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121-709: Bird species admitted to the British List are those in BOU categories A, B or C: Birds can be listed in more than one category: for example, the Canada goose has a large introduced population but there have also been a few naturally occurring vagrants, and the white-tailed eagle is a native species that is also subject to an ongoing reintroduction project, so both species meet the criteria for categories A and C. Categories D and E (not listed here) are used for record keeping only, and species in these categories are not included in

242-413: A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry aircraft at Elmendorf AFB , Alaska , struck a flock of Canada geese on takeoff, losing power in both port side engines. It crashed 2 mi (3.2 km) from the runway, killing all 24 crew members. The accident sparked efforts to avoid such events, including habitat modification, aversion tactics, herding and relocation, and culling of flocks. In 2009, a collision with

363-531: A cosmopolitan distribution ; the majority of species are tropical. Some species are migratory . The cuckoos feed on insects, insect larvae, and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Some species are brood parasites , laying their eggs in the nests of other species and giving rise to the metaphor "cuckoo's egg" , but most species raise their own young. Cuckoos have played a role in human culture for thousands of years, appearing in Greek mythology as sacred to

484-438: A pest species because of its excrement , its depredation of crops, its noise, its aggressive territorial behavior toward both humans and other animals, and its habit of stalking and begging for food , the latter a result of humans disobeying artificial feeding policies toward wild animals . The Canada goose was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus in his 18th-century work Systema Naturae . It belongs to

605-438: A sign stimulus . Since obligate brood parasites need to successfully trick their host for them to reproduce, they have evolved adaptations at several stages of breeding. High costs of parasitism are exerted on the host, leading to strong selections on the host to recognize and reject parasitic eggs. The adaptations and counter-adaptations between hosts and parasites have led to a coevolution "arms race". This means that if one of

726-415: A territory and to attract a mate. Within a species, the calls are remarkably consistent across the range, even in species with very large ranges. This suggests, along with the fact that many species are not raised by their true parents, that the calls of cuckoos are innate and not learnt. Although cuckoos are diurnal, many species call at night. The cuckoo family gets its English and scientific names from

847-466: A considerable population of wintering species, particularly ducks , geese and swans . There are also a number of species, such as the oystercatcher , that are resident on the island of Great Britain, but migrants elsewhere. Britain receives a number of vagrants from Asia and North America. Some American gulls , ducks and waders are regular enough not to be considered rare, including the ring-billed gull , surf scoter and pectoral sandpiper . There

968-1168: A floating platform of vegetation. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Burhinidae A small family of medium to large waders with strong black bills, large yellow eyes and cryptic plumage. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large, obvious and noisy wading birds with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs . There are eleven species worldwide with one in Britain. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Recurvirostridae A family of fairly large wading birds. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. There are ten species worldwide with two in Britain. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Charadriidae Small to medium-sized wading birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Scolopacidae A large, diverse family of wading birds. Different lengths of legs and bills enable multiple species to feed in

1089-729: A flock of migratory Canada geese resulted in US Airways Flight 1549 suffering a total loss of power from both engines after takeoff, forcing the crew of the aircraft to ditch the plane in the Hudson River with no loss of human life. As a large, common wild bird, the Canada goose is a common target of hunters, especially in its native range. Drake Larsen, a researcher in sustainable agriculture at Iowa State University , described them to The Atlantic magazine as "so yummy ...good, lean, rich meat. I find they are similar to

1210-469: A good cut of beef." The British Trust for Ornithology , however, has described them as "reputedly amongst the most inedible of birds." The U.S. goose harvest for 2013–14 reported over 1.3 million geese taken. Canada geese are rarely farmed, and sale of wild Canada goose meat is rare due to regulation and slaughterhouses' lack of experience with wild birds. Geese in New York City parks culled by

1331-729: A hooked tip to the bill. They chase other seabirds to force them to drop their catches. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Alcidae A family of seabirds which are superficially similar to penguins , with their black-and-white colours, upright posture and some of their habits, but which are able to fly. Order: Phaethontiformes     Family: Phaethontidae Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings. Order: Gaviiformes     Family: Gaviidae Canada goose Anas canadensis Linnaeus, 1758 The Canada goose ( Branta canadensis )

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1452-418: A host nest. Cuckoo eggshells have two distinct layers. In some nesting cuckoos, a thick, outer, chalky layer is not present on the eggs of most brood-parasitic species, with some exceptions, and the eggshells of Old World parasitic cuckoos have a thick outer layer that is different from that of nesting cuckoos. The cuckoo egg hatches earlier than the host eggs, and the cuckoo chick grows faster; in most cases,

1573-411: A lack of former predators. Males exhibit agonistic behavior both on and off breeding and nesting grounds. This behavior rarely involves interspecific killing. One documented case involved a male defending his nest from a brant that wandered into the area; the following attack lasted for one hour until the death of the brant. The cause of death was suffocation or drowning in mud as a direct result of

1694-467: A large population of Canada geese. Canada geese live year-round in the southern part of their breeding range, including the northern half of the United States' eastern seaboard and Pacific Coast, and areas in between. Between California and South Carolina in the southern United States and in northern Mexico , Canada geese are mainly present as migrants from further north during the winter. By

1815-401: A mixture of B. c. minima , B. c. occidentalis , and B. c. parvipes . The holotype specimen of taverneri is a straightforward large pale cackling goose however, and hence the taxon is still valid today and was renamed "Taverner's cackling goose". In addition, the barnacle goose ( B. leucopsis ) was determined to be a derivative of the cackling goose lineage, whereas

