Tiny Adorable Goslings Swim with Parents in Washington Park, New York

Spring brings birth to many new creatures. In beautiful Washington Park in Albany, New York – this includes three cute, fuzzy, adorable goslings, swimming near mom and dad.
WHEN DO THEY ‘MARRY’? Canada geese seek mates when they are two years old. Geese are monogamous, although a goose may seek a new mate if the first one dies. Both parents incubate the eggs, although the female spends more time on the nest than the male.
HOW LONG UNTIL THE EGGS HATCH? The goslings hatch 24 to 28 days after the eggs are laid. Goslings can walk, swim, and find food immediately upon hatching but they are vulnerable to predators, so their parents fiercely protect them.
HOW LONG DO THEY LIVE? The average lifespan of a wild goose ranges from 10 to 24 years but one goose is known to have lived to the age of 31!
HOW HIGH CAN THEY FLY? It is unknown exactly how high Canada geese can fly, but they have been documented at heights up to 29,000 ft (9 km)!
“The sight of a young ducklings in Spring is guaranteed to raise a smile on anyone's face. The downy little puffballs seem the epitome of innocence, and their daily routine appears endearingly simple: scamper after a few insects and, above all, keep up with the rest of the brood.
But the lives of ducklings and goslings are not as easy and carefree as a casual observer might think. Young waterfowl face many obstacles early in life. The timing of hatch, local abundance and quality of wetlands, weather, predation and other factors impact the survival of ducklings and goslings.
Geese have longer life spans than ducks and establish long-term pair bonds. Both parents look after the young, and survival rates for goslings are higher than those for ducklings.
Geese generally hatch fewer offspring than ducks—two to seven goslings compared to seven to 12 ducklings, but additional parental care results in higher survival of individual young.
Everyone has seen baby birds in the nest with eyes closed and mouths open. The adults have to feed their young. Ducklings and goslings, on the other hand, hatch with their eyes open and already have feathers because they will soon have to feed themselves. Remarkably, young waterfowl spend only about a day in the nest.”
By J. Brian Davis, Ph.D.
A little extra note on Washington Park. It dates back to 1686, is about 81 acres in size and contains Washington Park Lake – which is big! The lake is roughly 1,600 feet (490 m) long and 140 feet (43 m) wide. It has an average depth of 6 feet (2.0 m). People love it all year round. They even ice skate in the winter!