The Canada goose can fly as fast as 60 mph, but usually prefers to go about 40 to 50 mph. They often leave with the passing of a cold front, so, with the aid of a strong tail wind, they can travel an easy 60 to 70 mph. At this rate, they can fly from Hudson Bay to Horicon, a distance of at least 850 miles, in about 15 hours. From here to their wintering grounds in southern Illinois, some 450 miles to the south, requires another 7 to 10 hours.
It's really amazing to see these birds.
Imagine hundreds and hundreds of these birds flying right over your house. The only problem is the noise. What's really cool is you can hear their wings flapping if they are silent and low enough.
When they land, I always thought they looked like little helicoptors.
