Urban Observation: Winter Neighbors 1: Canada Goose

Ever notice these long-necked denizens of NYC?

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are a familiar sight in many parks and open spaces within the city,  leading complex lives. New York City boasts 3 of the 7 subspecies of the Canada Goose, and it may come as a shock to know that the one subspecies we observe in the winter is actually classified as a resident! Moreover, these “Atlantic Flyway Canada Geese” were introduced as part of the state’s efforts in the 1960s to bolster the population, which had plummeted to a historic low along the Atlantic Flyway.

These geese exhibit the interesting habit of migrating only in the Summer, and Northward at that! It seems that the city offers sufficient shelter and food to afford these otherwise migratory geese enough incentive to forgo the instinctual migrations characteristic of their species.

The featured individual was photographed near Central Park’s Bethesda Fountain on December 3rd, 2022!

Have you seen any of the subspecies of Canada Goose? Comment to let us know!

References

Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city? If so, Tweet at us, and you could be featured as a future observation of the week!

Featured image: © Rafael Enrique Baez Segui, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)

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Rafael Baez

Fourth Year Undergraduate at New York University

NYUS GSAS Biology Graduate Student from Arroyo, Puerto Rico and The Bronx, New York with a special interest in herpetology!

I am interested in how the anthropocene has swayed the forces of evolution, specifically through understanding urban adaptation and population disease ecology.

I want to be a voice for victims of environmental racism, systemic injustice, and the legacy of colonialism.

We all have our roles to play in life's collective struggle against the universe's call to entropy.

Currently researching: Gray Tree Frogs (Hyla veriscolor) in NYC.

Latest posts by Rafael Baez (see all)

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• Urban Observation: Winter Neighbors 1: Canada Goose - January 17, 2023