March 26, 2001

     Nesting Canada Geese

Because Canada geese mate for life, the unmated geese court and establish pair bonds on the wintering grounds before arriving back in their nesting areas.  Pairs then are ready to declare nesting territories when they arrive back in the Twin Cities area late in February or into March.  It's not unusual to see a pair standing on a tiny snow-covered island in an ice-covered pond.

Usually nesting sites are chosen in March and eggs are laid in late March or sometime in April.  Egg laying is triggered by open water.

The female chooses the nest's location, generally close to where she was hatched herself.  The nest is most often by water, and preferably on a small island, a muskrat house or a beaver lodge.

Using grasses, reeds and leaves, the female builds a nest around herself.  She alone will incubate the usual five or six eggs, although clutch sizes vary from one to 10 eggs.  Normally, 28 days after the last egg is laid, the young have hatched and are ready to leave the nest.

During the nesting period the female will lose 25 to 30 percent of her body weight due to the fasting that incubation imposes.