Spring Gosslings
by Nava Thompson
Title
Spring Gosslings
Artist
Nava Thompson
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
A photo taken by Nava Jo Thompson of Canadian Geese Gosslings by the lake in Arkansas. The black head and neck with a white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada Goose from all other goose species, with the exception of the Barnacle Goose, but the latter has a black breast, and also grey, rather than brownish, body plumage.[7] There are seven subspecies of this bird, of varying sizes and plumage details, but all are recognizable as Canada Geese. Some of the smaller races can be hard to distinguish from the Cackling Goose, which slightly overlap in mass. However, the Cackling Goose is usually considerably smaller, scarcely larger than a Mallard with a much shorter neck and smaller bill........This species ranges from 75 to 110 cm (30 to 43 in) in length and has a 127185 cm (5073 in) wingspan.[8] The male usually weighs 3.26.5 kg (7.114 lb), and can be very aggressive in defending territory. The female looks virtually identical but is slightly lighter at 2.55.5 kg (5.512 lb), generally 10% smaller in linear dimensions than its male counterpart, and has a different honk. Among standard measurements, the wing chord can range from 39 to 55 cm (15 to 22 in), the tarsus can range from 6.9 to 10.6 cm (2.7 to 4.2 in) and the bill can range from 4.1 to 6.8 cm (1.6 to 2.7 in). The largest subspecies is the B. c. maxima, or the "Giant Canada Goose", and the smallest (with the separation of the Cackling Goose group) is B. c. parvipes, or the "Lesser Canada Goose".[9] An exceptionally large male of race B. c. maxima, which rarely exceed 8 kg (18 lb), weighed 10.9 kg (24 lb) and had a wingspan of 2.24 m (7.3 ft). This specimen is the largest wild goose ever recorded of any species. The life span in the wild of geese that survive to adulthood ranges 1024 years.........Canada Geese on Spokane River, Washington.
A flock near a weir on the Humber River near Raymore Park in Toronto, Ontario.This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds and sometimes on a beaver lodge. Its eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down. The Great Lakes region maintains a very large population of Canada Geese...... the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th century and early 20th century had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota, by Harold Hanson of the Illinois Natural History Survey.[11] In 1964, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center was built near Jamestown. Its first director, Harvey K. Nelson, talked Forrest Lee into leaving Minnesota. Forrest Lee would head the centers Canada Goose production and restoration program. Forrest soon had 64 pens with 64 breeding pairs of screened, high-quality birds. The project involved private, state and federal resources and relied on the expertise and cooperation of many individuals. By the end of 1981, more than 6,000 giant Canada Geese had been released at 83 sites in 26 counties in North Dakota. [12] With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of the subspecies occidentalis, may still be declining......In recent years, Canada Goose populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests for their droppings, bacteria in their droppings, noise, and confrontational behavior. This problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water near food sources, such as those found on golf courses, in public parks and beaches, and in planned communities. Due in part to the interbreeding of various migratory subspecies with the introduced non-migratory Giant subspecies, Canada Geese are frequently a year-around feature of such urban environments.[citation needed]
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March 8th, 2013
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Viewed 261 Times - Last Visitor from Wilmington, DE on 03/30/2024 at 3:27 PM
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Comments (24)
Lingfai Leung
What a beautiful family portrait! Is this gosling named Ryan? Lovely capture, voted for great work!
Deb Halloran
Nava, This is so precious and you captured these gosslings beautifully. Great color and clarity. Well done! v/f
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Deb---love the little ones--so precious. Thank you for your comments and v/f!
Randy Rosenberger
It is a true honor and privilege to FEATURE this wondrous piece of fine art in our FEATURED ARTWORK section of Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery, as it is a fine piece of art, done by one of our fine artists in our family of friends in our group. THANKS much for sharing and submitting this beauty to be enjoyed by others, as it surely is well worthy of admiration from other artists. I love it! Fave and Vote
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Randy for featuring my little babies---because as you know, "Spring is just around the corner" :) much appreciated!
Nava Jo Thompson
Darren ---thank you for the feature in '3 A Day Greeting Cards for all Occasions'! much appreciated
Rosanne Jordan
Oh what cute little babies!!! they look so soft and sweet! Wonderful work Nava Jo! fav voted
Mary Machare
What a sweet capture! How ever did you get so close, Nava? Wonderful work. vf
Nava Thompson replied:
Mary--thank you--appreciate your comment and v/f! Just taking one step at a time :)
Victoria Tekhtilova
Really nice work. Please, add your work to Contest - the coming of spring ! http://fineartamerica.com/showmessages.php?messageid=1091261
Larry Nieland
Wow ! - show winner/seller for sure .......Fave +V
Nava Thompson replied:
Thank you Larry--that is very encouraging to me. Appreciate your support and fave/vote!
Randy Rosenberger
Just adorable Nava Jo, and love the positioning and composition of this gosling grouping! Nicely captured and composed! F/V
Nava Thompson replied:
Thanks Randy--little chickens, ducks and gosslings rate right up there with babies and puppies. Cute no matter what. Thank you for your support--and fave / vote!