Disputes among Geese

Watertravel and Waterside Destinations masthead

-Lower Rhine

-- Nijmegen

-- Kleve

-- Kalkar

-- Xanten

-- Kranenburg

-- Kevelaer

-- Moyland

-- Wildfowl

--- Alopochen aegyptiacus

--- Anser albifrons

--- Anser anser

--- Branta leucopsis

--- Ciconia ciconia

--- Cygnus olor

--- Phasianus colchicus

--- Platalea leucorodia

-- Camping

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The disputes among geese are fun to watch. Mostly it takes place in winter when it’s crowded and the water is high. Also, it appears most common among members of one variety establishing a bullying order — far safer than the bloody pecking order rituals of some other bird species. One exception to this is the Nilgans or Egyptian goose, which will take on any bird in the field with the possible exception of the big African. Below, a graylag goose beats his way through the puddles to challenge another. Sometimes they turn tail and run away, other times stand their ground. My wife thinks those in the upper right of the image set are kissing and making up, but to me it looks like a dressing down worthy of a drill sergeant.