These migrating Canada Geese were having no problem icebreaking in a local pond yesterday. The Canada Goose is the only wild goose species that breeds, winters, and migrates through Maine. (Other geese just migrate through.)
Canada Geese have a tragic history here, but have become increasing plentiful due to a State revival that “has been a bit too successful,” according to the late New England ornithologist Peter D. Vickery (Birds of Maine).
During pre-colonial times, Canada Geese were plentiful and bred successfully in Maine. However, they were killed off by the 1800s due to nearly constant hunting for food, sport, and feathers. They also were trapped, wing-clipped and penned for eggs, and tied down as live decoys for hunting their kind.
They were reintroduced in Maine by wildlife officials in a program beginning in the 1960s and have now increased to record levels in all seasons. Climate warming has resulted in increasing numbers of these geese overwintering and producing young that become non-migratory. These young, full-time resident geese don’t develop the instinct or skills necessary for high-altitude migration.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on March 21, 2022.)