Decorah Goose Cam

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What are geese doing in a former eagle’s nest? Eagles nested in N2B from 2015 to 2018 (Mom and Dad) and from 2019 to 2020 (Mom and DM2). When Mom and DM2 built a new nest behind the Decorah-area Walmart in late 2020, the nest sat empty until Canada Geese began nesting there in 2022.

N2B is located about 700 feet east of N1, the nest that HD and HM are nesting in now. While we saw HD chase a goose away from N2B on March 5th, the eagles largely ignore them. Check the video list at the bottom of the page or subscribe to our blog to keep up with the latest news.


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About the Geese

About the Geese

We have not adopted names for the geese and don’t know whether they are the same pair that nested here in 2022, although it seems likely. In general, the geese arrive in late February or early March and begin laying eggs in mid-to-late March. The goslings begin hatching roughly 33 days after the first egg is laid. They will jump from N2B, which is about 70 feet high, 24 to 48 hours after the first egg hatches. Geese are precocial, which means that goslings are capable of moving around, self-feeding, and leaving the nest shortly after hatch: https://www.raptorresource.org/2022/03/25/canada-geese-precocial-versus-altricial/.

To learn more about Canada geese, please follow this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website. Visiting Decorah to see the eagles or the geese? Please read through our guide to eagle etiquette >> Bald Eagle Etiquette.

Nest Territory and Locations: N0, N1, N2, N2B, and N3

Five nests (N0, N1 [twice], N2, and N2B) have been built on the Decorah territory. Bald eagles built N0, N1 (once), and N2. Neil Rettig and Kike Arnal built nest N2B in August of 2015 after N2 was destroyed in a storm, and Kike Arnal and Amy Ries rebuilt nest N1 in September of 2021 after the original nest dwindled away. As of 2023, bald eagles HD (Hatchery Dad) and HM (Hatchery Mom) are nesting in N1, and the geese are nesting in N2B.

  • 2022: Canada Geese hatch young in N2B: https://youtu.be/rhQCa2yUPuA and a new pair of bald eagles adopts N1.
  • 2020: Mom and DM2 begin a new nest (N3) behind the Decorah Walmart and begin nesting there in 2021.
  • 2018: Dad disappears in April of 2018. He is last seen at N2B on April 18, 2018. After two male eagles come and go, Mom accepts new mate DM2, for Decorah Male 2. The two begin working on N2B in October.
  • 2015: N2 is destroyed during a storm the morning of July 18. In August, humans build a nest (N2B) to encourage the eagles to begin building near the former location of N2. Mom and Dad adopt N2B in October of 2015. Watch the N2B rebuild here: https://youtu.be/2-xRSBBeIYs and read about it at our old blogspot: http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2015/08/n2b-or-new-decorah-nest.html.
  • 2012: Mom and Dad begin a new nest (N2) in mid-October on the north bank of Trout Creek about 700 feet from N1, which is still standing
  • 2007: N0 is destroyed during a storm. Dad and OM begin building a new nest (N1) in the yard of a home just north of the hatchery. OM disappears in early fall. 2007: A four-year old female (Mom) joins Dad at N1 in early December.
  • 2002’ish: the male eagle (Dad) and his original mate (OM) build a nest (N0) in the hills to the east of the hatchery
Quick facts
Common name: Canada Goose
Scientific name: Branta canadensis
Length: 29.9-43.3 inches | 76-110 cm
Weight: 6.5 to 19.8 pounds | 3000-9000 grams
Wingspan: 4.1 to 5.5 feet | 127-170 cm
Lifespan: 10 to 20 years in the wild

Canada Goose Vocalization

News
News

Click a title to read more

March 18, 2024: HD visits the N1 tree, upsetting the geese.

March 18, 2024: NestFlix and Chill!

We have your Monday NestFlix, but let’s look at the week ahead before we put our feet up and chill! We’re looking forward to hatch beginning at Decorah North on Saturday or Sunday, first eggs at peregrine falcon sites (my bet’s on Dubuque for the first egg at a nest we monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFtQqGanrX0) and a possible return of winter weather later this week! Well, we’re not really looking forward to that last one, but we are curious about what egg-laying

March 13, 2024: I want to reach in and remove this! Mr. North and DNF are undergoing some body molt right now, and the feathers end up EVERYWHERE!

March 13, 2024: News and NestFlix from Decorah North, Trempealeau, and the Geese!

Happy Hump Day, everyone! Before we get into the NestFlix, a quick calendar round-up: Thanks so much for all you do: for watching, sharing, learning, and especially for caring! Among many other things, we’re busy trying to document nesting peregrine falcons right now, so if you get a band number, give me an email: [email protected] Decorah North Nest March 12, 2024: Days end beauty – https://youtu.be/v80-BsYduuc?si=xLCvtuYk-LI_lKWG. A lovely video with great views of Mr. North, the eggs (2:27), the nest

March 11, 2024: A second egg for the geese!

March 11, 2024: Two Canada Goose eggs in N1!

We have a twist! Two geese – presumably the same pair that HM has been trying to evict! – laid an egg in N1 on Saturday night, followed up by a second late this afternoon. We don’t know whether we’ll get another goose couple in N2B, whether these geese previously nested in N2B, or whether HM will keep paying attention to N1, especially since she is most likely incubating her own eggs at this point. It will take about a

March 3, 2024: HM on the Y-Branch. She's not nesting here this year, but she doesn't seem interested in letting geese have it, either!

March 4, 2024: NestFlix and News!

It’s been a busy few days for everybirdy! We have eggs at Decorah North, Fort St. Vrain, and Trempealeau; an ever-changing group of female falcons trying to catch Newman’s attention (Lisa has so far chased them all off); Canada Geese looking at N1 (HM says absolutely not), and falcons showing up at every site we watch. I’m still trying to get band numbers at our sites, so please give me an email if you get one! We’re estimating hatch in

Won't you be my neighbor? A Pileated Woodpecker plays peek-a-boo at the North Nest.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Bald Eagles play an important role in ecosystems. They stand on top of the food chain or web, are generalist hunters who consume and produce carrion, and are a keystone species: a species that is vital to the health of its ecosystem. We know and write about their trophic relationships, but we don’t often consider the importance of their nests to other species. Alternate, abandoned, or in use, large bald eagle nests stand for many years and serve as homes,

>> More News
Nest Records

Decorah Geese 2024 Nesting Record

Egg-Laying
We’re guesstimating that Mother Goose will lay egg #1 on or before March 21 this year. 

Hatching
TBD

Leaping
TBD, but 24 to 48 hours after hatch is typical.

Geese and Outcomes

 Year Nest  # of eggs/goslings Outcomes
2023 N2B 6/6 Six goslings jumped and five survived.
2022 N2B 6/5 One gosling – we think it might have been the second one – died in the leap. Four survived and rejoined their parents.
Decorah Geese Video Library

Decorah Geese Video Library

Click the hamburger icon on the top right of the video below to view a full list of videos from our most recent playlist, or visit our Decorah Geese video library page here: https://www.youtube.com/c/RaptorResourceProject.