1936-628: A number of Pacific islands and another is a winter migrant across much of the Pacific. The Cuculinae are the most widespread subfamily of cuckoos, and are distributed across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Oceania. Amongst the Phaenicophaeinae, the malkohas and Asian ground cuckoos are restricted to southern Asia, the couas are endemic to Madagascar , and the yellowbill is widespread across Africa. The coucals are distributed from Africa through tropical Asia south into Australia and

2057-597: A permit which can be used from March 11 through August 31 to destroy nests, conduct a goose roundup or exterminate geese. Canada geese have reached Northern Europe naturally, as has been proved by ringing recoveries . The birds include those of the subspecies B. c. parvipes , and possibly others. These geese are also found naturally on the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia , and eastern China . Canada geese have also been introduced in Europe in

2178-771: A pet dog. Once they reach adulthood, due to their large size and often aggressive behavior, Canada geese are rarely preyed on, although prior injury may make them more vulnerable to natural predators. Beyond humans, adults can be taken by coyotes and grey wolves ( Canis lupus ). Avian predators that are known to kill adults, as well as young geese, include snowy owls ( Bubo scandiacus ), golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ) and bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) and, though rarely on large adult geese, great horned owls ( Bubo virginianus ), northern goshawks ( Accipiter gentilis ), peregrine falcons ( Falco peregrinus ), and gyrfalcons ( Falco rusticolus ). Adult geese are quite vigorous at displacing potential predators from

2299-460: A place to breed; for brood parasites the need is for suitable habitat for the host species. Cuckoos occur in a wide variety of habitats . The majority of species occur in forests and woodland, principally in the evergreen rainforests of the tropics, where they are typically but not exclusively arboreal. Some species inhabit or are even restricted to mangrove forests; these include the little bronze cuckoo of Australia , some malkohas, coucals, and

2420-464: A problem in some areas by fouling pastures and damaging crops. They were protected under the Wildlife Act 1953 and the population was managed by Fish and Game New Zealand , which culled excessive bird numbers. In 2011, the government removed the protection status, allowing anyone to kill the birds. Like most geese, the Canada goose is naturally migratory with the wintering range being most of

2541-409: A rudder during flight in the arboreal species. The wing shape also varies with lifestyle, with the more migratory species such as the black-billed cuckoo possessing long, narrow wings capable of strong, direct flight, and the more terrestrial and sedentary cuckoos such as the coucals and malkohas having shorter rounded wings and a more laboured, gliding flight. The subfamily Cuculinae comprises

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2662-460: A study of the European common cuckoos that females lay their egg in the nest of a host that has eggs that look similar to its own. Other species of cuckoo lay "cryptic" eggs, which are dark in color when their hosts' eggs are light. This is a trick to hide the egg from the host, and is exhibited in cuckoos that parasitize hosts with dark, domed nests. Some adult parasitic cuckoos completely destroy

2783-481: A template of a parasitic egg is costly and imperfect and likely not identical to each host's egg. The other one is the discordancy hypothesis, which states that a host compares eggs in the clutch and identifies the odd ones. However, if parasitic eggs made the majority of eggs in the clutch, then hosts ends up rejecting their own eggs. More recent studies have found that both mechanisms more likely contribute to host discrimination of parasitic eggs since one compensates for

2904-576: A tendency to spend less time at rest stops and go through the migration much faster. The later birds usually spend more time at rest stops. Some geese return to the same nesting ground year after year and lay eggs with their mate, raising them in the same way each year. This is recorded from the many tagged geese which frequent the East Coast. Canada geese fly in a distinctive V-shaped flight formation, with an altitude of 1 km (3,000 feet) for migration flight. The maximum flight ceiling of Canada geese

3025-616: A variety of animals and plants. The family is well represented in Britain, especially in winter when large numbers visit from Greenland , Scandinavia and Russia . Order: Galliformes     Family: Phasianidae These are terrestrial species, feeding and nesting on the ground. They are variable in size but generally plump, with broad and relatively short wings. Four of these were introduced for hunting or ornamental purposes but two have now died out. Order: Caprimulgiformes     Family: Caprimulgidae Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on

3146-459: A variety of grains and other foods by humans in parks. Canada geese prefer lawn grass in urban areas. They usually graze in open areas with wide clearance to avoid potential predators. During the second year of their lives, Canada geese find a mate. They are monogamous , and most couples stay together all of their lives. If one dies, the other may find a new mate. The female lays from two to nine eggs with an average of five, and both parents protect

3267-539: Is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America , and it is occasionally found during migration across the Atlantic in northern Europe . It has been introduced to France , the United Kingdom , Ireland , Finland , Sweden , Denmark , New Zealand , Japan , Chile , Argentina , and

3388-441: Is again the anis, which are often extremely trusting towards humans and other species. Most cuckoos are insectivores , and in particular are specialised in eating larger insects and caterpillars , including noxious, hairy types avoided by other birds. They are unusual among birds in processing their prey prior to swallowing, rubbing it back and forth on hard objects such as branches and then crushing it with special bony plates in

3509-697: Is also colloquially referred to as the "Canadian goose". This name may annoy some birders . The cackling goose was originally considered to be the same species or several subspecies of the Canada goose, but in July 2004, the American Ornithologists' Union 's Committee on Classification and Nomenclature split them into two species, making the cackling goose into a full species with the scientific name Branta hutchinsii . The British Ornithologists' Union followed suit in June 2005. The AOU has divided

3630-419: Is believed because of the long days of flying in migration the thyroid gland sends out more T 4 which help the body cope with the longer journey. The increased T 4 levels are also associated with increased muscle mass ( hypertrophy ) of the breast muscle, also because of the longer time spent flying. It is believed that the body sends out more T 4 to help the goose's body with this long task by speeding up

