Cub Creek Science Camp
 
 

Click on the navigation bar below for

Information about our

Science Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do geese fly in a V? and other interesting things about geese.

 

 

Why do geese fly in a V?  Energy conservation and visual assurance.

 

Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:

 

First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest. The authors of a 2001 Nature article stated that pelicans that fly alone beat their wings more frequently and have higher heart rates than those that fly in formation. It follows that birds that fly in formation glide more often and reduce energy expenditure (Weimerskirch, 2001).

 

The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group. Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within the group. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason.

 

 

 

Domestic geese very seldom fly and when they do, it is very low to the ground for short distances.  At Cub Creek Science Camp we have two kinds of Geese, the African Goose and a Toulouse Goose mix breed.  These geese live in the Barn area and hang out at the fishing pond.  The love to let everyone that comes into the area know that they are in charge. Sometimes we think they make better guard animals than the dogs. 

 

The Toulouse is a very old breed of barnyard geese. They originated in France, were brought to England in the late 1700's and to America in the mid-1800's.  They are one of the largest domestic geese, weighing over 20 lbs, and are sometimes used for meat production.  They are cold hardy and good foragers, finding all their own food except in the hardest months of winter, when we supplement their diet with corn.  They are sometimes called the "watchdogs of the barnyard" because their loud honking will alert farmers to anything out of the ordinary, be it visitors in the driveway or coyotes near the livestock.  Our geese are not aggressive unless defending their nests in the spring.  A Toulouse goose can lay up to 20 eggs in the spring, and must sit on them for a month to hatch goslings.  The goslings can swim from birth and the entire flock spends much time on our pond.  While the young will mature in less than a year, these birds can live to be over 100 years old.  This information was taken from http://pleasantvalleyfarm.weebly.com

 

African geese are not from Africa! They are the same color as the Chinese goose, and originated in SE China. Like the Brown Chinese, they are the same color as the wild swan goose. They were imported into the USA in the nineteenth century, and reached Britain too as the 'Hong Kong' goose in Victorian times. Good examples of the African were more or less lost in the UK in the 20th century. Most Africans here now come from birds imported from the USA from the 1970s onwards. Exhibition Africans are imposing birds, ganders standing one meter tall. Hand reared, they are very tame. There is a great deal of variation in weight. Some varieties are quite small, reaching only 16-20 lbs. Big exhibition birds in the UK and the USA reach 26 lbs - the same as their stated weight in SE China.  This information was taken from http://www.ashtonwaterfowl.net .

 

 

 

 

 

More information on Geese

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

                  

 

 

Cub Creek Science Camp

Located at Bear River Ranch

16795 Hwy E

Rolla, Missouri  65401

573-458-2125

Director@BearRiverRanch.com