'Really good procrastinators': Warm weather keeps geese from flying south

Miller said the lack of snow means food is more easily available for flocks that haven't flown south yet. There is also still a lot of water in the province that hasn't frozen over. (Source: Bev Giesbrecht, Souris)

Manitoba's unseasonably warm weather has some of our feathered friends sticking around a little longer than usual.

As temperatures are forecast to hit plus double digits in the third week of November, quite a few Canadian geese can still be seen around Winnipeg and Southern Manitoba.

Barrett Miller, manager of group services with FortWhyte Alive, says the largest and laziest geese are straggling in their annual migration south this year.

"They're generally the giant Canada subspecies," said Miller. "We have a few subspecies that move through Winnipeg, he biggest ones migrate the least distance and they wait till the last possible moment to go - really good procrastinators, and they don't have that far to go."

Miller said the lack of snow means food is more easily available for flocks that haven't flown south yet. There is also still a lot of water in the province that hasn't frozen over.

"Geese don't move because they get cold, geese move because they need liquid water to drink, to digest food," said Miller.

"Ponds (in the) north and Winnipeg are finally starting to freeze," he added. "And that means a lot of them are going to fly to where there's more open water easily found."

Miller added that fewer daylight hours and the overall temperature drop are also triggers that can send geese south.

Miller said most geese in Manitoba have usually flown south before Halloween, Remembrance Day at the latest. He said with a good tailwind behind them, a flock of geese flying can travel as fast as a car on the highway.

"So a goose can go in a day, about as far as a committed pair of road trippers can go in a day," Miller said.

And even though the geese are seeking out warmer locales, Miller said they are able to protect themselves against the cold.

"Geese can actually survive down to below minus 40. They've got a little recirculation system in their legs that helps keep those bare legs warm without cooling off their core."

He said if you come across a goose that appears to be injured or stuck in ice, do not approach it. Instead, call one of FortWhyte Alive's wildlife rehabilitators. "They're experts for a reason and they'll guide you through what you need to do," said Miller.

More information about Canadian geese and their migration habits can be found on the FortWhyte Alive website.