Snow Goose Migration | North America’s Greatest Wildlife Spectacles

So, twice each year, snow geese migrate through this part of the country. And if you've never seen a snow goose migration, well, maybe you want to add that to your wildlife bucket list, because it really is something to see. Snow geese spend their winters along with other migratory birds, such as sandhill cranes, in the southern U.S. and Mexico. Here they seek out areas with open water for protection and open fields for food. Twice each year, they pass through this part of southern Alberta. And this migration is surely one of the most impressive wildlife spectacles in all of North America. Led by older adults, they follow the spring thaw to their Arctic nesting grounds. If conditions are right, they will often stop over here for several days in late March. How long they stay will depend upon the lakes to the north. If the lakes there are still frozen, they will stay here for a few days more to refuel in the neighboring stubble fields. This readily available food has been good for the geese. In the last 50 years, their population has doubled. So to help control the population, between 2019 and 2021, on average, 500,000 snow geese were hunted each year in the United States and Canada. Despite this, however, the skies are literally filled as they begin arriving here, and even though this lake is almost entirely covered by snow geese, they keep on coming. When sufficiently refueled, the signal is given and their mass exodus begins. Using landmarks such as lakes and rivers to navigate, they continue their journey northward, using the flyways taught them by previous generations. In mid to late October, they will fly through this area on their return journey southward, teaching this year's young their age-old migratory route. Well, I hope you enjoyed this little video, and if you did, why not leave me a quick comment letting me know what you like best about it. And while you're there, don't forget to hit the like and subscribe button, because there's plenty more to come. In the meantime, here's a little glimpse of some of the other videos that you can find on this YouTube channel.