Description of the black goose
The black goose (the international name for the bird Branta Bernicia) is a waterfowl from the duck family of the Anseriformes order. Listed in the Red Book. This is the smallest representative of its species in size: it is smaller in size than a goose. The maximum weight of an adult goose can reach 8 kg. Young birds have characteristic white spots on the wings.
Black goose
Bird habitat
These anseriformes love cool climates. Their habitats are Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Birds have also been spotted in Yakutia, France and even the British Isles. Winged have been spotted on the Pacific coast and in Japan. In particular, Honshu and Hokkaida. There is also a black goose in Russia. This waterfowl lives near the Arctic Ocean.
During migration, the birds stop in shallow sea waters, and fly to Asia or North America for the winter. As a rule, Anseriformes fly along the coast. There are geese in the winter quarters and in the North Sea. Inhabitants of eastern places fly closer to the coasts, while birds from colder regions, on the contrary, migrate through continental regions, adhering to river valleys. These anseriformes live in flocks, this is due to the fact that they are poorly protected from predators, despite their rather violent nature.
The appearance of the goose
The weight of the bird is from 1.5 to 2.2 kg, the length is about 60 cm, the wingspan is from 110 to 120 cm. The black goose got its name due to its rich black color. But the body of the bird is partially covered with black feathers, mainly the back and neck. Feet and beak also in black. The color of the wings ranges from gray to dark brown. The belly and sides are lighter than the general color, gently turning into a white undertail.
A distinctive feature of this species is also an uneven white stripe on the neck. Males and females do not differ externally from each other. The only possible difference is size. The male has a longer wingspan and is usually much larger than the female.
Geese feel great on land and do not get lost in the event of a danger. Oddly enough, they do not know how to dive, but they can perfectly get food from the bottom, like ducks, lowering their heads down and floating up with their tail up.
Breeding and feeding of poultry
Brent geese begin to breed in June. Mating season lasts 3 months. Like swans, they create one pair for life. This is accompanied by a beautiful courtship ritual, during which the birds assume special poses. When the couple has taken place, a kind of ceremony takes place, confirming agreement and securing the union. The ritual begins with the imaginary attacks of the enemy, then the geese are located in horizontal positions and begin to scream in turn. The male makes one cry, and the female answers him with two. The ritual in the water ends when the couple takes turns dipping into the water. These gestures serve not only as courtship, it is a kind of communication language. In total, there are from 6 to 11 positions for transmitting information.
During the breeding season, black birds huddle in small colonies: it is more convenient for them to defend themselves from large predators, but they nest in separate pairs, north of other representatives of the genus of geese, closer to the Arctic tundra. They prefer not only the sea coasts, but also the lower reaches of the rivers, a place with a humid tundra with heavily sprouted grasses. Stayno prefer to nest if they live on the plain or in the rocky tundra. Anseriformes line their nests with moss, fluff or grass, doing this in such a way that a small depression appears. Geese build them in alienated places along the coast of water bodies. The female produces from 3 to 5 eggs in one clutch. The incubation process lasts up to a month: on average, 24-26 days.
The male will not leave his female while incubating eggs. The down of the chicks is gray. After the offspring hatched from the egg, literally 2-3 hours later, the chick can independently fly out of the nest. Parents accompany their children to the nearest body of water, feed and guard them for six weeks. During this period, adults begin to molt and temporarily lose their ability to fly. Chicks stay with their parents until the next breeding season. Chicks reach puberty 2 years after birth, sometimes later. Young birds and those individuals that, for some reason, could not nest, stray into a flock separate from their "parents" and also molt.
Geese nutrition and their external enemies
The food of the brent geese is very diverse, it consists mainly of plant food, but the winged geese can eat small fish and crustaceans.
- In summer, the geese's diet includes grasses, moss, lichen and aquatic vegetation.
- In winter, the birds feed on algae.
- The diet also includes juicy young stems, cereals, and sedge leaves from the tundra.
The diet depends on the season and habitat. During migrations, birds gain fat and easily switch from one type of food to another.
The black goose is considered a long-liver. In nature, its age can reach 28 years, in captivity, this figure almost doubles. The maximum age is 40 years.
This species has enough enemies, including gulls, gulls, arctic foxes and brown bears. Skucks and gulls love to feast on geese eggs and even steal chicks. When a goose notices an enemy, it stretches its neck forward, spreads its wings and begins to hiss. Unfortunately, she does not always manage to save the offspring. In order to somehow protect their chicks, the black goose nests near the nesting places of birds of prey, such as owls, peregrine falcons, buzzards. This ensures safety for the goose: they do not hunt near their nests, and small predators like the Arctic fox do not risk approaching the clutches of birds of prey. Thus, the chances of survival for baby geese are significantly increased.
Content
Geese adapt well to life in captivity. At the same time, their diet should be as varied as possible. It must necessarily include vegetables and fruits, as well as plant foods in large quantities. Sprouted grain will be very beneficial for young individuals. As a feed, you can safely add compound feed and a variety of granules intended for birds floating in the water.
These Anseriformes breed well in captivity. They get along well in the aviary with other waterfowl such as ducks and swans. The main thing is that the anseriformes have constant access to water in the aviary. It is desirable that the reservoir occupies at least 20% of the area of the dwelling. Waterfowl tolerate frost well and do not need closed enclosures, but a canopy in the aviary is necessary.
During the mating season, the couple is placed in a separate enclosure, as the male becomes aggressive.
These birds are very friendly and trusting, which affects the decline in the population of the species.
What is the number of mysterious birds
These anseriformes are listed in the Red Book.This is due to the fact that their natural habitats and migrations were disturbed. Numerous attacks of predators and destruction of clutches also influenced this process. A similar situation occurred in the north, where geese winter. The northerners, accustomed to hunting anseriformes, also contributed to the extermination of the species. The birds are caught, fattened, and then slaughtered. The meat of a wild bird has a specific sea smell, to remove it, the brent goose is slaughtered only after being fattened with grain.
To date, measures have been taken to preserve the species. The habitats of individuals, as well as the places of migration, became reserves. There is a long-term ban on hunting geese. There is an article for illegal shooting of anseriformes with all the ensuing consequences. All these measures, undoubtedly, contributed to an increase in the number of birds, but compared to the last century, the population is still negligible, therefore, to prevent the extinction of this species of Anseriformes.