Field Journal 7

April 18, about 50 degrees, light wind and partially cloudy. Habitat is on the Fox river in Yorkville, on a fishing ladder next to a low head dam. with long grass on the banks, in a semi, suburban neighborhood.

At this river I saw a Canada Goose with 8 chicks. Canada geese females build a nest low to the ground, and near water. They use dry grass and down feathers to build their nest. The females pick the territories they are defending. They choose areas with open space. This territory appeared to be prime for a goose. There are wide unobstructed views, and plenty of dry, tall grasses and relatively clean water. The better a territory is, the more fit the geese is. To be able to defend a good territory with plenty of resources, the bird has to have good fitness. The young stay with the parents for about a year.. As far as mate selection, birds choose mates assortively, ie: larger birds will go with larger birds.

There were also a lot of mallards at this river. Mallards build their nest by sitting in a depression in soft mud and then they pull grasses that they can reach to the nest. The female also pulls in twigs and leaves. She also pulls tall grasses to hide the nest.

Publicado el 26 de abril de 2020 por helen235