A Visitor from Quebec!

On Monday, March 8th, Volunteers for Wildlife received an injured Canada Goose from our neighbors at the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center in Oyster Bay, New York. The goose was found on the side of a road next to the Sanctuary.

Upon admission, the goose was given a complete physical exam by our staff. He was emaciated and dehydrated. In addition, he had a heavy parasite load of feather lice and intestinal parasites. The goose was unable to stand. His legs were stiff and his feet knuckled under his body weight. The exam also revealed that this goose had been banded with a band from the North American Bird Banding Lab and a foot tag. Bird bands allow individuals to be tracked over a period of time. We processed his band (Band#: 0988-09312) and learned the age, gender and origin of our patient!

0988-09312 had been initially banded in Boucherville, Quebec, Canada on July 6, 2006 as a young gosling before learning to fly. It seems this Canada Goose may have been a migratory one coming down to Long Island for just the winter months.

During his rehabilitation at our hospital, the goose received supportive care with tube feedings, deworming and a homeopathic course of treatment for joint stiffness. Over the days, he got stronger, developed a hearty appetite and put on a substantial two hundred and twenty five grams of body mass. We moved him to our yard for exercise and a more natural environment. On March 16th, the four year old goose had gained enough strength to fly again. Upon seeing a resident flock of Canada Geese, he took flight over our fence and joined the flock!

On Long Island, Canada Geese are found in large numbers. The ideal landscape on Long Island, with plentiful water sources and well manicured lawns and golf courses, encourages many of the native geese to stay on the Island year round. Although their numbers are plentiful, we were very glad we were able to help the goose recover so he can hopefully migrate North again!