3751-474: Is generally permitted only during the defined open season . Geese have a tendency to attack humans when they feel themselves or their goslings to be threatened. First, the geese stand erect, spread their wings, and produce a hissing sound. Next, the geese charge. They may then peck or attack with their wings. Canada geese have been implicated in a number of bird strikes by aircraft. Their large size and tendency to fly in flocks may exacerbate their impact. In

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3872-524: Is one endemic bird species found in Great Britain: the Scottish crossbill . Order: Anseriformes     Family: Anatidae The swans, ducks and geese are medium to large birds that are adapted to an aquatic existence with webbed feet and bills which are flattened to a greater or lesser extent. In many ducks the male is colourful while the female is dull brown. The diet consists of

3993-549: Is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, human-made bodies of water near food sources, such as those found on golf courses, in public parks and beaches, on sports fields, 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-round feature of such urban environments. Contrary to its normal migration routine, large flocks of Canada geese have established permanent residence along

4114-571: Is selective pressure on cuckoos to lessen their egg size to be a more effective mimic, but physiological constraints hinder the species from doing so. Mimicry may also be imperfect due to a lack of strong selection pressures towards the parasite. Oriental reed warbler hosts do not discriminate between warbler-sized model eggs and slightly larger model cuckoo eggs. Since cuckoos in this situation can effectively parasitize despite laying eggs slightly larger than those of their hosts, there are little selective pressures to evolve "perfect" mimicry. To select

4235-419: Is slightly lighter at 2.4–5.5 kg ( 5 + 1 ⁄ 4 – 12 + 1 ⁄ 4  lb), averaging amongst all subspecies 3.6 kg (8 lb), and generally 10% smaller in linear dimensions than the male counterparts. The honk refers to the call of the male Canada goose, while the hrink call refers to the female goose. The calls are similar, however, the hrink is shorter and more high-pitched than

4356-413: Is unknown, but they have been reported at 9 km (29,000 feet). Flying in the V formation has been the subject of study by researchers. The front position is rotated since flying in front consumes the most energy. Canada geese leave the winter grounds more quickly than the summer grounds. Elevated thyroid hormones , such as T 3 and T 4 , have been measured in geese just after a big migration. This

4477-581: The Branta genus of geese, which contains species with largely black plumage , distinguishing them from the gray species of the genus Anser . Branta was a Latinized form of Old Norse Brandgás , "burnt (black) goose" and the specific epithet canadensis is a Neo-Latin word meaning "from Canada ". According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the first citation for the 'Canada goose' dates back to 1772. The Canada goose

4598-495: The American Civil War but were reintroduced in 1956 with 10 pairs. The population was estimated at 18,000 in 1979. The geese are considered protected, though a hunting season is allowed from September 1–15, with a daily bag limit of five. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recommends several non-lethal scare and hazing tactics for nuisance geese, but if such methods have been used without success, they may issue

4719-660: The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee . Species listed on this page as "rare" are those for which a full description is required for acceptance of the record by the British Birds Rarities Committee . Other species have an indication of their breeding and wintering status in Great Britain. In general the avifauna of Britain is similar to that of the rest of Europe. Because of its mild winters, Great Britain has

4840-534: The Centropodidae and Crotophagidae , respectively. The cuckoo order Cuculiformes is one of three that make up the Otidimorphae , the other two being the turacos and the bustards . The family Cuculidae contains 150 species, which are divided into 33 genera. The cuckoos are generally medium-sized, slender birds. Most species live in trees, though a sizeable minority are ground-dwelling. The family has

4961-479: The Cuculidae ( / k juː ˈ k j uː l ɪ d iː / kew- KEW -lih-dee ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( / k j uː ˈ k j uː l ɪ f ɔːr m iː z / kew- KEW -lih-for-meez ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo , roadrunners , koels , malkohas , couas , coucals , and anis . The coucals and anis are sometimes separated as distinct families,

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5082-555: The Falkland Islands . Like most geese, the Canada goose is primarily herbivorous and normally migratory; often found on or close to fresh water , the Canada goose is also common in brackish marshes, estuaries, and lagoons. Extremely adept at living in human-altered areas , Canada geese have established breeding colonies in urban and cultivated habitats, which provide food and few natural predators. The success of this common park species has led to it often being considered

5203-728: The Hawaiian goose ( B. sandvicensis ) originated from ancestral Canada geese. Thus, the species' distinctness is well evidenced. Ornithologist Harold C. Hanson, who had rediscovered wild populations of the Giant Canada Goose, proposed splitting Canada and cackling goose into six species and 200 subspecies. The radical nature of this proposal has been controversial; Richard Banks of the AOU urges caution before any of Hanson's proposals are accepted. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature has suppressed Hanson's proposals, based on

5324-544: The Migratory Birds Convention Act . In both countries, commercial transactions such as buying or trading are mostly prohibited and the possession, hunting, and interfering with the activity of the animals are subject to restrictions. In the UK, as with native bird species, the nests and eggs of Canada geese are fully protected by law, except when their removal has been specifically licensed, and shooting

5445-600: The Netherlands , Belgium , Germany , Scandinavia , and Finland in the 20th Century, starting in Sweden in 1929. Most European populations are not migratory, but those in more northerly parts of Sweden and Finland migrate to the North Sea and Baltic coasts. Semi-tame feral birds are common in parks, and have become a pest in some areas. In Great Britain, they were spread by hunters, but remained uncommon until

5566-732: The New York City Department of Environmental Protection have been donated to food banks in Pennsylvania. In 2000, the North American population of the geese was estimated to be between 4 million and 5 million birds. A 20-year study from 1983 to 2003 in Wichita, Kansas , found the size of the winter Canada goose population within the city limits increased from 1,600 to over 18,000 birds. Cuculiformes 33 genera, see text Cuckoos are birds in

