What’s in a name?

I recently watched with interest as a family of geese stopped traffic in both directions on Seven Farms Drive. The parents seemed to understand traffic safety fairly well. One adult stood alertly in the middle of the road while the young birds made their way safely across it. Apparently, the grass around the pond they came from wasn’t as appealing as the grass on the opposite side of the thoroughfare.  

 

The Daniel Island goose population seems to be growing each year, and while some folks refer to these birds as “Canadian geese,” a Canadian goose is technically just a goose from Canada. A Canada goose, Branta canadensis, is the bird frequently seen in our ponds, fields, sidewalks and roads. Many of them, by the way, no

longer migrate, and will never visit their namesake nation to our north.

 

There are 11 subspecies of the Canada goose. A long black neck, black head and white chinstrap are common to all of them and make the birds easy to recognize. The greatest difference between the subspecies is size. The smallest Canada is the cackling goose, which isn’t much bigger than a mallard duck. The largest subspecies, the giant Canada goose, can weigh 20 pounds and have a wingspan of over 5 feet.

 

It was pretty rare to see Canada geese in the Lowcountry when I was young. The year-round resident geese we (and many other areas) have now are a fairly new phenomenon. These large birds, which can be quite aggressive at times, have some big fans and some real enemies among us humans. The birds are strong, graceful fliers and are pretty to watch on the water, on land and in the air. But the destruction to golf courses, lawns and gardens and the fouling of sidewalks, trails, ballfields and aquifers has created a whole industry around keeping the birds away. One can buy any number of devices designed to scare geese off. There are even dogs bred and trained specifically to keep golf courses free from these unwelcome waterfowl.

 

While many bird species rely on camouflage or inaccessibility to keep their nests safe from predators, Canada geese nest on the open ground and seem to like spots that afford them an unobstructed view. A large raptor, raccoon or fox will sometimes manage to get to the goose eggs or snatch a young gosling, but generally speaking, predators have to really want a meal to take on grown Canada geese. An adult goose can dish out some serious punishment. Hissing, ruffled neck feathers and spread wings are clear signs that an intruder, including a human one, might want to head in the other direction.

 

So, love them or hate them, it appears that full-time resident geese will be with us for the foreseeable future. Give them a little space, watch them from a safe distance and enjoy them. Oh, and watch where you step! The geese just will not clean up after themselves.