Many geese spend quite a bit of their lives here in Davis and are a comfortable part of the town wildlife. There are a few places where these birds seem to have taken up year round residence. The Primate Center front lawn had a flock at one point. Canada Geese in particular are a common variety found in this Davis area.
They also hang out at North Area Pond and the Arboretum, where they're always nibbling on grass and groundcover, with their duck friends. Geese are territorial and each goose can generate up to three pounds of crap a day! For some reason, they don't like swans.
Often there is a large flock between the Yolo County Airport and the Yolo Sportsmen's Association. One has to wonder what kind of a giant bird would want to live between an airport and a shooting range.
Take a gander at the local geese
- Greater White-fronted Goose, Anser albifrons, like many of the following feathered friends, only hangs out here in the Winter.
- Emperor Goose, Chen canagica, would be a rare find, even during Winter, as it prefers coastal areas.
- Snow Goose, Chen caerulescens, in white or gray plumage (lovely this time of year), is a likely one to be spotted locally.
- Ross's Goose, Chen rossii, is white with black wingtips and tail feathers, and ranges from Canada to Mexico.
- Cackling Goose, Branta hutchinsii, is the little cousin of the larger and similarly colored Canada Goose.
- Canada Goose, Branta canadensis, which should be Latin for "poops a lot". Or something similar. Grey wavy body with a black head and neck, light stripe over the eyes.
