Characteristics of the Barnacle Goose
The barnacle goose belongs to a rather rare species, which can be recognized by the mask on its head peculiar only to it. The Barnacle Goose is listed in the Red Book of Russia, but now it is at the stage of increasing its numbers, thanks to a new breeding scheme. For nesting of the Barnacle Goose, now not highly specialized places are chosen, but any places where successful intercourse has already taken place.
Barnacle goose
Scientists believe that the wide range of food consumed and coloniality influenced the widespread distribution of Barnacle Geese. It is these 2 factors that contributed to the development of new habitats. The barnacle goose is not intimidated by the presence of species different from it in the colony, therefore, hybrid offspring can often be found. You can meet the bird all over the North Atlantic, in the north of Europe, in Greenland. The number of the largest population in Russia in 2017 reaches 100 thousand individuals. Bird reproduction takes place in the northwest of the Arctic RF.
Characteristics of the species
In order to once and for all remember the appearance of the Barnacle Goose, just look at its photo. The bird is not particularly large in size, and its body weight on average does not exceed 2 kg. In addition, the main distinguishing features of the species are:
- the presence of a bright and unique color that cannot be confused;
- white cheeks and black color of the rest of the head, neck and part of the chest;
- white color of the belly, while the back and wings are decorated with black and white and gray stripes;
- black legs and short beak.
The goose differs from the female mainly in size. The male also has a slightly higher body mass. It is almost impossible to distinguish juveniles from adults, since babies have the same size, but a slightly different color of feathers: the young Barnacle Goose has pale feathers on the neck and chest. Sometimes brownish feathers appear on the neck, and the white face may be covered with small dark specks. The Barnacle Geese's voice may sound like a dog barking. The cackle of birds is abrupt and low.
Bird life
The Barnacle Goose can survive in the wild for about 25 years, given the constant risk of predation. Providing the species with a completely protected and safe environment, providing enough food, the goose can live even 30 years. On average, taking into account all existing statistics, the age of birds of the species ranges from 24 to 28 years.
The habitat of birds is arctic and semi-desert areas, where you can find abundant vegetation, a large number of grassy bogs and pastures. Both agricultural and suburban areas of land are suitable for the life of Barnacle Geese. The female's nest is located in rocky areas during the breeding season.
The Barnacle Goose is distinguished by its peculiar behavior, the features of which are:
- flight in the form of a narrow front due to the migratory nature of birds;
- the duration of stay in breeding sites is about a month: this can be the period from late spring or early summer to early autumn;
- the habit of nesting exclusively in medium-sized, but sufficiently dense colonies, the number of pairs of which can reach 50;
- the habit of choosing nesting separately or in a group of 150 pairs: it is noteworthy that the female and the male choose the same site for breeding every year, sometimes they are able to nest even with colonies of seabirds;
- after hatching of chicks in barnacle geese, it is time for molting, the duration of the period is a month, from July to mid-August.
It is interesting that, despite the rarity, birds are considered quite sociable, therefore they are often found near coastal meadows in dense flocks. In winter, the Barnacle Goose is easy to spot near water or sandbanks near the pasture. Representatives of the species are very often attacked by predators, for example, Arctic foxes, not only destroying nests, but also killing babies and adult geese. However, thanks to their excellent swimming and running skills, Barnacle Geese are able to escape attacks.
How and where to contain
The Barnacle Goose is a goose that is very popular with people who collect waterfowl. Due to the fact that being in their natural environment does not differ in a warm atmosphere, geese are placed in open-air cages, where the most comfortable conditions for keeping are created. It was mentioned that the Barnacle Goose is quite social and sociable. This trait helps the bird to become attached to its owner and become tame. Thanks to these qualities, the goose is considered the best species for enclosure keeping.
To buy a geese, it is better to wait for the beginning of autumn, so that the breeding period begins in the established pair. When purchasing a ready-made pair of birds, it is important to pre-prepare the aviary for a comfortable life.
It is good news that feeding the species is also not difficult. The Barnacle Goose, being an almost herbivorous bird, is able to feed on stems, leaves, seeds and aquatic plants. In winter, representatives of the species feed on moss and any growing grasses, as well as shrubs.
Before starting a bird of this species, it should be borne in mind that in winter the Barnacle Goose is capable of causing significant damage to agricultural crops and vegetable products. During wintering, geese settle in fields and agricultural land plots to eat crops, which often does not suit the farmer. While in captivity, birds are able to feed on almost any plant and grain. If you provide the geese with good walking, there will be no problems with maintenance.
How to breed
The Barnacle Goose enters the breeding season at the end of May. The age at which puberty is reached is most often 2 years. However, sometimes the male can start breeding in a year with the older geese. It happens that the first pairing occurs only at 4 years old. Sometimes the age of puberty is associated with poor environmental conditions or insufficient food and weather conditions.
Having reached the appropriate age, the Barnacle Goose chooses a mate, mostly in March. Due to their monogamous nature, birds choose a mate for the rest of their lives. The marriage ceremony of pairing is a fascinating process: the barnacle goose, taking a comfortable position, observes the cry of a male trying to impress his "beloved". In the case when the female is satisfied with the partner, the barnacle goose begins to respond to the loud cries of the goose, while it smoothly approaches the partner. If the goose does not chase him away, then it is considered that the pair is formed. The rest of the time the goose chases the rest of the applicants away from the goose. It is possible that a similar ceremony will be repeated from year to year to strengthen the partnership.
The female barnacle goose is responsible for the construction of the nest. Often, nests are found on rocks, in places hidden from prying eyes and inaccessible to predators. Dirt and fallen leaves are used as nesting material, and the process of laying and incubating is simplified by spreading the fluff. On average, a female can lay up to 5 eggs per lay. The eggs have a pale grayish color and are incubated by the female for up to 26 days. The role of the male at this time is to protect the female. It is believed that in order to properly maintain the incubation period, birds need to spend so much energy that at the end of the clutch, their mass is reduced by almost half.
How to properly contain
After hatching and drying of the chicks, the adults take the offspring from the nest and go to the swamps full of vegetation. The geese in question can behave as aggressively as possible with everyone who approaches the brood. The aggressiveness of the parents lasts until the chicks are fully plumage. After the young birds mature, the family does not break up and does not part even during the first migration.
The following facts will help you avoid mistakes when breeding geese in captivity. Experienced workers of the zoo shared their recommendations.
- The species of these geese is excellent for successful breeding under unnatural conditions. If the farmer is intimidated by the low number of eggs hatched later, then it is worth taking this for granted, because keeping in unnatural conditions causes great concern for the females.
- For keeping the livestock of "parents" it is better to allocate an open-air cage, overgrown with grass, provided with any body of water.
- Using artificial incubation to breed a species is more than effective. It is believed that hatching in an incubator is much more effective.
- When receiving albino chicks, you need to be prepared for their short life. In addition, young animals can die from aspergillosis, which happens quite often.
- You need to stop the wings before the age of 3 days in order to prevent prolonged bleeding and subsequent death.
- Raising chicks is impossible without providing them with greenery. Better to find meadows where babies could be taken out to pasture. If you do not do this, there is a risk of exacerbating the aggressiveness.
Thus, despite the fact that the Barnacle Goose is a unique specimen (as confirmed by the Red Book), it is not an endangered species. Today, experienced specialists are engaged in its reproduction, looking for more and more new strategies.