[Taxacom] Canada geese

[Diana Horton]

We have experienced a cold spell in Iowa for several weeks 
now.  Temperatures have been around zero and dropping down to 10 and 15 
below Fahrenheit some nights.  Canada geese winter on the open water along 
the rivers and a reservoir.  There have been reports, and I have observed, 
geese starting to fly and then flipping over on their backs and falling out 
of the air like rocks.  I also saw one this morning on the ice, flipping 
over on its back, over and over and over again - every time it came right 
side up, it would flip over again.

It has been suggested that they got into some bad food or that the cold is 
affecting them.  Does anyone know what is causing this?

Diana Horton
Associate Professor, Biology
Former Director & Curator, University of Iowa Herbarium
143 BB
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA  52242
U.S.A.