Why Do Geese Migrate?
Geese migrate first and foremost as a matter of survival for their species and also as a way to cope for living on environments that are unfit for them to live in the whole year round. The survival of these animals will highly depend on moving to living conditions that are more hospitable. They head south if the cold winter season is up to look for food and keep warm and return back to the north and more temperate regions during mating and breeding time.
Migration among geese as well as with other birds is highly due to a mixture of climate conditions and availability or scarcity of food. Usually in most regions of the world the summer season can trigger migration since the season is marked by shorter days and the high temperatures can result to scarcity in food. Factors such as weather, ranges in temperature as well as harassments of some sort such as dogs and other animals invading their territories can also be contributory for the flocks of geese to migrate to other areas.
During migration the flocks of geese do not break up and separate but instead they form strong family units that stay together for winter until such time that they have to go back to their breeding grounds. They are built for long distance travel and can even reach an altitude of 8,000 feet and can fly non- stop for up to 16 hours, therefore, flying together as one solid flock is very beneficial as it is a way for them to look after one another. By this it is highly evident that these animals value teamwork and associate strong identification with their group or flock.
While the geese migrate they land at established areas to rest and eat and every year they return to the same nesting areas. These nesting areas are almost always located near any kind of waterway such as rivers, marshes, bays and lakes. However, during the recent years there has been a decline in geese migration and this has been largely due to lost habitats, changing weather and modern agricultural practices.
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