5687-521: The Ohio population of Canada geese was reported as roughly 130,000, with the number likely to continue increasing. Many of the geese, previously migratory, reportedly had become native, remaining in the state even in the summer. The increase was attributed to a lack of natural predators, an abundance of water, and plentiful grass in manicured lawns in urban areas. Canada geese were eliminated in Ohio following

5808-594: The Solomon Islands . The remaining three subfamilies have a New World distribution, all are found in both North and South America. The Coccyzinae reach the furthest north of the three subfamilies, breeding in Canada , whereas the anis reach as far north as Florida and the typical ground cuckoos are in the Southwest United States . For the cuckoos, suitable habitat provides a source of food (principally insects and especially caterpillars) and

5929-804: The University of York at the age of 31. In order to survive the extreme winter temperatures, the geese prefer to stay in urban areas rather than in green spaces since industrial areas retain heat. Known predators of eggs and goslings include coyotes ( Canis latrans ), Arctic foxes ( Vulpes lagopus ), northern raccoons ( Procyon lotor ), red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ), large gulls ( Larus species), common ravens ( Corvus corax ), American crows ( Corvus brachyrhynchos ), carrion crows (in Europe, Corvus corone ) and both brown ( Ursus arctos ) and American black bears ( Ursus americanus ). Geese and their goslings are occasionally preyed upon by domestic dogs—these occurrences can be prevented by leashing

6050-408: The fledgling stage any time from six to nine weeks of age. They do not leave their parents until after the spring migration, when they return to their birthplace. Canada geese are known for their seasonal migrations. Most Canada geese have staging or resting areas where they join up with others. Their autumn migration can be seen from September to the beginning of November. The early migrants have

6171-403: The forest floor , whereas the red-capped ca-ca ran and pounced on prey. Both species also showed seasonal flexibility in prey and foraging techniques. The parasitic cuckoos are generally not recorded as participating in mixed-species feeding flocks , although some studies in eastern Australia found several species participated in the nonbreeding season, but were mobbed and unable to do so in

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6292-512: The giant coua of Madagascar , the coral-billed ground-cuckoo of Indochina , and various large Indo-Pacific coucals such as the goliath coucal of Halmahera , Timor coucal , buff-headed coucal , ivory-billed coucal , violaceous coucal , and larger forms of the pheasant coucal . The channel-billed cuckoo , at 630 g (1 lb 6 oz) and 63 cm (25 in) is the largest parasitic cuckoo. Generally, little sexual dimorphism in size occurs, but where it exists, it can be either

6413-427: The honk of males. When agitated or aggressively defending territory, Canada geese will typically initiate an encounter with a high-pitched hiss. Canada geese communicate with ten different vocalizations, each in response to a different situation confronting them. This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a wide range of habitats. The Great Lakes region maintains

6534-549: The lesser cuckoo , which flies from Africa to India , and the common cuckoo of Europe, which flies nonstop over the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert on the voyage between Europe and central Africa. Within Africa, 10 species make regular intracontinental migrations that are described as polarised; that is, they spend the nonbreeding season in the tropical centre of the continent and move north and south to breed in

6655-472: The plumage is exhibited by the family. Some species, particularly the brood parasites, have cryptic plumage, whereas others have bright and elaborate plumage. This is particularly true of the Chrysococcyx or glossy cuckoos, which have iridescent plumage. Some cuckoos have a resemblance to hawks in the genus Accipiter with barring on the underside; this apparently alarms potential hosts, allowing

6776-412: The wing chord can range from 39 to 55 cm ( 15 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 2  in), the tarsus can range from 6.9 to 10.6 cm ( 2 + 11 ⁄ 16 to 4 + 3 ⁄ 16  in) and the bill can range from 4.1 to 6.8 cm ( 1 + 5 ⁄ 8 to 2 + 11 ⁄ 16  in). The largest subspecies is B. c. maxima , or the giant Canada goose, and the smallest (with

6897-530: The yellow-billed cuckoo . The cuckoos are, for the most part, solitary birds that seldom occur in pairs or groups. The biggest exception to this are the anis of the Americas, which have evolved cooperative breeding and other social behaviours. For the most part, the cuckoos are also diurnal as opposed to nocturnal, but many species call at night (see below). The cuckoos are also generally a shy and retiring family, more often heard than seen. The exception to this

7018-449: The "true geese" (i.e., the genera Anser and Branta ), the Canada goose is on average the largest living species, although some other species that are geese in name, if not of close relation to these genera, are on average heavier, such as the spur-winged goose and Cape Barren goose . Canada geese range from 75 to 110 cm (30 to 43 in) in length and have a 127–185 cm (50–73 in) wingspan . Among standard measurements,

7139-884: The British List: A further category (not listed here) is being compiled: As of 13 August 2024, there are 641 species of birds on the British List, the latest addition being western olivaceous warbler on 20-21 October 2023. Five species groups (birds that were not identified to species level) are included in an appendix to the December 2023 amendment – southern/northern giant petrel ( Macronectes giganteus/halli ), Fea's/Desertas petrel ( Pterodroma feae/desertas ), black-bellied/white-bellied storm petrel ( Fregetta tropica/grallaria ), brown/south polar skua ( Stercorarius antarctica/maccormickii ), and Asian/Mediterranean/Turkestan short-toed lark ( Alaudala cheleensis/rufescens/heinei ). A number of additional species are awaiting consideration by

7260-419: The Canada goose's pecking the head of the brant into the mud. Researchers attributed it to high hormone levels and the brant's inability to leave the nesting area. Canada geese are primarily herbivores , although they sometimes eat small insects and fish . Their diet includes green vegetation and grains . The Canada goose eats a variety of grasses when on land. It feeds by grasping a blade of grass with

