WildView™

July 19, 2016

Geese That Gander

- as seen by -

Julieana Steiner

---

“The geese are funny.”  

My co-worker started to say these words before being completely drowned out by the honking of our five male Sebastopol geese known as the “Baroque Boys” named after classical composers Vivaldi, Bach (Johann Sebastian, of course), Handel, Purcell, and Scarlatti.

As we walked toward their spot on the edge of our pond, our five boys rushed toward us, one after the other, in the funniest front line I had ever seen.

Our geese share the pond with various duck species, including pochards and mergansers. The boys also are quite friendly with our female tundra swan who seems to think she is a goose herself.

Although our boys are not shy, feeding time is a great opportunity to check them out. We can see their eyes, take a look at their feet, and even have them hop on a scale to see how much they weigh.

Greens like romaine lettuce are a great reward for allowing us to get a closer look. And, sometimes, our boys take a gander back at us.

EDITOR’S NOTE: National Zoo Keeper Week is July 16-24. Wild View is featuring posts by our Wildlife Conservation Society zoo keepers. For more on activities at our wildlife parks during keeper week, visit the Bronx Zoo’s #Keeperweek Challenge, Prospect Park Zoo’s National Zoo Keeper Week, and check for keeper chats at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, New York Aquarium, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Zoo.

Nikon D4

---