Sounds of migration as Manitoba geese travel to warmer climates

The sounds of migration are ringing once again in the air, as flocks of geese make their way south from their northern nesting grounds in Manitoba.

With summer drawing to a close, Canadian geese are in search of a warmer place for the winter. And with Winnipeg right in the middle of the flight path, residents could hear the migrating birds flying overhead.

That sound, said Barret Miller with FortWhyte Alive, a park in Winnipeg, is due to higher number of geese travelling this time of the year.

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“This time of year is when the goose numbers start to build again. It’s not unusual,” said Miller, manager of group services with the park. “It’s actually kind of reassuring that it does happen.

“It’s the normal migratory cycle… they are following a pathway through the sky, following landmarks to get them from their northern nesting grounds to where they will spend the winter.”

According to Miller, the birds fly across a migratory corridor which is described as a highway in the sky that gets them easily from point A to point B. Winnipeg, he said, is a city that is part of the Central North American Flyway.

He further described it as a pathway that geese are able to keep a mental map of amid their journey. The end destination is by the Gulf of Mexico.

Miller said that the birds are able to pick up on cues that help them know when to begin their journeys, kicking off by the Red River.

“They’ll notice the daylight is changing, they’ll notice their little ones are growing up… their body is just getting ready to migrate on their seasonal cycle,” said Miller. “(They) wake up one morning way up north and (their) pond is iced over. It’s time to go.”

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As the animals migrate, Miller cautioned against feeding them. It’s an experience to watch them, he said, but equally important to remember that they are able to get their own food.

“We always ask people to refrain from feeding wildlife, and though it may tug on your heartstrings seeing all these geese halfway through their migratory route, just know that they are here because we have enough food abundance naturally. Just enjoy those geese at a distance.”

1:34 Nearly 30 thousand fewer geese migrating through Winnipeg this year