Birding/Geese

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Expert: - 9/3/2009


Question
Do geese blink? More specifically does a Canadian goose blink? and can we as humans see them blink from a short distance?

Answer
Interesting question. All birds blink. But birds have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane that is translucent and sweeps across the eye. It's hard to see but if you look closely you can see that the eye looks dull and then clear again. Swimming birds use this eyelid under water. So they don't need to use the upper and lower eyelids like we do when they blink.
By the way, fyi, and this is just my ornithological training talking, it is Canada Goose, not Canadian.

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Roger Lederer

Expertise

Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.

Experience

Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.

Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico

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