Geese, familiar waterfowl often seen near bodies of water or grazing in open fields, exhibit varied dietary habits. Their food sources adapt significantly based on their habitat, the prevailing season, and the availability of sustenance in their environment.
Geese and Worms
Geese consume worms, incorporating them into their broader diet. As omnivores, their diet includes both plant and animal matter, though plant material constitutes the majority of what they eat. Worms, along with other invertebrates such as insects and snails, provide a valuable source of protein and fat for geese. This protein is particularly beneficial during energetically demanding periods like the breeding season, supporting their growth, feather development, and egg production.
Geese typically encounter worms and other small invertebrates incidentally while foraging, often finding them when grazing on the ground or exploring wetland areas. Geese may probe through mud or shallow water to locate these small creatures. Their specialized serrated beaks allow them to efficiently dislodge and consume worms from the soil.
Young geese, known as goslings, also eat worms. Adult geese intentionally feed worms to their goslings, providing high-protein nourishment that supports rapid growth and development. While worms are part of their diet, their consumption is opportunistic rather than targeted hunting. Invertebrates make up a comparatively small percentage of a goose’s overall food intake.
A Goose’s Natural Diet and Foraging
Geese are primarily herbivores, spending a significant portion of their day as grazers and foragers. Their natural diet largely consists of various plant-based foods. This includes a wide array of grasses, such as ryegrass, bluegrass, fescue, clover, and dandelions. They also consume aquatic plants like water lilies, cattails, pondweeds, and sedges, often found in their wetland habitats.
Beyond grasses and aquatic vegetation, geese feed on grains, including corn, wheat, barley, and oats, often foraging in agricultural fields after harvest. Seeds, berries, roots, shoots, and stems are also common components of their diet. Their foraging behaviors involve using their sharp bills to tear off plant material and consuming small pebbles, known as grit, which aids their digestion.
Geese are adaptable foragers, and their diet shifts with the seasons and the availability of food. During fall and winter, when fresh green vegetation becomes scarce, they increase their consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods like grains, seeds, and berries. They commonly forage in open fields, meadows, and near bodies of water.