By Sally Siko
Ask me what I would do in defense of the Canada Goose lol!
*Scroll through to the video contained the post below for my answer via the crew at Letterkenny lol!
Tag Archives: canada goose
A leucistic Canada Goose in Raleigh North Carolina
By: Sally Siko-Admin Birdwatching NC
While searching for that Snow Goose in Raleigh last week, I spotted an interesting looking Canada Goose feeding in a nearby cornfield.
It had the conformation of a regular Canada but it’s head, neck and breast were speckled with white feathers.
This goose’s unique color pattern may likely attributed to a genetic mutation called leucism.
Leucism, (or leukism), prevents melanin from being properly deposited on a bird’s feathers resulting in the abnormal growth of white plumage.
Birds like this Canada Goose displaying this genetic mutation end up with white splotchy areas of feathers called a piebald pattern while others may be covered with white plumage all over.
The entirely white birds affected with leucism might be confused with albino birds but the easiest way to tell them apart is to check the bill, leg and eye color.
This is because the albino mutation also affects the bird’s other pigments in the skin and eyes, and albino birds show pale pink or reddish eyes, legs, feet, and a pale bill.
Leucistic birds, on the other hand, usually have normally colored eyes, legs, feet, and bills.
I enjoyed watching this beautiful goose for several minutes. He spent most of the time with his head down in between the broken cornstalks searching for a snack.
Every now and again he’d chase a rival away from his spot but for the most part this was a peaceful scene.
At some point, a few of the sentry birds started honking and the call was made for the flock to depart the fields to fly over to the pond where I eventually found the Snow Goose.
Not a bad way to spend some time in the field!
Canada Geese (to the chagrin of some lol!) are a year round resident of North Carolina and are found in all 100 of our counties.
Look for them feeding in large flocks in agricultural fields, golf courses and suburban lawns in the morning and late afternoons.
During the midday and overnight they can be seen resting on ponds, lakes and marshes.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on my mighty 50 megapixel monster, the @canonusa #5Ds
Birdwatching at yates Mill Park: Canada Geese
By: Sally Siko- Admin Birdwatching NC
I set out to see if I could get some photos of a vagrant White-fronted Goose that has been reported at Mid Pines Rd. & Yates Mill Park in Raleigh this morning.
Unfortunately, he was not there but I did manage to capture some photos of some Canada Geese in flight.
Though they are considered a common bird around here, I still enjoy seeing them 🙂 Canada geese can are found in any area that hosts a wetlands habitat here in North Carolina. That being said, they spend as much time on land as they do in the water.
In the spring and summer months, the geese eat leaves, flowers, stems, roots, seeds and berries.
In the wintertime, they will consume water plants, spilled field grains and grass. This need to feed often leads them to grazing on lawns, in parks and on golf courses, sometimes much to the chagrin to the humans around them.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
Canon 5Ds
Come birding with me! I’ve got a few tours scheduled for Yates Mill Park in 2020. Check out the link below for trip details and available dates.