Molting Canada Goose

[Dan Brown]

Canada Goose molting its primary feathers. The feathers are emerging from sheaths? Dan Brown

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I just read an article about 'nuisance geese' and that it is very easy to catch them in July because they can't fly while molting. This image illustrates this very well.

[Eleanor Kee Wellman]

Another thing is that many male Canada Geese that have not mated fly north in flocks several weeks later than the Early migrating ones. They stay north until they have molted and are called Molts.

[John Chardine]

Nice illustration of this phenomenon Dan. Turns out that for ducks and geese, moulting areas are critical to their life history and survival. As you can imagine, they are very vulnerable at this time of year so need a safe, undisturbed place to moult.