Photo: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
These baby geese have one very important place to be: on the ground. The only problem? Their nest is 25 feet in the air. A series of remarkable photographs by photographer and refuge manager Jake Bonello captures six Canada goose goslings making the improbable journey from their elevated nest to the water below. Taken at the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer in southwest Washington, the images show the tiny birds tumbling, flapping, and free-falling toward the lower Columbia River.
And yes, they are supposed to do this.
The goslings hatched into a world that required them to grow up quickly. Canada goose young are precocial, meaning they emerge from their eggs relatively well developed and ready to move. Within about a day of hatching, they can walk and swim. They do not spend weeks waiting helplessly in the nest for their parents to return with food. Instead, the family leaves together soon after the eggs hatch. At this refuge, however, leaving home requires a rather dramatic exit.
The geese nest on platforms elevated above the ground. Once the goslings hatch, their parents head toward the water and the young follow. That means there is only one way down: Jump.
Bonello photographed the six goslings on April 24, 2025, as they followed their parent from the nesting platform. As can be seen in the series of images, one bird dives headfirst. Another stretches its tiny wings as it drops. A third appears to hover for a split second at the edge of the nest before making the inevitable decision to go.
Their small size works in their favor. Newly hatched goslings weigh very little, and their soft down helps cushion the impact of the fall. They can also spread and flap their developing wings during the descent, although they cannot yet fly. The U.S. Department of the Interior has reassured viewers that the dramatic jump is perfectly normal for these young birds. Once they reach the water, the real work begins.
The goslings will remain close to their parents as they grow over the following months. They will spend their days feeding, swimming, and developing the feathers and strength needed for flight. Eventually, the same birds that once plummeted from a 25-foot platform will be able to leave the ground on their own.
For now, though, they have a simpler task. Follow Mom. Take the leap. And judging by these photographs, they are already getting quite good at it.
Jake Bonello captured six Canada goose goslings making a 25-foot descent from their elevated nest.
Photo: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Photo: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The newborn birds followed their parent toward the lower Columbia River at the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge in Washington.
Photo: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Photo: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Though dramatic, the leap marks an essential transition as the precocial goslings leave the nest to begin life on the water.
Photo: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Photo: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Photographer Captures Day-Old Goslings Leaping From Their Nest; Photographer Captures Dramatic Moment Goslings Take 25 Foot Leap Of Faith From Nest
Related Articles:
This Smart Bird Feeder Lets You Identify and Watch Birds in 4K as They Visit Your Garden
Wildlife Photographer Captures Mid-Air Battle of Two Birds Fighting for Dinner
Illustrated Book Celebrates the Vibrant Beauty of Birds From Around the World
UK Zoo Welcomes Three Blue-Eyed Ground Doves, One of the Rarest Birds on Earth