7381-509: The HPAI virus, a H5N1 virus, found that the geese were susceptible to the virus. This proved useful for monitoring the spread of the virus through the high mortality of infected birds. Prior exposure to other viruses may result in some resistance to H5N1. The Canada goose is considered part of the Canadian national identity. In North America, nonmigratory Canada goose populations have been on

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7502-543: The Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center was built near Jamestown, North Dakota. Its first director, Harvey K. Nelson, talked Forrest Lee into leaving Minnesota to head the center's 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

7623-603: The Old World species and three of the New World cuckoo species ( pheasant , pavonine , and striped ) are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other birds and giving rise to the metaphor "cuckoo's egg" . These species are obligate brood parasites, meaning that they only reproduce in this fashion. The best-known example is the European common cuckoo. In addition to the above noted species, others sometimes engage in nonobligate brood parasitism, laying their eggs in

7744-706: The Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia's Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island area south to the San Francisco Bay area of Northern California. There are also resident Atlantic coast populations, such as on Chesapeake Bay , in Virginia 's James River regions, and in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), and nearby Hillsborough. Some Canada geese have taken up permanent residence as far south as Florida, in places such as retention ponds in apartment complexes. In 2015,

7865-447: The United States, the Canada goose is the second-most damaging bird strike to airplanes, with the most damaging being turkey vultures . Canada geese can cause fatal crashes when they strike an aircraft's engine. The FAA has reported 1,772 known civil aircraft strikes within the United States between 1990 and 2018. The total cost of these bird strikes to general and commercial aviation has been reported to exceed $ 130 million. In 1995,

7986-475: The United States. The calls overhead from large groups of Canada geese flying in a V-shaped formation signal the transitions into spring and autumn. In some areas, migration routes have changed due to changes in habitat and food sources. In mild climates from southwestern British Columbia to California to the Great Lakes , some of the population has become nonmigratory due to adequate winter food supply and

8107-537: The anis, which have eight. The cuckoos have a cosmopolitan distribution , ranging across all the world's continents except Antarctica. They are absent from the southwest of South America, the far north and northwest of North America, and the driest areas of the Middle East and North Africa (although they occur there as passage migrants ). In the oceanic islands of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans they generally only occur as vagrants , but one species breeds on

8228-428: The annual summer molt also takes place during the breeding season, the adults lose their flight feathers for 20–40 days, regaining flight about the same time as their goslings start to fly. As soon as the goslings hatch, they are immediately capable of walking, swimming, and finding their own food (a diet similar to that of adult geese). Parents are often seen leading their goslings in a line, usually with one adult at

8349-784: The aptly named mangrove cuckoo of the New World . In addition to forests, some species of cuckoos occupy more open environments; this can include even arid areas such as deserts in the case of the greater roadrunner or the pallid cuckoo . Temperate migratory species, such as the common cuckoo, inhabit a wide range of habitats to make maximum use of the potential brood hosts, from reed beds (where they parasitise reed warblers ) to treeless moors (where they parasitise meadow pipits ). Most species of cuckoo are sedentary, but some undertake regular seasonal migrations , and others undertake partial migrations over part of their range. Species breeding at higher latitudes migrate to warmer climates during

8470-400: The atypical anis , which are the small, clumsy anis and the larger guira cuckoo . The anis have massive bills and smooth, glossy feathers. The feathers of the cuckoos are generally soft, and often become waterlogged in heavy rain. Cuckoos often sun themselves after rain, and the anis hold their wings open in the manner of a vulture or cormorant while drying. Considerable variation in

8591-670: The back of the mouth. They also take a wide range of other insects and animal prey. The lizard cuckoos of the Caribbean have, in the relative absence of birds of prey , specialised in taking lizards . Larger, ground types, such as coucals and roadrunners, also feed variously on snakes, lizards, small rodents, and other birds, which they bludgeon with their strong bills. Ground species may employ different techniques to catch prey. A study of two coua species in Madagascar found that Coquerel's coua obtained prey by walking and gleaning on

8712-421: The bill, then tearing it with a jerk of the head. The Canada goose also eats beans and grains such as wheat , rice , and corn when they are available. In the water, it feeds from aquatic plants by sliding its bill at the bottom of the body of water. It also feeds on aquatic plant-like algae, such as seaweed . In urban areas, it is also known to pick food out of garbage bins. They are also sometimes hand-fed

8833-562: The breeding season in the anis, but can be ejected at any time by guria cuckoos. Polyandry has been confirmed in the African black coucal and is suspected to occur in the other coucals, perhaps explaining the reversed sexual dimorphism in the group. Most cuckoo species, including malkohas, couas, coucals, and roadrunners, and most other American cuckoos, build their own nests, although a large minority engages in brood parasitism (see below). Most of these species nest in trees or bushes, but

8954-451: The breeding season. Ground cuckoos of the genus Neomorphus are sometimes seen feeding in association with army ant swarms, although they are not obligate ant followers , as are some antbirds . The anis are ground feeders that follow cattle and other large mammals when foraging; in a similar fashion to cattle egrets , they snatch prey flushed by the cattle, so enjoy higher foraging success rates in this way. Several koels, couas, and

9075-476: The brood-parasitic cuckoos of the Old World. [ 6 ] They tend to conform to the classic shape, with (usually) long tails, short legs, long, narrow wings, and an arboreal lifestyle. The largest species, the channel-billed cuckoo, also has the most outsized bill in the family, resembling that of a hornbill . The subfamily Phaenicophaeinae comprises the nonparasitic cuckoos of the Old World, and include

