MadSci Network: Zoology |
Dear Jessica; I am assuming you mean the Canadian geese. Well, they predominantly live in Canada and the northern US during the spring and summer months, and this is when and where they breed and raise their young. (Their goslings are cute!) These geese then migrate in the winter to "warmer" climates - ie; your backyard, just as the summer birds that normally live in your backyard have migrated farther south for the winter. Yes, it may be cold, but the geese a) are warm blooded and b) have nicely insulating feathers which keep them warm. Why other birds would die, though, is a bit baffling to me because I don't know what you're basing that thought off of. As far as I know most animals die in the winter from starvation, not from freezing to death(unless the circumstances of the "freezing" are extreme, like falling in a river or a freak storm). An animal's natural plumage/ fur/etc keep them warm enough to live through the usual temperature changes in the habitiats they live in. If not, they have developed migratory habits which will bring them to other habitats which are suitably warmer for them.(Like the geese coming to your back-yard) This migration also serves to bring the animals closer to the food sources(Have you noticed them eating the grass in the lawn?). Animals who do not migrate either "rough it out" over the winter in their home climates, and thus face the possibility of starvation, or hibernate(sleep) through the winter in holes they have dug or discovered. (Many cold-blooded air-breathing animals also hibernate underground.) Hope this helps. - Patti.
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