Canada Geese of Greater Greensboro

While on a photo shoot at Mann Motor Sports, we stumbled upon this group of Canada Geese en route to the little pond near Mann's business. Our local Canada Geese should be renamed "Geese formerly known as Canada" because they no longer migrate. Since humans feed them and provide plenty of man-made watering holes, the geese stay year-round in Greensboro. Frequently, they are seen crossing highways with their offspring. They are famous for stopping traffic on busy Battleground Avenue.

We have slightly better feelings about the critters after reading the Wikipedia entry on Canada Geese. Featured above are two different families. According to Wikipedia, Canada Geese mate for life. Could these goslings be cousins? Double cousins? 

Comments

[Bill B.]

Very interesting. Man messing with nature once again. No telling what will happen next. Maybe they will open a BBQ place.

[June]

WOW...your ducklings are larger than the ones hatched in Virginia.
They are so pretty. June

[Jane Mitchell]

Are you sure they aren't W. Va. geese? I ask for obvious reasons!! JTM

[Dina]

Just recently I heard on the radio that researchers found out that, while these geese do keep the same mate for life, they actually mate with (you know, do the deed) different females in order to avoid inbreeding.

[Tranquility]

They are so fluffy and clumsy and adorable looking! ;)

[ramblingwoods]

Canada geese do mate for life and many are now resident geese even staying in cold areas like where I live in western NY all winter. Geese have to learn a migration route from their parents and that ability is then lost. Probably these geese are part of a family group in that they are all related. Young geese stay with their parents for an entire year and family groups will join up after the goslings are a little older and stay together. ..Michelle