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In This Issue...

	All You Ever Wanted to Know About Feathers
	Majestic Welcomes Geese
	Get to Know Your Predators: The Red-Tailed Hawk
	Recommended Reading: Duck & Goose
	All about Nene Geese
	Reader Poll #15

All About Nene Geese The Nene goose is the largest native land bird of the Hawaiian Islands. Adopted as the state bird of Hawaii, the Nene is a non-migratory bird that evolved from the Canada goose. The Nene is smaller in size than the Canada goose, reaching lengths of 21in-26in. The Nene has yellow-buff cheeks and black feathers on the back of its neck, the top of its head, and its face. Diagonal rows of creamy-white feathers form deep furrows along its neck. Males and females are similar in size and markings. The Nene's calls include a muted "moo" and a loud "haw." The feet of the Nene are black, and slightly webbed because they are adapted to climbing on lava. Their breeding season, which is perhaps the longest breeding season of all geese, extends from November until June with incubation lasting 30 days and the chicks fledging after 10 to 12 weeks. This extended breeding season contributes to the Nene's susceptibility to introduced predators, with mongooses, feral cats, and dogs often feeding on Nene eggs and young. The Nene is one of the rarest geese in the world. It was estimated that before the arrival of Captain Cook in 1778, there were about 25,000 wild Nene in Hawai'i. Captive breeding programs have brought the Nene back from the brink of extinction. Several small wild populations have now been reintroduced and there are small numbers of wild Nene on the islands of Hawai'i, Maui, and Kaua'i. Get to Know Your Predators: Red-Tailed Hawk Hawks are carnivores who belong to the category of birds known as raptors -- birds of prey. They have strong, hooked beaks; their feet have three toes pointed forward and one turned back; and their claws, or talons, are long, curved and very sharp. The hawk's vision is much better than humans. They can see spiders and beetles from afar. Hawks can see a mouse from a height of one mile. The average weight of a Red-Tailed hawk is 2-3 pounds for a male and 3-4 pounds for a female. They are very aggressive diurnal raptors. Their diet ranges from insects, frogs, rodents, squirrels and rabbits to birds, ducks, frogs and carrion. The adult has a rufous-colored tail that may or may not have a black terminal bar. Adults are dark brown on the back and the top of their wings. The Red-tail is the largest hawk, usually weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. As with most raptors, the female is nearly 1/3 larger than the male and may have a wing span of 56 inches. This species shows a great deal of individual variation in plumage. The underside of the bird is usually light with a dark belly band, and a cinnamon wash on the neck and chest. Immatures resemble the adults except their tail is brown with dark bars; the red-tail molts during its second year. While the tail may not always show clearly red, the adult Red-tailed Hawk is easily identified when flying by the black shoulder bars under the leading edge of the wings. Red-tailed Hawks will take one of two tactics to catch their prey. They will sit on a branch and scan the surrounding area for prey or they will make flight patterns, back and forth over an area in search of prey. The Red-tailed Hawk has extremely keen eyesight and can often be seen perching in a tree, watching for the slightest movement below. Prey is killed with the long talons and, if it is too large to swallow whole, it is torn to bite-sized pieces with the hawk's beak. Part of the information above was obtained from Backyard Chickens Reader Poll #15 Question: What are some of your favorite movies that feature ducks, geese, or swans in lead, supporting, or cameo roles? Voting Has Closed. Please see next issue for results. Results of Reader Poll #14 Would you like us to devote a page on our website to recommended movies about ducks and geese?   Yes, bring it on! 100% No Way! 0%   Contact Us Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary 17 Barker Road Lebanon, CT 06249 director@majesticwaterfowl.org Our Newsletter The Majestic Monthly is published 12 times per year. Back issues can be obtained online from our Newsletter Archives.

Ducks and geese have five types of feathers:

1. Contour Feathers

	Retrice (tail feathers)
	Remige (wing feathers)
	Regular (outer body feathers)

Wing feathers or remige feathers can be distinguished by their asymmetrical shape; the vane on one side of the shaft is much narrower than the vane on the other side. In contrast, other contour fathers are symmetrical, with the shaft traveling down the center of the vane. Contour feathers cover the body of your duck and give them their shape and color.

2. Down Feathers

Down Feathers are fluffy feathers found beneath the contour feathers. They provide insulation.

3. Semiplumes

Semiplumes are found between the contour feathers they too provide insulation as well as some shape.

