Sandhill Cranes Have Adopted a Canada Gosling

They're remarkably standoffish outside of the city. They'll scurry as soon as you come close, unless they're nesting, at which point they stand forlorn a marked distance away from their nest waiting for you to leave.

If you've got a problem with Canada Gooses, you've got a problem with me. And I suggest you let that one marinate.

I've heard this a lot about geese and swans. It doesn't match my experience at all. These birds won't just randomly attack you, but they will stand their ground and defend themselves and their families. I've come to believe the people who think these birds are aggressive are either the bully kids who chase ducks and pigeons but were shocked when a goose refused to be bullied, or people with zero empathy or respect and can't understand not to get in another animal's face or at least understand they don't want you to come any closer.

I mean, as far as I'm concerned they're entitled to be. I'd be pretty pissed off too if I was forced to nest in a ditch between the highway and the Walmart parking lot.

How dare you insult the Waterloo Navy like that! Unpatriotic scum!

I have lived in northeast Florida all my life and never saw these until we moved 60 miles to the southeast. Just that little bit of distance and they’re everywhere. Really enjoy watching and hearing them.

We have a couple in our yard every year, too. They know us at this point and while they aren't exactly friendly, they don't run away when we are near or drive by, either.

We also have another pair in our wetlands who are definitely unfriendly. Just step foot within their sight and they yell at you until you leave.

We get a ton of them around us every year... we live in one of the areas where they gather before they migrate, so each spring and fall, they will all converge together for a day or two before taking off, and we'll see anywhere from a few dozen to a couple hundred together in a field.

If anyone is curious, this map shows where they are at different times of year: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/maps-rang...

They are massive. I'd heard them forever but never actually seen one up close until early one morning this summer I saw two of them walking down the street like they owned the place. No idea what they were, but googling a description told me pretty quick.

Still here

https://www.reddit.com/r/madisonwi/comments/1oh6f53/saw_the_...

I agree that the phrasing lacks some self-awareness. It can well be true that pairings of this nature are only just becoming common, but the cuckoo is infamous for parasitically getting other host avians to rear it while a fledging.

Paragraph 3:

"At the same time, people are paying closer attention to birds, notes Lacy, and are focusing on this pairing because it’s weird."

I might also note that James Gosling is Canadian.

My favorite wildlife joke:

You know that geese fly in V's to reduce air resistance, right? Ever notice that one side of the V is often longer than the other? You know why?

(At this point, you will get a pause, followed by a hesitant but very carefully worded explanation about northern hemisphere rotation, rising air, sun glints, or what-have-you.)

Nope. It's because geese can't count.