MADISON, Wis. — A Canada goose has once again been spotted living alongside two sandhill cranes in Madison, continuing an unusual wildlife story that captured attention last summer.

The trio looks strikingly similar to one seen last year, when wildlife experts believed the goose had been raised by cranes after somehow becoming separated from its own family.

“What we feel about the cranes in Madison, that lovely family, we believe you can be confident that this is the same family because it comes back to the same nest,” said Marty Harding, a writer and musician.

Harding and his wife, who live in Minnesota, have spent years studying rare crane-goose relationships after watching one unfold on a lake near their home. They are convinced Madison’s returning trio is the same family from last year.

“They have a special bond and relationship,” Harding said.

But not everyone is ready to say that with certainty.

“I mean, I don’t think that it’s any particular set of cranes. It’s just any cranes that the goose is hanging out with,” said Anna Pidgeon, an avian ecologist. “I would be more comfortable saying that that’s the same goose than I would be saying that that’s the same cranes.”

Pidgeon said the goose likely imprinted on cranes after being raised by them, meaning it may continue seeking out cranes even if they are different birds.

“What would convince me is if one of the cranes was individually marked so that we knew it was the same one last year and this year,” Pidgeon said.

The next chapter in the story may not be about where the goose lives, but who it tries to pair with. Geese typically start breeding around 2 to 3 years old.

“Because it imprinted on cranes, it will seek out a crane as a partner when it’s sexually mature,” Pidgeon said. “And that won’t work. It won’t go well for the goose.”

For now, the unusual family continues to capture attention from bird lovers across the Midwest.

“I think it’s really fascinating that we are so interested in interspecies connections and so thrilled when they happen,” Harding said. “I think we need to be reminded that love transcends differences and we need to care for one another.”

Whether it is the same crane family or not, the goose’s unusual story is still unfolding.

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