"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" -- Three's Company in Some Geese

Three's Company?  Bonded pair, John and Mary swimming together with Bozi some feet behind yesterday.

John and Mary at forefront of photo, Bozi behind and close to water.

Roosting time at Reservoir.  John and Mary together and Bozi respectable and acceptable distance away.

Following up on yesterday's blog entry which dealt with matters of love, pair bonding and reproduction in geese (and humans), there is an interesting phenomenon that sometimes occurs in geese that raises interesting question.

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For want of better term, we might refer to this phenomenon as, "Three's Company."

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This past winter, friend and fellow goose admirer, Liliana shared with me her daily observances of the three geese who stayed at the Boat Lake in Central Park.

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Liliana referred to them as, "The Man, His Lady and The Loner." 

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Man and Lady were obviously the bonded pair and were always together.

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But, trailing behind them or lingering a short distance away, was always Loner. 

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The bonded pair accepted Loner into their space as long as he was respectful and maintained proper distance at all times.

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Through acceptance and mutual cooperation, all three geese survived what was one of the harshest and most challenging winters in New York City in many years.

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This spring, Man and Lady re-cemented the bonds of their relationship and Lady nested.

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Loner was then compelled to take a back seat to the arrangement and retreated back to "lone goose" status, usually wandering by himself around the lake or sometimes, disappearing entirely.   

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Unfortunately, Lady's eggs were lost due to flooding from a severe rain storm some weeks ago.

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There is speculation that Lady might attempt to re-nest, but to this point, that is uncertain.

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Meanwhile, Loner is sometimes observed at the Boat Lake and sometimes not.

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It is surmised that Loner is probably on search for a new flock or mate to align with, but the daily harassment from Geese Police in Central Park makes that prospect difficult and dim.

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Alliances with and acceptance into new flocks (or mates) takes time among geese and other water birds.   They cannot and do not occur within the few hours or days that a visiting flock might stop by a lake before being harassed out or departing on their own volition.

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Perhaps Loner simply has to bide his time until all hope for renesting between Man and Lady has vanished and the bonded pair once again accept him back into their space.

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Meanwhile, at another watercourse in Central Park (the Jackie Onassis Reservoir), the same, "Three's Company" phenomenon appears to be occurring.

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In this case, the three parties are bonded pair, John and Mary and the recently widowed gander,  Bozi.

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John and Mary attempted nesting last month, but their six eggs failed to hatch -- most likely due to egg addling conducted by the park.

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After a brief grieving period, John and Mary resumed normal activities -- even flying out from the Reservoir for a few days to join a seeming "goose party" at Harlem Meer over the Memorial Day weekend.

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But, John and Mary returned back to the Reservoir where they are apparently planning to spend the molt period.

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Since losing his nesting mate, Floozie in early May, Bozi quite literally grieved for weeks.

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For days and nights on end, Bozi covered every inch of the Reservoir searching and calling out constantly for the lost love of his life.  (Part of me wondered then if Bozi fully realized his missing mate was actually dead?)

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Then, in late May, it appeared Bozi was casually and slowly being accepted into the space of John and Mary as several times the three geese were observed swimming in the same general vicinity together with no chasing or harassing.

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But, when John and Mary left on their brief "holiday jaunt," Bozi did not go with them. Rather, he elected to stay at the Reservoir and resumed what seemed again, the grieving process.

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But, since about the first of June that too, has changed.

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John and Mary returned and there seems no mistaking now, that they have accepted Bozi into their space. (It does not appear that John and Mary are preparing or attempting to renest.)

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For at least a week, the three geese have been observed together, though like the Man, Lady and Loner scenario described above, Bozi always maintains respectable distance from the bonded pair, usually traveling or lingering some feet behind John and Mary. (i.e. "tagging along.") 

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I am happy for Bozi as it means he is no longer despondent and entirely alone and his prospects for long range survival are therefore improved.

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Moreover, this "three's company arrangement" doesn't seem to impact the solidarity or devotion of the bonded pair, but rather, adds different dimension and raises fascinating question about geese.

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One has to wonder, quite simply, if this is something that geese do (i.e. accepting loners and widowers to travel with established pairs) for overall survivability of the species? 

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Like humans, geese are amazingly prepared for and adaptable to losses and seem to have developed strategies for long range survival of the species.   

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Perhaps having potential partners waiting in the wings in event of catastrophic loss of partner might be one of them.

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Or (more likely),  just reaching out supportive wing to those in need.  That too, after all, helps insure ultimate survivability of the species.   

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Empathy, compassion and acceptance are apparently not, uniquely human. -- PCA

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