The goslings grow to their adult coloring over a period of approximately three months. This is the second page of their growth. The subsequent pages show wing growth over time.

Page 2 of 4
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The little wings are getting bigger. The feet are already pretty big!
[Two goslings stand on pine needles. The wings are noticeably different from the fluff of the body and are folded against the body. The legs are already quite thick in relation to the rest of the body.]

The dark patch on the top of the head will become black. Dark tail feathers are beginning to appear. (This gosling is approximately one month old.)
[One gosling sits on the ground with its head toward the camera and the tail end behind it. The top of its head is much darker than the rest of the head and the neck. Small dark brown feathers are visible on its hind end.]

This gosling is approximately the same age as the one in the prior photo. Sizewise it appears large, but has just begun growing feathers. (The other two geese in this image are adults.)
[A side view of one gosling standing on one foot on a sidewalk while it stretches the other foot and the wing(what there is of it) above that foot. Its body's surface is still mostly downy. One parent stands on the far side of it while the other stands in the background.]

A little over a week later quite a few feathers have appeared on the gosling's body.
[A side view of a gosling standing on the dirt and scratching its belly with its beak. Its parent stands beside it in the foreground of the image doing the same thing.]

The light and dark patches on the body are becoming more evident.
[Two goslings swim on the water. They have white patches along the sides of their faces and the upper part of the body (below the neck). The rest of the body is light brown. The tail feathers are white and dark brown.]

The head and neck dark patches continue to darken.
[One goslings walks through the grass. The front of its and and its neck are a dark brown. Its body feathers are medium brown white its white rump continues to grow.]

And continue to darken even more.
[One gosling swims behind the tail feathers of one of its siblings. The dark patches on the head and neck are nearly black. The tail feather are very dark brown.]

The flight feathers have begun growing and cover the brown and white patch on the rump (exposed in the prior image). This gosling is approximately two months old.
[One gosling swims in the water. Its flight feathers on the ends of its wings are folded on its back and covering the white and brown down on its back.]

Two weeks later the flight feather are even longer, but the goslings are still earthbound.
[Two goslings swim on the water. Although they appear to have full adult color, they are smaller than adult geese.]

Still a lot of growing to do even though it looks like an adult bird and it has yet to take its first flight. (gosling on the left and adult goose on the right)
[Two Canada geese swim side by side facing the camera. The adult has a much longer neck and larger body.]

Continue to see the wings grow over time. (page 3 of 4)

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All photos © S. M. Garver