Achi news desk-
Nesting season has brought some bird squatters to urban spaces throughout Calgary.
A flower pot outside Winsport’s Markin MacPhail Center has become home to a mother goose and her protective partner.
As the female sits on her eggs – which are thought to hatch as early as Mother’s Day – the male has been causing a stir nearby.
The activity prompted officers to place two sets of red tape barricades around the flower pot until the duo took off.
“She’s very territorial,” said Dale Oviatt of Winsport. “We see what we think is the father coming around and making sure no one comes close.”
Canada Geese are known to fly to remote areas near bodies of water when the weather warms between March and May.
That’s when eggs are laid and the male usually “guards” the nesting female.
Like all birds, geese will try to find nesting sites that are safe from predators, such as up in trees or near water, but they will also flock to busier urban areas, and are attracted to tall, flat buildings. and blocked by the wind. patios.
“They are very routine with where they migrate, where they stop over and where they nest,” said Sara Jordan-McLachlan of Bird Friendly Calgary. “And they mate for life, so the same pair will come back again and again.”
“(Calgarians) need to remember that any nesting bird is going to be protective of their mates and their chicks, so give them as much space as you can.”
Just a five minute drive from the Markin MacPhail Arena, another couple of geese have taken up residence in a planter outside Grinn Dental Hygiene.
The clinic staff have named their pair after the street the business is on.
“This lovely couple is Mr. and Mrs. Na’a,” office manager Katelyn Kinsella told CTV News. “Mr Na’a enjoys looking at his reflection all day, (and) mum is on top of six eggs at the moment.”
The birds at Grin are a little more tame.
Kinsella says they are relatively tame around humans and only get tested around other animals.
“It’s so special to be so close to them and see the whole process from starting their nest to them walking into the water,” Kinsella said.
