| Canada Geese have landed at Creamers field! Spring in Fairbanks Alaska has officially started. The sight of a flying "V" formation and the sound of honking overhead is a sight for sore winter eyes and ears. The Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave our Alaskan Frontier. Creamers Field used to be a dairy farm and was donated to the State of Alaska, which has turned it into a bird wildlife refuge. The agricultural field is plowed in the beginning of April to allow the geese and other water fowl to feed on the grain, which refuels their massive energy reserves, so they can continue the journey to their breeding grounds. They can be found in numerous habitats, but usually are located in open areas near wetlands. |
| To distinguish them from other geese here are some common characteristics to look for: |
| Black head with a distinctive white cheek: Brownish wings, back and sides: White to grayish-brown breast and belly: White rump patch: Black legs and feet |
| They are very social and form life-long pair bonds with mates. There are no color distinctions between male and female that occur in other bird species. Both mates rear and protect the young. A gander (male) protecting the nest makes a formidable adversary, and his wings are capable of delivering a blow of surprising force, sufficient to rout foxes and similar predators, not to mention graduate students and fellow researchers. They produce four to five eggs and raise their young as a family unit, which often combine to form "creches". |
| Alaska has six subspecies of Canada geese: |
| Cackling Canada geese(B.c. minima) are the smallest, weighing only 3 to 5 pounds (1.4-2.3kg). Their name comes from their distinctive high pitched call. Spring migration starts from California's Central Valley up the Pacific coast, a stop in Cook Inlet marshes then flying through the Alaska Range to their breeding grounds on the outer coast of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska. Winter migration is a different route and it consists of stages on the upper Alaska Peninsula for several weeks, then a trans-oceanic flight to Oregon and California. |
| Aleutian Canada geese (B.c. leucopareia) weigh 4 to 6 pounds (1.8-2.7 kg) and have a broader white ring at the base of their necks than other subspecies. Migration starts from California's Central Valley and follows a coastal migration route through remote areas of the state and across the Gulf of Alaska to the breeding grounds located on the Aleutian Islands. They are rarely seen and were on the endangered species list in 1967. There were fewer than 800 geese and with management from wildlife agencies and user groups the population has reach 7,000 and has since been downlisted to a threatened species. |
| Taverner's (B.c. taverneri) and lesser Canada geese (B.c. parvipes) are medium size species. The Taverneri are smaller, darker breasted and are located in coastal tundra. Their breeding grounds are next to the Cackling Canada geese on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and expand north to the Arctic Slope. Lesser Canada geese nest in Cook Inlet and throughout river drainages between Western and Interior Alaska and the Yukon Territory. |
| Dusky Canada geese (B.c. occidentalis) weigh 6 to 8 pounds (2.7-3.6 kg) but males can weigh 10 pounds (4.5kg) in spring. Duskies get their name from being the darkest colored Canada geese. Their breeding ground is only on the Copper River Delta near Cordova and their winter gounds are located in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. |
| Vancouver Canada geese (B.c. fulva) weigh 6 to 10 pounds (2.7-3.6 kg) but males can weigh 12 to 14 pounds (5.5-6.4kg) in spring. They are the largest geese in Alaska and remain year round in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia. Their breeding grounds are unique among geese; instead of open areas they nest in coastal forests (trees) and winter along coastal marine waters. Another unique habit is that they eat clams, salmon eggs and even dead salmon in the winter instead of being vegetarians! |
| The next time you see a flock of Canada geese flying by or viewing at Creamer's Field, try and determine what sub-species of Canada geese it is by looking at their size or type of coloring. Also, remember to use all of your senses and listen to their honking; it will tell you if they are Cackling Canada geese. |
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| Article by Lesa Hollen |
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| Canada geese Info: |
| Creamers Field Video of newly arrived Canada Geese - by Lesa Hollen at University of Alaska Statewide |
| Alaska Department of Fish & Game Wildlife Notebook Series, © Roger Smith 1994. Visit their site at www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/notehome.php |
| Ducks Unlimited Canada © 1996-2003. Please visit their site and see a Quicktime movie www.ducks.ca/geese/about.html |
| Canadian Biodiversity Canada's Species. Please visit their site at http://www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/species/birds/birdpages/bra_can.htm |
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