9196-577: The call of the male cuckoo, also familiar from cuckoo clocks . In most cuckoos, the calls are distinctive to particular species, and are useful for identification. Several cryptic species are best identified on the basis of their calls. The family Cuculidae was introduced by English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1819. Very little fossil record of cuckoos has been found, and their evolutionary history remains unclear. Dynamopterus

9317-401: The case of the New World ground cuckoos. Nonparasitic cuckoos, like most other nonpasserines, lay white eggs, but many of the parasitic species lay coloured eggs to match those of their passerine hosts. The young of all species are altricial . Nonparasitic cuckoos leave the nest before they can fly, and some New World species have the shortest incubation periods among birds. About 56 of

9438-583: The channel-billed cuckoo feed mainly on fruit, but they are not exclusively frugivores . The parasitic koels and channel-billed cuckoo in particular consume mainly fruit when raised by frugivore hosts such as the Australasian figbird and pied currawong . Other species occasionally take fruit, as well. Couas consume fruit in the dry season when prey is harder to find. The cuckoos are an extremely diverse group of birds with regards to breeding systems. Most are monogamous , but exceptions exist. The anis and

9559-458: The chick evicts the eggs and/or young of the host species. The chick has no time to learn this behavior, nor does any parent stay around to teach it, so it must be an instinct passed on genetically. One reason for the cuckoo egg's hatching sooner is that, after the egg is fully formed, the female cuckoo holds it in her oviduct for another 24 hours prior to laying. This means that the egg has already had 24 hours of internal incubation. Furthermore,

9680-427: The couas, malkohas, and ground cuckoos. They are more terrestrial cuckoos, with strong and often long legs and short, rounded wings. The subfamily typically has brighter plumage and brightly coloured bare skin around the eye. The coucals are another terrestrial Old World subfamily of long-tailed, long-legged, and short-winged cuckoos. They are large, heavyset birds with the largest, the greater black coucal , being around

9801-435: The coucals lay their eggs in nests on the ground or in low shrubs. Though on some occasions nonparasitic cuckoos parasitize other species, the parent still helps feed the chick. The nests of cuckoos vary in the same way as the breeding systems. The nests of malkohas and Asian ground cuckoos are shallow platforms of twigs, but those of coucals are globular or domed nests of grasses. The New World cuckoos build saucers or bowls in

9922-547: The criticisms of Banks and other ornithologists. The black head and neck with a white "chinstrap" distinguish the Canada goose from all other goose species except the cackling goose and barnacle goose (the latter, however, has a black breast and gray rather than brownish body plumage). Some Canada geese come with a pepper-spotted or brown neck with brown plumage, and these are assumed to be a leucistic variety. The seven subspecies of this bird vary widely in size and plumage details, but all are recognizable as Canada geese. Some of

10043-427: The cuckoo's internal temperature is 3-4 °C higher than the temperature at which the egg is incubated in the nest, and the higher temperature means that the egg incubates faster, so at the time it is laid, the egg has already had the equivalent of 30 hours incubation in a nest. The chick encourages the host to keep pace with its high growth rate with its rapid begging call and the chick's open mouth which serves as

10164-440: The eagle is displaying active hunting behavior. Canada geese are quite wary of humans where they are regularly hunted and killed, but can otherwise become habituated to fearlessness toward humans, especially where they are fed by them. This often leads to the geese becoming overly aggressive toward humans, and large groups of the birds may be considered a nuisance if they are causing persistent problems to humans and other animals in

10285-607: The early 17th century by explorer Samuel de Champlain who sent several pairs of geese to France as a present for King Louis XIII . The geese were first introduced in Great Britain in the late 17th century as an addition to King James II 's waterfowl collection in St. James's Park . By the middle of the 18th century, the Canada geese have established populations in France and Great Britain , but also in Ireland. They were also introduced in

10406-549: The early 20th century, overhunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th and early 20th centuries 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. In 1964,

10527-436: The eggs of their chosen host. Some birds are able to distinguish cuckoo eggs from their own, leading to those eggs least like the host's being thrown out of the nest. Parasitic cuckoos that show the highest levels of egg mimicry are those whose hosts exhibit high levels of egg rejection behavior. Some hosts do not exhibit egg rejection behavior and the cuckoo eggs look very dissimilar from the host eggs. It has also been shown in

10648-644: The end of 1981, more than 6,000 giant Canada geese had been released at 83 sites in 26 counties in North Dakota. 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 B. c. 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

10769-729: The female to access a host nest. The young of some brood parasites are coloured so as to resemble the young of the host. For example, the Asian koels breeding in India have black offspring to resemble their crow hosts, whereas in the Australian koels the chicks are brown like their honeyeater hosts. Sexual dimorphism in plumage is uncommon in the cuckoos, being most common in the parasitic Old World species. Cuckoos have 10 primary flight feathers and 9–13 secondary flight feathers . All species have 10 tail feathers , apart from

10890-531: The females can lay their eggs in the nest. Some host species may directly try to prevent cuckoos laying eggs in their nest in the first place – birds whose nests are at high risk of cuckoo-contamination are known to "mob" attack cuckoos to drive them out of the area. Parasitic cuckoos are grouped into gentes , with each gens specializing in a particular host. Some evidence suggests that the gentes are genetically different from one another. Female parasitic cuckoos sometimes specialize and lay eggs that closely resemble

11011-410: The front and the other at the back. While protecting their goslings, parents often violently chase away nearby creatures, from small blackbirds to lone humans who approach: first giving a warning hiss, and then attacking with bites and slaps of the wings. Although parents are hostile to unfamiliar geese, they may form groups of a number of goslings and a few adults, called crèches . The offspring enter

11132-513: The geese obtrusive or object to their waste. Addling goose eggs and destroying nests are promoted as humane population control methods. Flocks of Canada geese can also be captured during molt and this method of culling is used to control invasive populations. Canada geese are protected from hunting and capture outside of designated hunting seasons in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act , and in Canada under

