0:00
/
0:00
Transcript

Chevron in the sky

Wanna play? Ecotone #02

ECOTONE is a guessing game. I share an audio clip. You name the nature sound. This space is also where my weekday skills as an audio journalist bump up against my weekend life as a naturalist.

The clue for Ecotone #02 is: Chevron in the sky

a graphic that says "scroll down for the answer"
a graphic that says "little further" with a down pointing arrow

photo of there Canada geese in flight against a blue sky with the text "Canada geese" imposed on the image
Long necks, white cheek patches and a chinstrap — like an old-timey pilot might wear — make Canada geese one of the most recognizable birds for beginner bird watchers. (photo credit: designed with stock image by Freepik)

Sound is my favorite nature souvenir: Canada geese recorded October 21, 2021, in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

0:00
-0:14

You probably quickly guessed that the recording was “birds.”

But what kind?

Noisy gulls at the beach? No.

A bunch of grackles? No.

A chevron of Canada geese? Yes!

Chevron is a pattern of lines in the shape of a “V.”

That was your hint to think “Canada geese,” which often fly in a V formation as they migrate. In that formation, the birds in front fly slightly higher than the one just behind, which reduces wind resistance, and helps the team conserve energy on long journeys

Chevron is also a collective noun for a group of geese.

Fun stuff

I was walking in a favorite park when I heard the ruckus. The flock was so large — and flying so low — all those plump bodies temporarily dimmed the sunlight trickling down through the tree canopy.

These birds weren’t in the classic V formation and seemed to be only 50 to 75 feet off the ground. So my guess is that instead of migrating south, that flock was just commuting from a roosting site to their feeding grounds.

Years later, that sensory experience showed up in one of my picture book stories.

Book deal announcement about a forthcoming picture book -- called Honeybird Blue -- acquired by HarperCollins.
My debut picture book is a color hunt for easy-to-spot birds. In one scene, low-flying Canada geese “brown” out the sun.

Science stuff

The folks at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have great information about the habits, habitat and behavior of Canada geese on the All About Birds site. It’s a fantastic resource for just-starting-out bird watchers and includes an extensive library of recordings, where you can hear different barks, hisses and cackles.

It’s super fun to LISTEN-in as mating pairs “talk” to each other.

Close up of neck and head of a Canada goose with a bit of grass in its mouth
Canada geese have comical faces, but they take their personal space very seriously. Resident birds — which live on golf courses and in neighborhood parks in the U.S. all year round — are used to people, still it’s best not to get too close to the gaggle. (photo credit: stock image - designed by Freepik)

What nature sound should I collect next?

Leave a comment

Discussion about this video

User's avatar