VISITORS to the Durban Botanic Gardens would have seen the goslings that have made the garden their home. These goslings belong to a flock of Egyptian Geese that landed in the gardens recently. To find out more about the birds, the Berea Mail chatted to David Allan, Curator of Birds at Durban Natural Science Museum.
“Egyptian Geese are not migratory. They are found all year in Durban. However, once a year individual birds need to replace (moult) all their flight feathers and need the safety of a lake or dam to do this,” he said.
Allan said Egyptian Geese usually lay about six to eight eggs and sometimes up to 11.
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“Egyptian Geese are unusual in nesting in the winter months, which is why the goslings are present now in this cold period. This may seem like a strange time to nest but water levels are at their lowest now which make food easier to find and there is less chance of eggs and chicks being flooded. Chicks take about 70 days to grow to full size,” said Allan.
He added that the goslings are likely to fly away about a month after they reach full size.
“The parents will probably lead them away to a large wetland somewhere and leave them there,” he added.
How people pose a threat
He urged the public not to feed the goslings.
“The growing goslings, especially when they are very small, need quite high-quality food with lots of protein (including insects and other small animal matter). So feeding them junk food like bread is probably not good for them. Rather let the parents lead them to the appropriate fare,” he added.
Litter is another concern.
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“Litter has a terrible effect on all birds and other wildlife. The goslings could become entangled in some types of litter and die a horrible death or become injured. They might also mistake litter for food and try and eat it. This reduces their intake of real food and can block their digestive tracts causing death or distress. Some types of litter can also contaminate the chicks if eaten or the general environment in which the birds’ live. Flightless chicks are also vulnerable to being caught by dogs and cats. They can also get run-over if they wander onto roads or be persecuted by people who do not know any better. When they are learning to fly, they are vulnerable to flying into overhead obstacles such as telephone lines and power lines.
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