I actually have been asked this question multiple times, and it makes sense since they are not visible, the question that I’m talking about is:
Do geese have ears? Yes, they do! like all birds, they have little ear opening in the side of their head, they are not visible due to the fact that they are covered by feathers.
They have a very special sense of hearing. They can hear the sounds from far away, which is great for detecting predators. The other great thing about their hearing is that they can hear the voices of geese flying in a group, which is useful for finding out where everyone is.
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How Does Geese Hearing Works?
Geese’s ears are very small compared to the size of their head, but they are there. They can hear noise, this is why they have a very big and long neck which contains strong muscles to be able to react by folding their neck whenever there is a loud noise.
When you take a closer look, their ear canal is very similar to ours. Their ear holes are also designed like ours. The only difference between us and them is that their eardrums are a little bit smaller. This makes them less sensitive to low-frequency sounds than we humans. But they can easily hear high-frequency sounds, which is why they can hear high-pitched noises from meters away. They don’t need big ears in order to hear every sound around them, they have small but very helpful ears that most animals would envy.
Geese can migrate up to 1500 miles away, so it is required for them to have strong and sturdy ears in order to hear the noise of their surroundings. They do not only use their ears for hearing but also as a way of protecting themselves from unwanted outside noises, this is done by folding their ears against the side of their head.
You can also see this in other migrating birds, they all have a long neck and strong muscles to be able to react quickly against unwanted environmental noise. This is also the same case in bats, when they fly away from an obstacle or something that is flying towards them, they use their ears to steer themselves away from the impact.
How Good Is Geese Hearing?
Their hearing is very strong, geese can hear noises up to kilometers away. That’s why you won’t see them getting startled by every little noise you make. They can be at the other side of the lake, and hear your footsteps and everything else that is happening around them. That’s why when there is a predator coming like an owl or something like that, they will know that it’s time for them to fly away and hide in order not to get eaten by the predators.
Their ears are an essential part of their bodies. They help them see and be aware of possible dangers around them. They help the goose know exactly what’s happening even when it cannot see what’s going on due to water, fog, or other obstacles that may block its vision from seeing what is going on far away from it.
Geese are wild animals and they are territorial, that’s why they need to be able to hear any predator or intruder that may come and try to steal their food. This is done by them being in places with a lot of water around so that they can see the predator coming before it gets too close.
How Do Geese Recognize Each Other?
It is strongly related to their hearing since its the tool they use to recognize each other. Geese living in a flock recognize each other by their honk. They have individual honk that makes each goose in the flock unique.
Their honk is like a personal sign for them to recognize each other when they are flying, flying in groups, and eating around together. They live together so it is really important to learn how to be able to recognize one another or else they would all become disorganized, confused, and maybe even start attacking each other thinking that they are intruders that may want to steal their feeding grounds.
Geese have also been known to make sounds and noises when they are upset or scared. These sounds help the geese in their flock to know what is going on around them. They are able to identify noises such as predator noises, predator movements, and predator calls.
Conclusion
Geese have ears, they are very good and sophisticated, hearing is a very important part of survival for these animals. They hear very well and hear very fast.
It is very important to be able to hear perfectly for them. Geese need to use their ears so they can learn what their flock sounds like, how many individuals are in their flock, and also how many predators are around them.
Resources
Photo by Jan Kopřiva on Unsplash
