Thanks to everyone for your kind comments on Dirty Bird. The priest that was killed in the collapse of the World Trade Centers always said that if you want to make God laugh, tell him what you'll be doing tomorrow. That is so true. If someone had told me that I'd be holding a goose in bed, I would have thought his brain was totally fried.
Canada geese (It is improper to use the term "Canadian geese" unless they were born in Canada-silly isn't it?) usually are only aggressive during the breeding season and during the raising of their young.This runs from approx. Feb.-July. The rest of the time they hiss for different reasons. I learned that at a resort my mother was staying at this past fall. She called to say that there was a flock of Canada geese there. Bingo!! I had an adolescent goose that needed placement, but I just didn't have the heart to leave her all alone on a pond.My mother badgered the proprietors into allowing me to bring the goose down for release. The whole scenerio was a sight to see. The geese had the whole thing figured. Every morning they made the rounds of all the visitors' apartments loudly honking. Guests stay for a week at a time so in a few days the geese had taught all visitors to come out and pay homage with whatever edibles they possessed.I was feeding bread to the flock when this HUGE goose came right up next to me and loudly hissed. I'm 5 ft. tall and this guy's head could reach under my arm pit. I gathered up my courage and offered him some food fully expecting to get pecked. He just wanted attention and his share of the bounty. He ate as gently out of my hand as Dirty Bird.
Hissing doesn't necessarily mean aggression, but the head held low to the ground does.Also it's best not to place your face too close to a wild goose.Their necks can strike out like snakes. Even if you're pecked which is highly unlikely unless you're aggravating the bird, it's not fatal or even harmful unless it's in the eye.Remember if the bird is wild, it's afraid of you and will protect itself. Wouldn't you if placed in a similar position?
Even though these are supposed to be federally protected birds, golf courses and other areas where they are deemed to be nuisances can obtain federal permits to slaughter a hundred or more of them at a time.This is unnecessary.These birds suffer terribly when they lose their mates.Volunteers can do egg addling early on in a nest which is similar to a human abortion before the third month or simply run the birds off to other territories.
Hope I haven't bored you with this blather, but I feel that Dirty Bird was given to me for a reason. I've become besotted with the intelligence and the ingenuity of the Canada goose.

[ November 27, 2001: Message edited by: DB'sMom ]