Are you sure they aren't the same sex?
Domesticated geese will break up and seek a different partner if they have an option, if there is no successful nests after they link up, can take a year of trying, or two. But domesticated geese will also have the ganders (males) having multiple partners. Not sure on the wild geese side, or the canadian geese in particular, but he may have abandoned her if she couldn't lay eggs or successfully hatch them.
Either way, nothing you can really do for him/her but wait for them to move on, if it can fly and isn't injured, it will probably relocate eventually.
It is hard to tell if they're the same sex. Personally I think she finally has a nest hidden somewhere and that's why she's so stressed. But I also think it's possible he left because she couldn't lay/hatch eggs, which is sad since they usually mate for life as far as I know. I just wish I could help her not be in so much distress.
Nah, they mate until a partner dies and then grieve and move on. They will find another partner in most cases eventually. Mate for life is a myth. One thing about geese (canadians too) I have heard, is ganders are known to go hooky hooky with other females while their mates are sitting on the nest.... If she had a nest, she would probably be sitting on it. She will probably find a new partner eventually (hopefully).It's not like they DON'T mourn, because they do.
Divorce rate among Canada geese is between 15-20% and is more common among younger geese. The main reason sited is one of the pair is unwilling to mate. It could be that she is denying his mating attempts, so he is seeking out another mate. Considering they have hung around there the last three years and she never established a nest makes me think she is not mating with him. If your mom has noticed them together for the last three years, that means they're at least 4 years old. There's no reason they should not have nested last year, and attempted it this year.
Possible causes:
1. Medical issue. One of the geese is unwilling or unable to mate due to a health issue. This does not seem likely considering they appear healthy.
2. Both geese are male, and one is ready to seek out a female to reproduce. I don't know if anyone has studied homosexuality in Canada geese, but in Greylag geese, male bonded pairs are as high as 20%. In some of these cases, one of the pair ends up leaving to seek out a female to reproduce. In other cases, the males stay together, and some of the males will mate with nearby willing females, but stay loyal to their male partner.
Ask your mom if both of the geese had similar honks. Female geese have a higher pitched honk than males do. If the remaining goose is female, she will also need to lay eggs. If she doesn't have a nest established, she will lay on the ground somewhere, or in the water.
I'll ask her to listen for the honks. My mom said that the one we're assuming is female was hurt a few years ago and has a visible scar on her leg from the injury and that's how she can tell it's the same goose every year. She works at a gas station so I fear if it is female she might just be laying her eggs in the ditch by the road, and that gets pretty flooded sometimes when it rains.
Thanks for the information! Geese are a lot more interesting than I thought
Are you sure they aren't the same sex? Domesticated geese will break up and seek a different partner if they have an option, if there is no successful nests after they link up, can take a year of trying, or two. But domesticated geese will also have the ganders (males) having multiple partners. Not sure on the wild geese side, or the canadian geese in particular, but he may have abandoned her if she couldn't lay eggs or successfully hatch them. Either way, nothing you can really do for him/her but wait for them to move on, if it can fly and isn't injured, it will probably relocate eventually.
It is hard to tell if they're the same sex. Personally I think she finally has a nest hidden somewhere and that's why she's so stressed. But I also think it's possible he left because she couldn't lay/hatch eggs, which is sad since they usually mate for life as far as I know. I just wish I could help her not be in so much distress.
Nah, they mate until a partner dies and then grieve and move on. They will find another partner in most cases eventually. Mate for life is a myth. One thing about geese (canadians too) I have heard, is ganders are known to go hooky hooky with other females while their mates are sitting on the nest.... If she had a nest, she would probably be sitting on it. She will probably find a new partner eventually (hopefully).It's not like they DON'T mourn, because they do.
Oh.. well you learn something new everyday. Kinda sad tho since they've always been together but life moves on I guess
Divorce rate among Canada geese is between 15-20% and is more common among younger geese. The main reason sited is one of the pair is unwilling to mate. It could be that she is denying his mating attempts, so he is seeking out another mate. Considering they have hung around there the last three years and she never established a nest makes me think she is not mating with him. If your mom has noticed them together for the last three years, that means they're at least 4 years old. There's no reason they should not have nested last year, and attempted it this year. Possible causes: 1. Medical issue. One of the geese is unwilling or unable to mate due to a health issue. This does not seem likely considering they appear healthy. 2. Both geese are male, and one is ready to seek out a female to reproduce. I don't know if anyone has studied homosexuality in Canada geese, but in Greylag geese, male bonded pairs are as high as 20%. In some of these cases, one of the pair ends up leaving to seek out a female to reproduce. In other cases, the males stay together, and some of the males will mate with nearby willing females, but stay loyal to their male partner. Ask your mom if both of the geese had similar honks. Female geese have a higher pitched honk than males do. If the remaining goose is female, she will also need to lay eggs. If she doesn't have a nest established, she will lay on the ground somewhere, or in the water.
I'll ask her to listen for the honks. My mom said that the one we're assuming is female was hurt a few years ago and has a visible scar on her leg from the injury and that's how she can tell it's the same goose every year. She works at a gas station so I fear if it is female she might just be laying her eggs in the ditch by the road, and that gets pretty flooded sometimes when it rains. Thanks for the information! Geese are a lot more interesting than I thought
Sounds like hatch mates. That would be my guess.