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Goumennik is a waterfowl belonging to the order of Anseriformes. Note that birds of this species are quite large in size. The goose goose’s color is of a characteristic brownish-gray hue. One of the distinguishing features of the individual is a completely black beak, which in the middle is crossed by a strip of bright reddish-orange hue. The difference between a female and a male of this species is solely size. The female is slightly smaller than the male gumennik.
Natural habitat
The most attractive place for nesting of the goose goose is taiga and tundra. This species of waterfowl is widespread throughout Eurasia. The most preferred places for living are flood meadows, distinguished by lush vegetation and located in the valleys of large fresh water bodies. Often for their nesting schools of goosefen choose small forest streams and marshland.
Although this species of birds is not too dependent on water, nevertheless, their main habitat is the area near water bodies, which is explained by the presence of a large number of lush vegetation.
As a rule, the goosebird spends most of the day in the open and only returns to the water closer to night. In case of danger, the bird hides in the bushes and tall grass, geese can run fast enough, swim with deep diving. For the upcoming wintering, the goosebird selects the territory within the Eurasian continent, most often it is a coastal sea zone.
Lifestyle
The peculiarity of the species is that it is quite easy to find traces of a goosebird, but it is quite difficult to find the bird itself in the thickets of grass and shrubs. Birds move very carefully, because of which they rarely fall on the sight of hunters.
Nutrition
The basic diet of a goose goose is a diverse plant food (berries, plant stems, shrubs). In the places of their nesting, these waterfowl, as a rule, feed on herbs. During the period of their migration (the onset of cold weather, autumn), geese often make parking on farmlands where cereals were grown (winter wheat, rice).
Although plant foods predominate in the diet of adult birds, bean goslings actively consume animal feed: crustaceans, fish roe, mollusks, and small ground insects.
In the case when a flock is assembled, consisting of more mature individuals and young animals, the birds mainly switch to plant food. As a rule, in the daytime geese relax, the feeding period begins either before sunrise, or after sunset.
Gumens are very smart and cautious birds, and even when the flock grazes in the meadow, it is simply impossible to approach it. This is explained by the fact that during the meal they set up flocks of observers who, in case of potential danger, make quite loud noises warning birds about a possible threat.
Breeding geese geese, especially nesting
They arrive at the place of their nesting quite early, since the soil usually has not yet warmed up, often there is still ice and snow on the ground at this time. After arrival, the birds are paired and begin to create their own nests. As a place for arranging the nest, dry places near ponds, nooks among willow trees are selected.
Before construction, the place where the nest will be located is carefully trampled down, after which a small depression is made in the ground. For the foundation of the bird, as a rule, a variety of dry vegetation is used (leaves, thick stems of plants, branches). Walls are built from their own feathers and down. Note that both birds are involved in the construction of the family house - both male and female.
Egg laying (from 3 to 6 pcs.) Is carried out by the female, somewhere 3-4 weeks after the birds arrive at the nesting site. The color of the eggs is fawn, in a small speck. Hatching is carried out exclusively by the female, however, the male at this time is always near the nest, and in case of any danger - warns the goose with characteristic sounds.
It should be noted that during the period of hatching of the future offspring, geese basically abandon their typical behavior, which implies the flight of a bird in case of a threat. Instead of the tactics used earlier, groomsmen hide and hide, perfectly disguising themselves, as a result of which they merge with the surrounding landscape.
After the appearance of the chicks, adult birds with a brood leave the nest, moving to a more comfortable area for living and feeding (flood meadows, islands with abundant vegetation, green shrubs). Such a place is more preferable for the goosebird not only for food, but also in order to hide at the risk of a threat to life.
The chicks grow quickly enough, with the onset of the molting period, they increasingly move to the area with water sources located in it. Young goose goslings molt several times a year: in summer and in the cold season. Shedding in adults - once a year.
The first molt in young goslings begins with the onset of the first cold weather and continues until mid-spring. During summer molting, young individuals and geese that do not have a pair are the first to begin to change their plumage. For these purposes, they are moved to safe places inaccessible to humans and animals. As a rule, geese without a pair go into flocks by the end of the first summer month. They arrive at molting places in early July.
In couples, the molting period begins after the offspring. Often the beginning of this period coincides with the movement of the goose family to water bodies. In some cases, the association of several pairs of geese in a common flock was noticed, and their molting begins at the end of July.
Economic value
Currently, the population of geese geese has a rather modest size, this is due to the fact that over the past century this bird has been the object of not only commercial, but also sport hunting.
At the beginning of the last century, the mass production and harvesting of common geese geese began during the molting period of birds, at which time adults could not fly far away from humans. In addition to the birds themselves, their eggs were also considered an object of fishing. Purified gooseberry fluff was used in the textile industry, which was due to its excellent thermal insulation characteristics.
Today, goosebird goose hunting is prohibited in some regions. Despite this, the population of these waterfowl is recovering very slowly.
Video: Bean Goose (Anser fabalis)
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