Geese – Branta canadensis and Brant – Branta bernicla

Canadian Geese courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Characteristics: The familiar Canada goose and brant are two kinds of geese which visit Prince Edward Island regularly. The brant is largely black in colour and appears intermediate in size between a Canada Goose and a black duck. A few brant may be seen along the Island's coasts during the spring migration north to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. They can be seen in fair numbers during March and April feeding on eel grass in our numerous coastal salt flats and appear to have increased in numbers over the past several years. Our Canada geese are of the eastern variety. They appear as large heavy birds (7 to 14 pounds) with long slender necks. They fly in "V" formation, usually honking in flight. The goose (female) and gander (male) look very much alike; both have the characteristic white triangular patch on each cheek.

www.flickr.com Souris & Area Branch PEI Wildlife Federation's Water Fowl photoset

Geese generally stay on land more than ducks. Brant, however, sticks stick closely to coastal waters because they depend entirely on eel grass for their food. On land, geese feed on green grasses and seed grains but in coastal areas eel grass is their favourite food. The Eastern Canada goose winters from the south coast of Nova Scotia to Chesapeake Bay and breeds in Newfoundland, Quebec and farther north.

Geese generally mate for life at around two or three years of age. Like most waterfowl, they build their nest from material that can be reached on the ground from the nest site. To insulate her nest and better warm the eggs, the goose plucks down and feathers from her breast. Usually three to six eggs are laid in May. They are incubated for about one month. The gander stands guard over the nest, and both parents rear the young. The family group stays together throughout the following year, migrating south in the fall and north again in the spring. Last year's young and other sub-adults usually spend their summers separate from nesting adults.

View geese videos below:

Canadian Geese New Zealand May 19, 2008

The Black duck is one of the most important of the surface-feeding ducks on Prince Edward Island. The others include Green-winged teal, Blue-winged teal, Mallard, Pintail, Widgeon and the occasional Wood duck and Shoveller.

American Black Duck courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Characteristics: Their coloured wing patches all have a metallic luster, and the legs are set near the centre of the body. They normally do not dive, but obtain their food on or near the surface, or by "tipping up". When sitting on the water their tails are usually distinct and well off the water. They normally take flight by springing straight up from water or land. Females are usually drab in colour, have at least a few black spots on their bills, and most have a loud quacking voice. Males are usually more brightly coloured (except during the eclipse, post-breeding plumage) have no spots on their bills, and have a much softer voice.

Habitat:

For feeding, tip-up ducks need water less than 45.72 centimeters (18 inches) deep, usually along marshy edges of streams, lakes and coastal areas. They also may feed in nearby grainfields or flooded land. All except the wood duck nest on the ground near good feeding areas. Wood ducks do not nest on the ground, but prefer a hollow tree. They will also readily use properly constructed artificial boxes.

Most ducks mate during late winter.

The drake (male) then follows the hen (female) to the same marsh or area where she was reared. The drake stays with the hen at least until egg-laying is complete. Then he usually leaves the nesting area to molt. The hen incubates the eggs some 26 to 28 days. The day-old downy ducklings leave the nest to forage with the hen at least until flying age. Ducks will re-nest several times if first nests are destroyed.

All ducks molt or shed their feathers annually, and so are flightless for a week or two during the summer when their flight feathers have fallen out.

While at least a few of our tip-up duck species, notably the black duck, both nest and winter in Prince Edward Island, many of them are reared in new Brunswick, Newfoundland and Quebec, and migrate through Prince Edward Island to winter either here or to the south. Some species begin their southern migration before others. For example, most blue-winged teal have left Prince Edward Island by the second week of October, whereas the main green-winged teal migration through Prince Edward island occurs in late October and early November.

It has been found that our early October black duck shooting was almost entirely of birds reared here. We therefore had a delayed black duck season to reduce this kill of locally reared birds. The chief black duck migration through Prince Edward Island is from late October through December.

Most ducks shot are young-of-the-year. These can be distinguished by the notched tips of their tail feathers. These feathers are not replaced by adult plumage until October or later.

View duck videos below:

Black Ducks New Zealand Feb. 20, 2008

Diving Ducks

The only diving duck that breeds commonly in Prince Edward Island is the ring-necked duck. Although the common goldeneye rarely breeds here, it is a common winter resident and can be seen with its close relative the barrow's goldeneye, in large numbers in the numerous bays and river estuaries along the coast of Prince Edward Island. Diving ducks harvested by our hunters in late fall and early winter are largely reared in other areas and migrate through Prince Edward Island to winter here or further south.

What Islanders commonly call sea ducks are all diving ducks and include the scoters (three species: common, white-winged and surf), eiders (common and king), oldsquaw and a few other species rarely seen by our hunters. Few of these ducks are ever found on our fresh waters but frequent the open sea off the coast of the Island. Besides the sea ducks, ring-necked ducks and goldeneyes, other divers seen in Prince Edward Island are the greater scaup and bufflehead.

Ring-necked Duck courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Characteristics: Wing patches on diving ducks do not have a metallic sheen, and are often white. Their legs are set well back on their bodies, with the feet reaching well past the tail. This aids diving to as deep as 25 fathoms (150 feet). The tail of this group is usually not distinct when the bird is sitting on the water. To take flight they must run along the surface. Their feeding is chiefly done well under water, and may consist of both plant and animal matter.

Habitat:

Except for our common ring-necked duck (which breeds in marshy or boggy lakes and ponds) most divers in Prince Edward Island prefer to feed in large, deep rivers or coastal bays (unlike sea ducks, which usually feed well offshore, preferably around shoals and islands). Chief foods include fish, shellfish, clams and water plants.

Most species of sea ducks (scoters, eiders and oldsquaw) migrate to Prince Edward Island from early October onward. Some, depending on species and age, remain here throughout the winter. Goldeneyes and scaup migrate to the province mostly from late November to early December. Some of these birds stay here all winter.

This group of waterfowl is not included with either the puddle ducks or diving ducks, but probably most closely resembles the divers in looks and behaviour. The common and red-breasted mergansers are the most common species in the group.

Common Mergansers courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Characteristics: The mergansers have narrow, toothed bills and crested heads. They fly low over the water in single file. They appear long and slender in flight.

Habitat:

They can be found breeding on the ground near lakes, streams, marshes, and brackish water. They usually nest in a cavity of some sort, such as in a hollow tree, and feed mainly on fish.

The red-breasted merganser tends to be less common in the province, whereas the common merganser is fairly evenly distributed throughout. It might be noted that mergansers may sometimes be mistaken for the normally smaller grebes and the larger loons, both of which are protected.