Main characteristics of wild geese

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Many people know that the right to be called the first domesticated birds belongs to geese, and the first mention of them was made several thousand years ago in ancient Rome. All geese are considered smart, unpretentious and loyal birds, therefore the number of those who want to start breeding them is increasing every day. However, not only poultry are considered special and recognized. Wild geese, although they differ little from domesticated species, are also interesting individuals to consider, because they constantly fly away from place to place.

Wild geese

The wild goose is a migratory bird that returns from the south in early spring. Most geese are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The cry is considered their characteristic and outstanding feature. They are mainly found in the tundra part of Europe, Asia and North America. Certain species of wild geese live in South America, Australia and sometimes Africa. The breed of birds is what determines their way of life. For example, the gray species can nest only in the forest belt if there are rivers and lakes nearby, and the nesting of semi-footed and clawed ones occurs only in the steppes and savannas.

Features of the life of the geese in question

As has already been found out, depending on which species the bird belongs to, its lifestyle and existence is determined. However, there are common features of all these geese. Below we will consider them in more detail.

1. Flying exclusively in flocks. During the flight, the flock moves in the form of a wedge or a line, or, like hooks. On average, a flock of geese can number both several individuals and hundreds of representatives. Stopping to feed and rest, these geese gather together and fly, creating a unique look (you can watch the video).
2. The flight speed reaches 22 m / s, and the altitude does not exceed 1000 m.It is interesting that tens of years ago, the flight altitude of individual birds exceeded 8000 m, and the absolute record of migratory birds was an altitude of 9500 m.Geese fly differently, depending on the breed and the places where the flight is taking place. The range of one seasonal flight without landing is ambiguous, but it is about 1000 km.
3. A large flock of birds has already formed pairs before nesting. Only certain species of geese find a pair at the selected location. The construction of nests occurs in the area located near the dwellings of falcons or buzzards. The latter protect birds from other predatory animals.
4. Wild geese can be found both in wet meadows and in estuaries and lakes overgrown with vegetation.
5. The molting period for birds is characterized by a secretive way of existence due to the loss of the ability to fly. Moulting is a time when bird life takes place in calm conditions and remote places. The activation of birds begins immediately after the end of the molt.
6. All species of wild geese feed only after sunset, returning to the shallows at night. At dawn, the birds start looking for food again, ending in the late morning.
7. They have good eyesight and a pronounced cry.

If we take into account the food consumed, then all wild breeds are herbivorous. With the arrival of spring, wild geese can eat aquatic plants that they find in water bodies. If individuals live near meadows, then they feed on young grass. The nesting period is the time of transition to aquatic food, pdest.

How wild geese nest

Reproduction begins only in the 3rd or 4th year after birth. After the flight, the birds immediately form nesting sites, the construction of which begins only when the last precipitation subsides. A goose is engaged in the construction of the nest. Outwardly, the nest is a construction of aquatic plants, occasionally it can be branches. The material for the interior construction is selected from soft and dry herbs.

On average, the clutch of geese reaches 10 white eggs, the color of which is determined by the species of bird, and eggs are laid in the spring: from mid-March to early June. While incubating eggs, the wild bird does not move away from the nest. Evaporation time reaches 28 days.

About wintering and habitation of wild breeds

You can meet wild individuals almost anywhere in the world. So, gray species prefer life in the Eastern Hemisphere: the Black Sea region, Siberia, sometimes in Europe. The wild goose occupies the taiga of Eurasia and the tundra, and the Arctic Canadian goose goose occupies the northern part of America, where it nests. The white-fronted species lives in the tundra of America and Eurasia. The rest of the species, such as the sukhonos, inhabit eastern Asia with its flowing and stagnant bodies of water. Mountain species of geese flew away to the steppe, desert meadows. Lesser white-fronted goose is a northern species that lives in the forests and tundra of Russia.

Wild geese hibernate from the second half of September, choosing only the northern zones, until the end of October, inhabiting the southern area. If we talk separately about each variety, then:

1. Lesser white-fronted goose chooses wintering in Greece and China, sometimes meets towards the Black Sea coast.
2. Gray wild geese fly away to Africa and Europe in autumn, periodically make stops in China and India.
3. White-necked species overwinter in the western coastal states, white-fronted species in the subtropics.
4. In winter, white geese are housed in the Pacific coast, sometimes in cities in Japan (where the best pagoda is located).
5. Bean goose lives in the cold season on the Atlantic coast. The wild bird occupies Germany, England, Japan and China (Xi'an).

Knowing in what place certain breeds can live, you can personally see a representative of each of them. Certain species, in turn, can be found in Russia even without the help of a map.

Classification

It is difficult, and hardly possible, to list the existing species of wild geese and ducks. Next, the most popular representatives will be considered.

