Learning to speak goose

[Leader Bee]

Yeah I e found it super useful too!

 

[Goosebaby]

I just remembered another: neck quivers.

Quivering, neck shaking. They seem to do this when they’re nervous or annoyed with something. Sometimes it signals an imminent needling.

Needling is what I call a mock attack. They’ll quiver their neck feathers then suddenly lunge towards you with an explosion of nuzzles/ rubbing their beak against you.

 

[Leader Bee]

Yup, noticed the neck quivers and always associated it with anxiety

 

[Leraje]

Lovely to read! I'm not sure I can decipher all the different neck stretches - that is, most neck stretches that I see my geese do are non-agressive, I think, but there are agressive ones too (they chase off the chickens that way).

One that I actually notice the most is the one they do to each other after something exciting/scary has happened. For instance after they've flown and landed in slightly different places, after they've walked back to each other they get up in each other's faces, necks stretched, and they do a loud chattering to each other. We've been translating that as "OHMYGODdidyoujustseethatwhatjusthappenedohmygod" :') They also do it after our dog has chased them (and we've grabbed and stopped her) or when someone they don't know has been in the garden and then left.

 

[Leader Bee]

Necks and beaks pointed up to the sky with a higher pitched honk than usual seems to mean "I've just gotten a big fright but im ok now and i'm posturing to save face and look manly"

 

[SnowDragon06]

Any ideas as to what it means when they tilt their heads back and bite the air?

 

[Goosebaby]

Any ideas as to what it means when they tilt their heads back and bite the air?

That one is a mystery to me, I’ve seen my girls do it while nesting. I’ve also seen my girls do it when being broody in a bush on occasion and they’ll reach up and pluck leaves and twigs of from above them to build their nests with the exact same movements but I don’t know why they do it when there’s nothing there. Maybe it’s an instinctual thing?