An invasion from Canada
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- October
- 7
Sure, they’re called Canada geese and some are actually from our neighbor to the north.
“There are more than 200,000 year-round “resident” Canada geese in the state. They are joined every fall by the geese that migrate from northern Canada.”
The above comes from the latest Outdoor Discovery newsletter put out by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. This week’s issue takes a
look at Canada geese, which love to take advantage of the lawns, parks and golf courses of the Lower Hudson Valley. The expansive areas of grass are like a buffet table for the birds.
As Ducks Unlimited Canada points out, the birds don’t just reside in their namesake country.
Although they are named for Canada, Canada geese are found all over North America at various times of the year. In the summer, Canada geese make their homes throughout most of Canada, Alaska and the northern United States. Some northern populations even make the trip over to Greenland!In the winter, most Canada geese seek warmer climates. While many do winter in southern Canada, most make their way to the mid and southern United States. Some even go the extra mile and fly all the way to northern Mexico!
In terms of habitat, Canada geese use different habitats for different reasons. They tend to like low areas with lots of open water, which provides them with safety from predators.
For nesting, Canada geese like upland areas near water. Quite often, they will nest on an island.
The photo by TJN photographer Joe Larese shows a bunch of geese in Croton Point Park.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 at 11:12 am by Mike Risinit.
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Journal News staff writer Greg Clary writes Earth Watch, reporting on environmental issues in the lower Hudson region. Clary has been a reporter, editor and columnist at the Journal News since 1988 and has covered police and courts, transportation, municipal government, development and the environment in the Lower Hudson Valley, among other topics. 
Laura Incalcaterra covers the environment, open space and zoning and planning issues for The Journal News. A Boston College graduate, Laura grew up in Rockland, attended East Ramapo schools and has worked for The Journal News since 1993. Laura has written features and covered North Rockland, crime, government and a host of other issues.
Mike Risinit covers Patterson and Kent in Putnam County, as well as environmental topics touching on the Hudson River and the Great Swamp. Risinit has been a reporter at The Journal News since 1998.
Hi-Nice post about Canada Geese. I wrote a blog article about them myself this week. It made me think about your post about the bears and the mini vans. The Canada Geese DNA is actually changing so that they “forget” to migrate. Maybe the bears will begin passing down a break-into-the mini-van gene. Just a thought! I enjoy the wide range of your articles. Thank you. Diane Tucker, Estate Naturalist, Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington, CT