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Goose Day

Animal · September 29

A day about geese, the loud, loyal, long-necked waterfowl you see on ponds, in fields and flying overhead in long V-shaped lines.

Goose Day falls on Wednesday, September 29, 2027. That is 337 days away.

Geese are large waterfowl, related to ducks and swans, with long necks, sturdy bills and a famous honk. In much of the United States the bird people picture is the Canada goose, brown with a black neck and a white patch on its cheek, though domestic geese on farms are often white or gray.

They are grazers at heart. Geese spend a lot of time walking on land, clipping grass and other plants with their bills, then heading back to water to rest. Many migrate, and the V formation they fly in is one of the easier wildlife sights to spot from a parking lot.

Geese are also known for strong family bonds. Pairs often stay together for years, and both parents keep a close watch on their goslings. That protectiveness is why a goose may hiss, lower its head or spread its wings when someone gets too close. It is not personal. It is parenting, delivered at volume.

The kindest way to enjoy geese is from a distance. Watch how a family moves in a line, with adults at the front and back. Listen for the different calls they make in flight compared with on the ground. If you want to help, skip the bread, since it is poor food for waterbirds, and keep dogs leashed near ponds in spring.

Next time a ragged V passes overhead, count the birds and notice how the lead position changes as they fly.

Ways to celebrate

• Watch geese at a local pond from a respectful distance.
• Look up and count a V formation of geese flying overhead.
• Listen for goose calls and notice how they differ in flight.
• Keep dogs leashed near ponds where geese nest.
• Learn to tell a Canada goose from a domestic goose.

Dates

All national days on September 29

Also on September 29

• National Coffee Day
• National Biscotti Day
• VFW Day

Categories: Animal days