• LycanGalen@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      From this popsci article: "Bird wings may not seem all that threatening. After all, like most other birds that fly, the bones in goose wings are hollow. But because geese can weigh up to 25 pounds, the muscles in those wings are incredibly strong. They have to be to lift such a heavy bird into the air and carry it hundreds of miles at a time during migration.

      So you really don’t want to be pummeled by those wings—they can quickly knock down a full-grown adult and cause scrapes, stitches, even broken bones. All of these injuries have been reported after goose assaults."

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        6 hours ago

        knock down a full-grown adult and cause scrapes, stitches, even broken bones

        Bolded the important parts.

        Falling over for any reason can cause scrapes, stitches, even broken bones, regardless of the instigating factor.

        An adult weighing three times as much of a goose doesn’t fall over because the goose is strong. They fall over because of being startled into losing their balance, which is a feat a sparrow or a mouse could also accomplish.

    • Cypher@aussie.zone
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      9 hours ago

      You’re both partially correct, the young, elderly and smaller individuals can get a broken bone from a goose.

      That said those flappy fucks can catch hands

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        6 hours ago

        the young, elderly and smaller individuals can get a broken bone from a goose being startled and falling over

        That’s the real cause here.

        If you stand your ground and show that fucker who outweighs the other 3 to 1 or more and doesn’t have hollow bones, it won’t bowl you over.

        • WanderingThoughts@europe.pub
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          6 hours ago

          Yeah, they do a great intimidation game but the usual standing tall with arms wide makes them back off, certainly with slow deliberate steps towards them. They’re much more nasty towards children and people showing fear.