base of which is edged with a white stripe. The back of the neck is painted dark brown. The body is white. Transverse stripes across the body Brown. The legs of the dry nose are red.
One of the small representatives of the genus is the lesser white-fronted goose. These birds weigh a maximum of 2.5 kg. For nesting, they chose the tundra of the Eurasian continent. For the winter they go to the Caspian and Black Sea as well as the Balkan Peninsula. These birds have distinguishing feature – White spot on the forehead. The Lesser Piskulka has a brown plumage color.
The mountain goose also belongs to the wild. The weight of these birds ranges from 2 to 3.2 kg. Their legs and beak are colored yellow. They arrange nesting in mountainous areas, usually central Asia. You can meet them in the Altai Mountains of Russia. Nests are located at an altitude of 1-5 thousand meters. Spends the winter in India. Birds fly very high, sometimes they cross the mountains of the Himalayas. The flight altitude in this case often exceeds 10 thousand meters.
The Ross goose has the smallest dimensions. The plumage is white. Wing tips are black. For nesting, polar regions are preferred - Wrangel Island, Alaska, northwest Canada. For wintering it goes to the south of the USA and the north of Mexico. Sometimes some individuals fly to Western Europe, but such cases are few.
domestic geese
Among domestic geese, groups are distinguished by size: large, medium, small. Domestic geese are different from wild counterparts. They are predominantly white in color. Permanent couples do not create, they are polygamous. Herbal food is eaten. Males and females are almost the same in size.
Large geese are the most widespread. For commercial purposes, the Emden and Toulouse breeds are chosen. The largest goose was bred in Toulouse, its weight reached 11.5 kg. Young individuals weigh about 9 kg. Females are smaller, their body weight reaches 7.5 kg. When I sell these geese, they do not have time to gain the most weight. The second largest are representatives of the Emden breed. An adult weighs 9 kg, and a young one weighs about 8.2 kg. These birds have white plumage. The iris of the eyes is colored blue.
The rest of the breeds are smaller, adults weigh from 8.5 to 6.6 kg. These include breeds such as Sukhovskiy, Reinskiy, Adlerskiy, Pereyaslavskiy, Chinese, Pskov goose. There are breeds that are considered fighting - Arzamas and Tula geese. Their offspring have high stamina and strong immunity. When the chicks are 3 weeks old, their body begins to regulate its own temperature and warm the body. In the summer, they do not need special shelter, a simple canopy is enough. Clover, bluegrass, alfalfa are eaten. Such unpretentiousness made it possible to grow these birds at home.
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