Wild Goose Adoption - The Duck-duck Geese

[Redhead Rae]

I have a cute story.

My brother is here for a week or so visiting with my parents (they live down the lane from me). He and my parents went to Weston (about 45 min from us) to go shopping this morning. In the middle of the road in the center of town, they found this little baby wandering about by itself. No parents or siblings in sight. So, being the softhearted guy he his, by brother caught it to save it from getting run over.

After some research, we are pretty sure it is a Canada Goose gosling. My parents brought it back with them and they were going to try finding a rehaber to take it. Well, my brother had another idea. My parents have a pair of Canada Geese that visit their pond every day and go to a neighbor's pond at night. They disappeared for a while but now have no babies. I think something raided their nest or got their babies. In any case, my brother decided to see if the pair would adopt the baby.

Looks like they did. They are shepherding the baby around and feeding it. So far, so good! It's hard to see the baby in the photos, but the goose is touching the baby in the first picture.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is such a precious story I hope you will keep us updated on this family.

 

[Redhead Rae]

That is such a precious story I hope you will keep us updated on this family.

My brother decided to call the baby Nibbles because it bit him. My parents have been calling it Duck-duck. Whatever the final name, I'll keep this thread updated.

They are still all together.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Apparently it is VERY common for geese to adopt stray goslings. They almost never reject them, if they have babies already. I'm glad this pair seems to have accepted the baby even though they didn't have their own clutch this year.

 

[Redhead Rae]

It's official, our little family are the Duck-duck geese. The baby is Nibbles Duck-duck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sweet

 

[Grammy60]

It's official, our little family are the Duck-duck geese. The baby is Nibbles Duck-duck.

I love this story I can't wait to read the continuing saga

 

[Redhead Rae]

Sad update, the pair flew off at dusk last night and my dad and brother couldn't catch the baby again. No sign of it this morning.

They tried.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hate to hear this but at least they tried. Poor baby had at last a little longer with being picked up off a busy road.

 

[gbakos]

Any sign of the small gosling showing up? What do you think happened to her? Is the conclusion then that rehabing a gosling is hard to do in practice?