1. The gray wild bird is considered the main representative of wild geese in Russia. Ducks migrate to the East. The bird is decorated with gray lightened plumage. Its main difference is the highlighted white stripe on the beak, which can be seen in the photo. This is the largest species of ducks, as an adult male can weigh more than 6 kg.
2. The white goose is a truly fabulous breed, characterized by snow-white plumage with a black edge of feathers. The white species is found in the north of Russia, but winters mainly in warm territories. Lives in the Gulf of Mexico during the frosty season.
3. Bean goose is considered another unique species of wild breeds. Firstly, outwardly, they are distinguished by an interesting gray-brown color and a dark orange beak, and secondly, their size reaches only 4 kg. For all frosty months, the flock flies to warm places, the habitat of the bean goose falls on the Eurasian tundra and taiga.
4. The Canada Goose is a wild breed found throughout the North American region. The size of the birds cannot be called average, because the body exceeds the length of 115 cm.The difference in the breed is in a grayish-brown coloration and a bright white breast.Checking the photographs, you can see a black neck and head, white blotches covering one cheek. This wild breed occupies a fairly large area, which begins in the Arctic and extends to the United States.
5. Northern beloshi is known to every resident of Alaska, because it occupies exclusively this area. Outwardly, these are birds with bluish plumage, their head and neck color is white, hence the name of the breed. A distinctive feature of white-necks is that they do not fly to warm places, but move to the west of the United States.
6. White-fronted individuals are considered unusual and unique due to their unforgettable coloration. The goose goose has a bright white forehead with splashes, although the body is colored brown with a gray tint. The belly is decorated with black stripes and the tail also has a white outline. The white-fronted bird is not very large, and its length cannot be more than 85 cm. In winter, geese fly south to the subtropics.

So, now you know not only the names of the main varieties, but also got acquainted with their external description. This knowledge will not only help to identify certain breeds from the photo, but will also help with breeding.

Dividing geese by size

The classification of geese by size is quite common, because many representatives differ either in large and heavy species, or in medium and small / decorative ones. Belonging to one size or another means having a different lifestyle from other individuals. Next, we will consider the names and descriptions of large birds, the breeding of which will not be difficult. Moreover, it is the large bird that is in demand when breeding at home.

1. Toulouse geese are considered the largest breed of geese in the world. Their breeding took place in France, and their popularity began many centuries ago. It will not work to see in the photo why these geese are considered the best in all of America, because their secret lies in excellent taste. The size and weight of the ganders is impressive, because sometimes it exceeds 11 kg. The female's weight, in turn, does not exceed 7 kg. Toulouse meat is the most delicious and high quality, because it is so often cooked at home for a festive table.
2. Emden's domestic geese were considered the best among the rest of the snow-white species. Externally, the bird has white feathers, is distinguished by a bright orange beak and paws, blue eyes. The weight of the birds exceeds 9 kg, and their body is quite beautiful and neatly folded.
3. The African goose is the ancestor of the Chinese geese. They are considered not only the most beautiful and aristocratic individuals, but also large in size. African geese can weigh up to 10 kg.

The sizes of these geese are as varied as their names and external indicators. Having found out which of the geese is the largest, you can go on to describe the birds of smaller sizes.

Breeding geese and how to hunt them

Medium and small breeds are much more suitable for keeping a house than large ones. Many are even used as decorative representatives.

1. The Kholmogory goose is the largest in its category. It is distinguished by a special growth around the beak. By weight, the bird can reach 10 kg. The goose can have both gray and white piebald feathers. He has a strong body and good qualities.
2. Large gray is represented by heavy individuals with a gray body color.
3. Italian white geese are common in the CIS. The poultry produces the most juicy meat product.

Catching such geese is quite common and easy, that is why many hunters prefer these particular birds. You can catch them in meadows and fields using special scarecrows and profiles. There is a chance to catch them by predicting the flight route. Hunting for migratory birds requires the hunter to guess where the bird will live for the next few days or weeks before flying south.

Another interesting command type of fishing is surge hunting, when a flock of birds is surrounded by several hunters, followed by a shot.Sometimes hunting can be carried out at the latest time of the day with a preliminary search for a place for the birds to spend the night. Having found the place where the flock lives, you can proceed to the known actions. Most often, these individuals live in dense thickets, swamps, lakes. Their cry often helps in finding the birds, so you can use a decoy that imitates the voice of geese.

It should be remembered that hunting many species of wild geese may be prohibited due to their small number. You can always watch the video about how and who is best to hunt, how to use decoys.

So, you have learned not only the names of the breeds, not only how much this or that gander weighs, but also how they look, eat, hibernate, where wild geese of different breeds fly. Only a small part of the existing representatives are found in neighboring countries, and their habitat is "scattered" all over the world, but you can also admire them on the corresponding videos.