11253-619: The goddess Hera . In Europe, the cuckoo is associated with spring, and with cuckoldry , for example in Shakespeare 's Love's Labour's Lost . In India, cuckoos are sacred to Kamadeva , the god of desire and longing, whereas in Japan, the cuckoo symbolises unrequited love. Cuckoos are medium-sized birds that range in size from the little bronze cuckoo , at 17 g (0.6 oz) and 15 cm (6 in), to moderately large birds, ranging from 60–80 cm (24–31 in) in length, such as

11374-729: The ground. They have long wings, short legs and very short bills. Their soft plumage is cryptically coloured to resemble bark or leaves. Order: Apodiformes     Family: Apodidae The swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. These birds have very short legs and never settle voluntarily on the ground, perching instead only on vertical surfaces. Order: Otidiformes     Family: Otididae Large, sturdy birds of open plains with long legs and necks and strong feet. They are all rarities. Order: Cuculiformes     Family: Cuculidae Birds of variable size with slender bodies and long tails. Some species are known for laying their eggs in

11495-523: The guira cuckoo lay their eggs in communal nests, which are built by all members of the group. Incubation, brooding, and territorial defence duties are shared by all members of the group. Within these species, the anis breed as groups of monogamous pairs, but the guira cuckoos are not monogamous within the group, exhibiting a polygynandrous breeding system. This group nesting behaviour is not completely cooperative; females compete and may remove others' eggs when laying theirs. Eggs are usually only ejected early in

11616-421: The host's clutch if they reject the cuckoo egg. In this case, raising the cuckoo chick is less of a cost than the alternative, total clutch destruction. Cuckoo egg physiology can limit the degree of mimetic accuracy. Due to larger chick size on average for parasites compared to hosts, this is a physiological constraint on egg size, a minimum egg size needed to support a healthy cuckoo chick. In these cases, there

11737-464: The interactions were not necessarily simply parasitic or mutualistic. This relationship was not observed for any other host species, or for any other species of cuckoo. Great spotted cuckoo chicks do not evict host eggs or young, and are smaller and weaker than carrion crow chicks, so both of these factors may have contributed to the effect observed. However, subsequent research using a dataset from southern Spain failed to replicate these findings, and

11858-418: The lab show similar findings: cuckoos parasitized artificial nests containing blue eggs more frequently than pink ones. Two main hypotheses on the cognitive mechanisms mediate host distinguishing of eggs. One hypothesis is true recognition, which states that a host compares eggs present in its clutch to an internal template (learnt or innate), to identify if parasitic eggs are present. However, memorizing

11979-477: The limitations of the other. The parasitism is not necessarily entirely detrimental to the host species. A 16-year dataset was used in 2014 to find that carrion crow nests in a region of northern Spain were more successful overall (more likely to produce at least one crow fledgling) when parasitised by the great spotted cuckoo . The researchers attributed this to a strong-smelling predator-repelling substance secreted by cuckoo chicks when attacked, and noted that

12100-523: The male or the female that is larger. One of the most important distinguishing features of the family is the feet, which are zygodactyl , meaning that the two inner toes point forward and the two outer backward. The two basic body forms are arboreal species (such as the common cuckoo ), which are slender and have short tarsi , and terrestrial species (such as the roadrunners ), which are more heavy set and have long tarsi. Almost all species have long tails that are used for steering in terrestrial species and as

12221-444: The many subspecies between the two species. The subspecies of the Canada goose were listed as: The distinctions between the two geese have led to confusion and debate among ornithologists. This has been aggravated by the overlap between the small types of Canada goose and larger types of cackling goose. The old "lesser Canada geese" were believed to be a partly hybrid population, with the birds named B. c. taverneri considered

12342-407: The metabolism and lowering the temperature at which the muscles work. Also, other studies show levels of stress hormones such as corticosterone rise dramatically in these birds during and after a migration. The lifespan in the wild of geese who survive to adulthood ranges from 10 to 24 years. The British longevity record is held by a specimen tagged as a nestling, which was observed alive at

12463-434: The mid-20th century. Their population grew from 2,200 to 4,000 birds in 1953 to an estimated 82,000 in 1999, as changing agricultural practices and urban growth provided new habitat. European birds are mostly descended from the nominate subspecies B. c. canadensis , likely with some contributions from the subspecies B. c. maxima . Canada geese were introduced as a game bird into New Zealand in 1905. They have become

12584-614: The more arid and open savannah and deserts. This is the same as the situation in the Neotropics, where no species have this migration pattern, or tropical Asia, where a single species does. About 83% of the Australian species are partial migrants within Australia or travel to New Guinea and Indonesia after the breeding season. In some species, the migration is diurnal , as in the channel-billed cuckoo , or nocturnal , as in

12705-518: The most suitable host nests, cuckoos may “egg-match” as well. Daurian redstarts ( Phoenicurus auroreus ), another cuckoo host, lay clutches of either pink or blue eggs. Cuckoo eggs are more similar in reflectance and color to blue redstart eggs than pink ones. Furthermore, in-field observations revealed parasitism occurred more frequently in blue-egg redstart nests (19.3%) than in pink-egg redstart nests (7.9%). This suggests cuckoos prefer parasitizing nests containing eggs resembling their own. Experiments in

12826-459: The nest site, with predator prevention usually falling to the larger male of the pair. Males usually attempt to draw attention of approaching predators and toll (mob terrestrial predators without physical contact) often in accompaniment with males of other goose species. Eagles frequently cause geese to fly off en masse from some distance, though in other instances, geese may seem unconcerned at perched bald eagles nearby, seemingly only reacting if

