Goose

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     The grey goose (Latin Anser anser) is a waterfowl of the duck family, one of the most famous species of wild geese.

     The grey goose is a bird up to 70-90 cm long and weighing about 2.1-4.5 kg, with a wingspan of 147-180 cm. The plumage is grayish-brown with a wavy pattern on the neck and belly. It has a light fringing of feathers on the back. The beak is pinkish or orange. The male is noticeably larger than the female.

     The grey goose breeds in the quiet waters of Northern and Central Europe, as well as in the temperate zone of Asia up to the Far East. The main part of the breeding population of the gray goose is concentrated in the deltas of the Dniester and the Danube. It winters in Southern Europe and Asia, sometimes in North Africa.

     The grey goose inhabits ponds with stagnant water surrounded by reeds - swamps, lakes, fish ponds and the like. It also occurs in grassy swamps and flood meadows, choosing the most inaccessible places. Unlike domestic geese, of which the gray goose is the ancestor, it is more mobile, easily swims and dives. Since the gray goose gets its food on land, it feels more confident here than in the water. It is a strong and cautious bird. A wounded goose courageously defends itself with wing beats, causing serious injuries, for example, to dogs. The flight of the gray goose is usually low, with rare flaps of wings. However, during seasonal flights, gray geese rise to a very high altitude. In this case, they fly in flocks, in a wedge or, less often, in a line. The number of birds in one flock can be very different - from several pieces of birds to several hundred. During rest stops, flocks of gray geese gather together, representing clusters of several thousand birds. Gray geese return from wintering very early, when the ice has not yet come down from the reservoirs, and the meadows are almost completely covered with snow. As a rule, the arrival time of gray geese for the southern nesting areas is the first half of March, for the northern ones — April. During the period when the chicks of gray geese are covered with feathers, but are not yet able to fly, adult geese begin to molt. Males molt first, later females. With the loss of flight feathers, birds lose the ability to fly. At this moment, geese lead a secretive lifestyle in remote places, remaining with their brood, which is also not yet capable of flight. The molting process of gray geese in the south occurs in June, in the north - from the twentieth of July. Molting ends around August. By this time, young birds are also on the wing. Departure to wintering grounds in the north occurs in mid-September, in the south at the end of October and even in November.