Family Dynamics
Canada Goose CANG* (Branta canadensis)
(Local VI mixed sub species )
front goose was holding her neck down as per a female with young looking to avoid detection
Portage Inlet
Greater Victoria BC
DSCN9653
my best surmisings from observations here
are as follows:
Middle gosling is much smaller and would seem to be from a different batch
Possibilities--
1. Egg dumping -- another female goose could have deposited an late egg in the pairs nest ... but typically such eggs don't hatch because the rest of family leaves nest prior to it hatching
2. "Creche Formation -- not that unusual for broods to become intermingled ,with multiple pairs cooperatively watching over.
3. what was unusual in this case was there was a single [front](female ? by size and habits) loitering ...which went into alarm as i approached
My read was that most likely the smallest gosling was hers... and that she had been dominated (by other female) from proximity of goslings
But that begs more questions...where is her mate.?..do the females share the male..?.... and the ranking female took over care of offspring...why such small clutch size??
Family Dynamics
Canada Goose CANG* (Branta canadensis)
(Local VI mixed sub species )
front goose was holding her neck down as per a female with young looking to avoid detection
Portage Inlet
Greater Victoria BC
DSCN9653
my best surmisings from observations here
are as follows:
Middle gosling is much smaller and would seem to be from a different batch
Possibilities--
1. Egg dumping -- another female goose could have deposited an late egg in the pairs nest ... but typically such eggs don't hatch because the rest of family leaves nest prior to it hatching
2. "Creche Formation -- not that unusual for broods to become intermingled ,with multiple pairs cooperatively watching over.
3. what was unusual in this case was there was a single [front](female ? by size and habits) loitering ...which went into alarm as i approached
My read was that most likely the smallest gosling was hers... and that she had been dominated (by other female) from proximity of goslings
But that begs more questions...where is her mate.?..do the females share the male..?.... and the ranking female took over care of offspring...why such small clutch size??