12947-583: The nest while the eggs incubate , but the female spends more time at the nest than the male. 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 incubation period, in which the female incubates while the male remains nearby, lasts for 24–32 days after laying. Canada geese can respond to external climatic factors by adjusting their laying date to spring maximum temperatures, which may benefit their nesting success. As

13068-457: The nests of members of their own species, in addition to raising their own young. Brood parasitism has even been seen in greater roadrunners, where their eggs were seen in the nests of common ravens and northern mockingbirds . The shells of the eggs of brood-parasitic cuckoos are usually thicker and stronger than those of their hosts. This protects the egg if a host parent tries to damage it, and may make it resistant to cracking when dropped into

13189-824: The nests of other birds. Order: Pterocliformes     Family: Pteroclidae Sturdy, medium-sized birds with a small head and long, pointed wings. Order: Columbiformes     Family: Columbidae Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere . There are 344 species worldwide, seven in Britain. Order: Gruiformes     Family: Rallidae These birds mainly occupy dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, marshes or rivers. Many are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. Most species have strong legs and long toes which are well adapted to soft uneven surfaces. Order: Gruiformes     Family: Gruidae Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds. Unlike

13310-506: The nonmigratory populations (which tend to be larger and more of a nuisance) as opposed to migratory flocks showing natural behavior, which may be rarer. Since 1999, the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services agency has been engaged in lethal culls of Canada geese primarily in urban or densely populated areas. The agency responds to municipalities or private land owners, such as golf courses, which find

13431-704: The rise. The species is frequently found on golf courses, parking lots, and urban parks, which would have previously hosted only migratory geese on rare occasions. Owing to its adaptability to human-altered areas, it has become one of the most common waterfowl species in North America. In many areas, nonmigratory Canada geese are now regarded as pests by humans. They are suspected of being a cause of an increase in high fecal coliforms at beaches. An extended hunting season, deploying noise makers, and hazing by dogs have been used in an attempt to disrupt suspect flocks. A goal of conservationists has been to focus hunting on

13552-552: The same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Glareolidae A family of slender, long-winged wading birds. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Laridae Medium to large seabirds with grey, white and black plumage, webbed feet and strong bills. Many are opportunistic and adaptable feeders. Order: Charadriiformes     Family: Stercorariidae Medium to large seabirds with mainly grey or brown plumage, sharp claws and

13673-410: The same size as the channel-billed cuckoo. Genera of the subfamily Coccyzinae are arboreal and long-tailed, as well, with a number of large insular forms. The New World ground cuckoos are similar to the Asian ground-cuckoos in being long legged and terrestrial, and includes the long-billed roadrunner , which can reach speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) when chasing prey. The final subfamily includes

13794-525: The second research team also criticised the methodology used in experiments described in the first paper. The authors of the first study have responded to points made in the second and both groups agree that further research is needed before the mutualistic effect can be considered proven. Cuckoos are often highly secretive, and in many cases, best known for their wide repertoire of calls . These are usually relatively simple, resembling whistles, flutes, or hiccups. The calls are used to demonstrate ownership of

13915-583: The separation of the cackling goose group) is B. c. parvipes , or the lesser Canada goose. 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 ft 4 in). This specimen is the largest wild goose ever recorded of any species. The male Canada goose usually weighs 2.6–6.5 kg ( 5 + 3 ⁄ 4 – 14 + 1 ⁄ 4  lb), averaging amongst all subspecies 3.9 kg ( 8 + 1 ⁄ 2  lb). The female looks virtually identical, but

14036-401: The similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". Order: Podicipediformes     Family: Podicipedidae Grebes are small to medium-large diving birds with lobed toes and pointed bills. They are seen mainly on lowland waters and coasts. They feed on aquatic animals and nest on

14157-512: The smaller races can be hard to distinguish from the cackling goose, which slightly overlap in mass. However, most subspecies of the cackling goose (exclusive of Richardson's cackling goose, B. h. hutchinsii ) are considerably smaller. The smallest cackling goose, B. h. minima , is scarcely larger than a mallard . In addition to the size difference, cackling geese also have a shorter neck and smaller bill, which can be useful when small Canada geese comingle with relatively large cackling geese. Of

14278-514: The species involved were to stop adapting, it would lose the race to the other species, resulting in decreased fitness of the losing species. The egg-stage adaptation is the best studied stage of this arms race. Cuckoos have various strategies for getting their eggs into host nests. Different species use different strategies based on host defensive strategies. Female cuckoos have secretive and fast laying behaviors, but in some cases, males have been shown to lure host adults away from their nests so that

14399-480: The surrounding area. Salinity plays a role in the growth and development of goslings. Moderate to high salinity concentrations without fresh water results in slower development, growth, and saline-induced mortality. Goslings are susceptible to saline-induced mortality before their nasal salt glands become functional; the majority of such deaths occur before the sixth day of life. Canada geese are susceptible to avian bird flus, such as H5N1 . A study carried out using

14520-625: The winter due to food availability. The long-tailed koel , which breeds in New Zealand, flies to its wintering grounds in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, a feat described as "perhaps the most remarkable overwater migration of any land bird." The yellow-billed cuckoo and black-billed cuckoo breed in North America and fly across the Caribbean Sea , a nonstop flight of 4,000 km (2,500 mi). Other long migration flights include

14641-466: Was an Oligocene genus of large cuckoo, though it may have been related to cariamas, instead. A 2014 genome analysis by Erich Jarvis and collaborators found a clade of birds that contains the orders Cuculiformes (cuckoos), Musophagiformes (turacos), and Otidiformes (bustards). This has been named the Otidimorphae. Relationships between the orders is unclear. The following cladogram shows

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