I have a pond and this one goose has been here for two weeks and wont leave. I dont feed it, I try to scare it away but it just jumped in the pond and swims away from you or whatever you scare it with. Any idea why it wont leave?
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I havnt seen any babies anywhere. Not that I would be sure where to look.– Jessica BillmanCommented Jul 24, 2017 at 17:25
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1Do you need to get rid of the goose or are you just curious why it stays?– Stephie ♦Commented Jul 24, 2017 at 18:37
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2Is this goose a problem? Sounds like you have a perfect place for a goose to live. Might just have a clutch of eggs waiting to hatch. What a wonderful addition to your pond. This goose while 'she' is there is pulling and eating pond weeds, gobbling grubs. Do you have a camera? Your goose might leave when the babies are able to fly...is there a problem you haven't discussed yet?– stormyCommented Jul 24, 2017 at 18:38
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No, I dont mind her being here at all. Simply curious as if it could be that she was wounded and couldnt fly. I thought maybe she had babies on the way but i figured she would have a male with her. Assuming it is a female. And i wasnt sure when they generally give birth– Jessica BillmanCommented Jul 24, 2017 at 21:14
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Where are you (country/continent)? Can you identify the species or post a picture? How big is the pond? I've answered on the assumption that it really is wild, but here in the UK there are greylag/feral domesticated hybrids that are often completely at home around humans (as are some greylags)– Chris HCommented Jul 26, 2017 at 15:06
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2 Answers
The goose may be unable to fly at the moment, but not injured.
The RSPB (UK bird/conservation group) say:
Unlike most other birds, ducks, geese and swans lose all their flight feathers at once, rendering them flightless for a period.
They tend to do so on water, such as a safe-looking lake. This normally takes place just after the breeding season but depends on the species (some breed earlier than others, some move further than others to moult). Males may pass through a female-like plumage known as eclipse for weeks to months as part of this process.
A single goose likely has a problem and likely will leave when it can. That is a good thing ; I once worked west of Chicago , a 20 acre retention pond was built. The Canadian geese thought it was a good wintering spot, First hundreds then ,soon ,tens of thousands. Then a few hundred stayed and bred in the summer. They chased people off the sidewalks, not all bad as the sidewalks were covered with GS ( goose stuff).
answered Jul 26, 2017 at 16:03
