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They enjoy rock and classical music concerts. They enjoy cheering on their choice in a knock-down drag out fight (but when necessary, also play peacemaker to intervene and break up fights). They are social and curious and enjoy being where the action is. They love travel and adventure and are loathe to stay in any one place too long. They marry for life and are fiercely protective of their mates and children.
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No, I am not speaking of humans, but rather, Canada geese -- who are, in many ways, remarkably similar to us.
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Some may scoff and particular raise eyebrows at the line about "enjoying musical concerts."
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Well, something happening a few times can be chalked up to coincidence.
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But, something noted many times over a number of years and with different geese seems more tendency than coincidence.
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A few years ago, I wrote (somewhat tongue-in-cheek), how the goose parents who raised goslings at Turtle Pond would seem to return to the nesting area every time there was a musical production at the nearby Delacourt theatre. The family, with then, nearly grown (and flying) goslings would take position on their favorite rock in the evenings to intently take in the (free) opera or musical play being performed.
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"Ah, they have appreciation for classical music!" I mused to myself -- though I could never figure how the goose family knew when the concerts were to occur. (Some kind of special radar or ESP?.)
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In the years following, I noted many times that the geese who traditionally molted at the Central Park Boat Lake in the summer, similarly seemed to enjoy the bongo drums and other lively music performed by musicians around Bethesda fountain. (Apparently, geese's musical tastes are not just confined to the classics.)
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Last night was "Museum Mile Walk" on Fifth Avenue, which drew thousands of people (apparently, the museums are free), food vendors and a rock band performing near the Guggenheim museum on 88th Street.
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When entering Central Park at the East 90th street entrance, I wondered if the loud rock music might spook newly arrived and molting Canada geese at the Reservoir or the family with their young goslings?
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I could not have been more wrong.
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On the contrary, all of the geese were gathered along the east side of the Reservoir where the music was its loudest and the crowds were the thickest.
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When the music finally ended around 9 PM and crowds thinned, most of the geese leisurely swam towards the middle and western parts of the Reservoir, having apparently realized the show was over. (Only the family and John and Mary remained east, which is where they usually stay at night.) I was, unfortunately, not able to get their reviews of the rock band, but from all indications, the geese seemed to have approved.
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Perhaps all of this is "coincidence," but I am personally and absolutely convinced that Canada geese love music and it doesn't matter what kind. Rock, rap, bongos, heavy metal, country, opera or classical. -- Bring it on!
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Yesterday's blog posting dealt somewhat with goose hierarchy, rules, and the fights geese sometimes have to "enforce" those rules and status placements.
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Most corrections and rule enforcement in the goose worlds are mild and inconsequential. The dominant geese move in, the subordinates politely move away. Sometimes, there's a little butt pecking, but the geese get the message. There is order. There is hierarchy. And most of the time there is acceptance and peace.
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Sometimes though (like a few evenings ago), the subordinates don't move quickly or far enough away -- in which case, an all out battle ensues.
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Looking over "Canada goose fights" on YouTube, I don't see any where geese actually kill or even severely injure each other (though there is a lot of neck-feather grabbing and pulling).
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Perhaps the most fiercely fought battle of posted videos is this one from Harlem Meer in Central Park from just a couple of years ago. It is particularly intriguing because of the reactions of the other geese:
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In the beginning of the video, the other geese look on with interest (like humans watching a boxing match), but as the battle of the ganders continues, the other geese eventually move in and appear to break up the match. "OK, guys, good fight, but time to move on!"
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Both ganders move to their respective flocks, no worse for the wear, though both geese undoubtedly were missing a bunch of neck feathers and sustained some mild injury. It's not clear if either of the ganders actually "won" what was most likely a territorial battle over space or possible mates.
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A few nights ago, the obvious "winner" of the battle was the dominant alpha gander with family to defend. But, even in that case, the female mate of the victor eventually gathered up the goslings and began to swim away in the water -- seemingly a signal to her mate to give up the fight and return to the fold (which he did). "He's surely gotten the message by now, Dear" Greta seemed to say in her actions to her victorious gander.
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In saying these things, I am guessing there are instances when goose fights have resulted in grievous injury or even death to one of the ganders.
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But, I believe that in goose "society" (like human society) there are mechanisms and actions in place to prevent territorial, food or mating battles from resulting in actual death to one of the combatants. That doesn't mean they always work as they don't always work in human society to prevent murders. But, as said yesterday, for the most part, waterbird fights generally appear worse than they actually are. Unfortunately, much as we may not like to see them, they serve important purpose in terms of establishing social and family order.
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The bottom line to all this is the more one personally observes and studies geese, the more they appear to be, "just like us."
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But, me being particularly biased and prejudiced, I tend to think that geese more accurately represent what humans aspire to be in terms of loyalty, devotion and bravery.
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I daresay that were humans more like geese, there would rarely if ever be, wars, divorce or betrayals -- though there would always be the unavoidable battles for status, territory, food and mates.
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Those just seem to be among the inevitabilities of life itself and all of nature. -- PCA
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