Canada Goose

The winter chill that begins to settle in early fall brings an abundance of birds to the mouth of Temescal Creek each year, the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) being one such species. This phenomenon can be attributed to the Pacific Flyway, a migratory path of birds heading south for the winter as cooler weather contributes to a decline in prey at frigid northern temperatures. The Pacific Flyway is somewhat analogous to the highways we take to work every morning; each species has its own flight pattern, however populations of different species converge onto the same “flyway” that provides the most direct route to their respective destinations. San Francisco happens to be a popular spot along the Pacific Flyway due to the abundance of green, open space and the opportunities once afforded at the mouth of the SF Bay Delta, the largest estuary on the wastern coast of North and South America and the fourth largest delta in the world. The Canada Goose, like many migrating birds happens to prefer the salt marsh habitat, making McLaughlin State Park the perfect place for a pit stop. Canada Geese consume algae and small marine animals, both abundant resources found in the salt marsh ecosystem and making it a great location to sit down for a meal.