Canada Goose unusual behavior

[John Ippolito]

This is a terrible image and a significant crop, but when I saw this, I could not quite believe it. The Canada goose is in what looks to be an eagle's nest 40 feet or so up in a cottonwood tree. Near the Lamar river, YNP, May 2010. I have never seen a Canada goose in a tree. Anyone else?

[Declan Troy]

Hi John,

Yeah they do it as you have documented. In some areas tree nesting is not unusual, in other places they are cliff-nesters. Sometimes they even nest close to active raptor nests. In some urban areas they have taken to nesting on condo balconies.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I have never seen Canada Geese high up in trees, only Wood Ducks. Did this pair really nest there? Makes you wonder how the goslings are supposed to come down.

[John Ippolito]

Hi John,

Yeah they do it as you have documented. In some areas tree nesting is not unusual, in other places they are cliff-nesters. Sometimes they even nest close to active raptor nests. In some urban areas they have taken to nesting on condo balconies.
Declan, thanks for the education! I had no idea Canadas or any wild goose for that matter would nest in a tree.



I have never seen Canada Geese high up in trees, only Wood Ducks. Did this pair really nest there? Makes you wonder how the goslings are supposed to come down.

Axel,
I do not know if this goose actually nested there, I was passing through at the time. I was wondering the same thing with regard to goslings fledging from such a nest.

[Declan Troy]

Wood Ducks have lots of company up in the trees. Other tree nesting ducks include both goldeneyes, bufflehead, hooded merganser...All of these are cavity nesters. I have found mallards nesting in trees but they tend to be in crotches of large branches. Other geese that nest on cliffs are Red-breasted (often by peregrines) and Barnacle geese. Like Wood Ducks the kids just jump. They all have quite large surface areas relative to their mass so they come down (usually) without harm. I can't remember the names but there have been some documentaries showing dramatic footage of Barnacle Goose goslings leaping off cliffs to join their families.

[John Chardine]

As Declan says, they do nest in trees. I haven't seen it in the east but I'm told that out in western Canada it's quite common.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Thanks, Declan! Very interesting and good to know.

[James Prudente]

Canada Geese have been known to dispute Ospreys for nests and on many occasions will prevail. The Goslings have no trouble leaving the nest and appear to have no ill effects from the the rapid descent and landing on land or in the water should the nest be over either landing site. In eastern Washington State we have Canada Geese nesting on cliffs and pinnacles along many rivers and lakes. This affords some additional safety for the eggs and adults on the nest from Coyotes, Bobcats, etc. We also see them in Osprey and Eagle nests on pilings in several of the rivers as well.

Jim

[Jim Coda]

Too bad I didn't see this item a week ago. I blogged about this phenomenon on July 10. See http://jimcoda.wordpress.com/2010/07/10/oddities-of-nature/ (http://jimcoda.wordpress.com/2010/7/10/oddities-of-nature/)

I saw a Canada goose nesting at the top of a dead tree in the Lamar Valley in May 2009. I went by there again in May 2010 and an osprey was in the nest. It may be the same goose in a different tree.

Jim Coda
http://www.jimcoda.com/ (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/jimcoda.com/)