4. Filoplumes

Filoplumes are very small and have only a few tufts of barbs at their tips. They are believed to provide a sensory function, possibly helping ducks keep their feathers in order.

5. Powder Feathers

Powder feathers also provide insulation for your duck. They are found scattered throughout your duck’s plumage. They slowly break apart and disintegrate into a powdery substance. This powder helps soak up water, which makes it easier for them to preen.

Feather Structure Basics

The base of the feather, where there are no side branches, is called the quill or calamus. When the feather is alive the quill has a vein in it that carries nutrients to the growing feather. At this stage of its growth it is called a blood feather. When growth is complete, the quill becomes hollow.

The quill becomes the shaft or rachis at the point on a feather where side branches appear. The collective group of side branches on either side of the shaft is called the vane of the feather.

The side branches that look like thin hairs coming off of the shaft are called barbs and these have even smaller side branches that are called barbules. The upper anterior barbules contain a series of hooklets often referred to as barbicelli or hamuli, while the lower posterior barbules are bare and slightly convex. Two barbs are latched together when the hooklets of the anterior barbules of one barb interlocks with the posterior barbules of a neighboring barb.

Majestic Welcomes Geese!

Majestic welcomes its first domestic geese into the sanctuary! On the Saturday at the start of the cold front, rescuers huddled on the shores of a pond and waited for our kayaker Sharon to guide the geese off of the water and into our arms. The two geese have been residing on a pond wedged between a Home Depot parking lot and an extremely heavy traffic route in Berlin, Connecticut.

After consulting with the property owners and local authorities, we believe that the geese have survived at this location for at least 2-3 years. We were recently contacted about the birds because they had been spotted wandering dangerously close to incoming traffic to the shopping plaza. In addition to this hazard, concerned citizens reported that the geese had no protective shelter, that their bread diet lacked nourishment and that one of the geese had some sort of bill deformity.

Both geese were safely removed from the pond within hours and brought to our sanctuary. We suspect that “Ali” the blue-eyed, white and gray gander is a Pilgrim mix. Ali has a very strange deformity beneath his bill that almost appears to be a third bill. He went to our waterfowl vet for a closer examination.

Our vet determined that Ali’s tongue is shorter than normal either because of congenital defect or because he sustained an injury. The tongue, being too short, rests incorrectly in the lower bill. The pressure of having his tongue push down through his lower bill has caused a pouch of skin to drop down under his bill. Ali’s tongue rests in this paper thin pouch, rather than resting properly in his lower bill, as a longer tongue would. Ali’s tongue gets stuck in this pouch and food also gets trapped in this pocket.

What does this mean for Ali? Well, it is vital that Ali has a constant supply of very clean water available at all times, so he can effectively keep this pouch clean. A clean pond is in Ali’s best interests.

Our vet is certain that if Ali’s short tongue is not an inherited condition, it is an old injury and that he's had it for at least a year, probably longer. At this time he recommends that we do nothing. With any luck and lots of fresh, clean water to keep the pouch clean, it should never cause him problems. If it does cause him future troubles, which he doubts, major surgery will need to be done to put a ceramic plate in his lower bill to seal it up and then the excess skin beneath it would need to be cut away.

Ali’s was also exhibiting a great deal of shivering in his right leg. Our vet confirmed that Ali has no leg injuries; rather, it is one of the first signs of malnutrition and oncoming lameness. Although pond visitors meant well, the array of breads and iceberg lettuce being offered just weren’t providing them with the protein and vitamins they needed to remain healthy and strong. When feeding waterfowl, it is best to feed them actual duck food or, in its absence a small, round and floating cat kibble.

Both geese were immediately placed on a Mazuri Waterfowl Maintenance diet (which all of our ducks enjoy as well). The geese are adapting very well to life at the sanctuary in their spacious 25’ x 35’ predator-proof enclosure. They enjoy frequent walks out to the new sanctuary pond for swims.

Recommended Reading*

Duck & Goose
By Tad Hills

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Description:

In this goofy story, a duck and goose mistake a big spotted ball for an egg. Each one claims it and they fight over taking care of it. In the end, they realize their foolishness and become friends, enjoying their ball together.

The themes of getting along, sharing, and settling one's differences come across loud and clear, and the author does a good job with the subject without becoming too didactic. While the narrative is fairly straightforward and has touches of childlike humor throughout, it's the bright and colorful artwork that will attract youngsters' attention. The cartoon-style oil paintings set against soft-focus, almost impressionistic backgrounds keep Duck and Goose center stage, and their expressions are priceless.