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Fair Feathered Friends! [Contest Archives November 2002]

© Cathy M. Gromball

Fair Feathered Friends!

Uploaded: November 22, 2002 10:08:10

Description

Canada Geese

Comments

Lorraine T. Lynch November 22, 2002

Nice picture! I love their reflections in the water. It looks as tho you caught the attention of the one goose on the right! #13776

Wolfgang Dolak May 26, 2019

Since my daughter has worked with the famous Konrad Lorenz flock of Greylag Geese, I like all these species, especially the Canadians.
Thanks for sharing, Cathy!
birdie #25309

Cathy M. Gromball May 26, 2019

Thanks for your comments Lorraine and Birdie!

Lorraine: My old camera had a beeper, so when the shot was in focus, it would beep. It really helped in getting the attention of wildlife.

Birdie: That is so cool that your daughter got to work with the Konrad Lorenz flock of Greylag Geese! It must be a great experience for your daughter. So, with you being an expert on birds, is it true that some species of new hatchlings will form a parental bond with the first moving thing they see?

Cathy :)


#25424

Wolfgang Dolak May 26, 2019

That's true, Cathy yes. But different with the species. The birds go through a period of time after hatching where they imprint on their parents. With the geese it usually is the first moving thing they see. As they leave their nests right after hatching and have to follow their parents to survive this is just natural as the first moving thing they see normally are their parents.
With birds that stay in their nests until they fledge, this "sensible" period can be weeks after hatching as with raptors. But this is just a short period of time. So if you maybe handraise a bird during that period you imprint it on yourself - very bad for the bird, as from that time on it thinks to be a human itself and is lost for the wilderness. I am doing studies with raptors as to which extent this imprinting is reversible or not.
Hope that helps! If you have any more questions go ahead and ask.
birdie #25440

Cathy M. Gromball May 26, 2019

That is so interesting Birdie! Thank you! Will you be publishing the results of your studies? I think it would be great if you did. Another question - do any of the birds you've rescued view you as their parent, and for the ones you will return to the wild, how do you avoid this from happening? Thanks!

Cathy :) #25467

Wolfgang Dolak May 26, 2019

Very welcome, Cathy!
Imprinting does not just refer to one person but to the species. Of course the bird recognizes the person who provides the food and spends all the time with it, but if say a Golden Eagle I have imprinted is getting to know you closer you will be able to handle it easily. A problem is sexual imprinting, this happens, when a bird only sees humans and no other members of its own species during a certain period in its early life, then he/she will also try to mate with you and nobody else can get into your and his/her territory (=flight cage)!! But even in this case it is possible to swap partners - but just human, of course. I am still going on with my studies, too early yet to publish. There is an ancient website of mine, where you can get some info on what I do. It is in English, if you are interested.
http://members.tripod.com/RRR-Raptors
Thanks for asking!
birdie #25469

Wolfgang Dolak May 26, 2019

Brains like a sieve! Forgot to answer your 2nd question. I have birds which are partially imprinted. They can never be returned to the wild, so I try to mate them with their own kind and breed from them, which I have successfully done. I would ever imprint a bird fur the fun of it, because this is taking its inner self from him/her - terrible. I have done it one time on purpose with a male Saker Falcon - a great experience I can tell you. I did not take the bird from the wild, but it was one I had bred in my facility.
To avoid imprinting I have either foster parents or I try to feed the bird without seeing me.
That's it now.
birdie #25473

Wolfgang Dolak May 26, 2019

Sorry for the spelling!
... would NEVER ... for the fun of it... #25477

Cathy M. Gromball May 26, 2019

Thank you so much for all the info Birdie! I went onto your site, and it's incredible! I will take time to go through the site thoroughly - all I can say is wow! What you are doing is awesome! Your photos on the site are so cool, and the garden you created on your property is fantastic - definitely a plus for the birds! Thanks!

Cathy :) #25723


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