GREGARIOUS GEESE

Gregarious Geese

By Colleen Lasky

Published in Creation Illustrated Magazine, Spring 2024, Vol 31, No 1

Note: Photos are temporarily different from those that appeared in the article.

With camera in hand to capture some of nature’s wonders, I encountered Canada goslings as they swam between their parents on a small northern Michigan lake surrounded by a splash of bold spring colors. The following autumn, I came upon fully grown geese on the same lake. I confess that I looked right past them, seeking something rare to photograph like the American Pipit I spotted earlier or the great blue heron that frequents the shoreline.

But on that particular morning, the cove and the shoreline were empty. Instead, God provided Canada geese that seem so familiar to the American landscape. “Find me in the ordinary,” God seemed to be saying as I lifted my camera to my eye.

In the weeks that followed, I discovered many fascinating things about these geese with their long black necks and signature white chin strap markings as I leaned in closer to God. The first thing I learned about the geese was their unique ability for imprinting – learning through mimicking behavior. But this concept goes beyond mere mimicking with Canada geese. Imprinting takes place directly after birth when hatchlings identify with the first thing they see, no matter what it is.

For example, if they imprint on humans, they think people are their parents and follow them wherever they go. If they imprint on a chicken, the goslings engage in chicken-like behavior. Interestingly, the bond of imprinting is so strong in Canada geese that people raising them in captivity must dress in goose costumes. They do this so the geese can be returned to the wild and identify with the other geese. Erroneously, people might assume that geese raised by humans would be friendlier toward other people they encounter, but that is not the case. In fact, they are more likely to be aggressive toward humans, making the creatures unfit to return to the wild.

It occurred to me, then, that we are imprinted to God’s heart even before we are born. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). I pondered how nothing in the world can satiate the longing I have toward God and a desire to follow Him. Prayer helps the heart meet the Father in recognition of His presence.

I also learned that adult geese can be remarkable teachers through the process of imprinting. They teach their new hatchlings everything from how to forage food on the land and water to how to defend themselves against common predators like raccoons, foxes, and coyotes. This teaching begins on day one when the babies have been known to dive thirty to forty feet below the water’s surface.

Yet, the goslings will be two to three months old before they are taught how to fly. These lessons are packed with wisdom. First, it must be noted that Canada geese can fly more than one thousand five hundred miles at forty miles per hour (or up to seventy miles per hour with a strong tailwind) during migration. These young geese learn how to create an efficient V-shape while flying. Astoundingly, the V-shape is created with one goose flying just a little bit higher than the one in front of it, creating a draft of airflow to decrease the resistance for the birds flying behind it. In addition, the familiar honking sound these migrators make is a call to change positions so the bird in front moves to the back to conserve energy for the long flight ahead.

Regarding my own parental journey, some scripture from Proverbs began to surface in my heart as I watched the geese fly overhead: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

However, the honking communication between geese is not limited to flying. In fact, thirteen goose calls have been identified. Their communication consists of everything from low clucking sounds while they feed to raucous sounds of alarm when facing danger. Additionally, geese that have paired for mating will greet each other with long, elaborate honking sounds even if separated for a long time.

Most impressively, the paired geese are very family oriented and typically bond for life, which can last up to twenty-four years. Such loyalty and devotion include protecting each other as the male will not hesitate to put himself in danger if a predator threatens the female or the goslings. If one of the pair is injured, the other will stay by its partner’s side until it either recovers or dies. I marveled at this and recalled the scriptural promise from God. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

With Canada geese, their loyalty and protectiveness extend beyond the family of origin and into the community. Although they are the largest of any of its subspecies (weighing up to twenty pounds), they seem to recognize they are vulnerable to predators. As a result, gang broods are formed consisting of thirty to one hundred young geese shepherded by one or two adults. All young geese seem to be welcome, which echoes Romans 15:7, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

I was happy to learn that Canada geese, which are often messy, can be helpful to the environment. It’s true that they molt feathers for a full six months beginning in the spring, and they defecate a lot on the breeding grounds where they gather. Yet, the feathers are often gathered and used for warm blankets and soft pillows, and the nutrients of their droppings fertilize the ground. Also, geese serve as seed dispersers by eating plants in one area and depositing the seeds somewhere else. Finally, as part of the food chain, they provide nourishment to predators.

Some people mislabel these birds as Canadian geese, alluding to the notion that they are native to Canada. Actually, the Canada goose is native to Connecticut and named for John Canada, the ornithologist who separated this species from other geese. Researchers have identified twenty-seven species of geese found in various habitats from the Arctic to the tropics. Some species, like the brant, can migrate 3000 miles non-stop every autumn, while others, like the Nene, are sedentary and prefer to walk rather than fly.

As I photographed one large Canada goose before me, it dramatically stretched out its wings, displaying a set of long gray and brown feathers. The sizable creature gracefully took flight, and I was moved to think how we almost lost these avian wonders in the 1900s. My heart filled with gratitude for the volunteers and researchers who rounded them up and placed bands on their legs to follow their behavior. Taking measures to ensure their existence for centuries to come.

After discovering so much about Canada geese, I rejoiced in not missing out on this unique part of God’s creation while searching for something unique to photograph. Encounters with God and His creatures can be rare fleeting moments, but the Creator is ready to reveal His power to illustrate the extraordinary in the ordinary. “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures (psalm 104:24).