How can cities help control geese populations? Stop mowing their grass
The Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary takes in thousands of Canada geese a year
Over the years, thousands of Canada geese have been rounded up and shipped from the Mississauga area to The Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Kingsville, Ont.
As many urban areas now see big numbers of geese year round, relocation is just one strategy used to help control goose populations.
Another strategy involves taking a closer look at the places geese like to hang out.
The sanctuary's executive director, Matt Olewski, says in places like Windsor's riverfront, humans have unknowingly created the perfect conditions for geese to gather.
"There are two habitats that waterfowls need for a healthy life and that would be wetland and grassland," he said.
For wild geese, there's nothing better than freshly cut grass.
Olewski says freshly mowed grass is far more convenient for the birds to eat. He says the nutrients in a cut piece of grass is equal to the nutrients in an uncut piece of grass, making it easier for geese to fill their stomachs.
"For a bird that is meant for flight [that's] scoping out freshly cut grass, they're going to go to those areas to pack in the nutrients as quickly as they can," he said.
This way, a goose can take flight in a moment's notice into the air, where it's safest for them to be.
The downside of freshly mowed grass, however, is that the geese have no reason to leave, and their predators have nowhere to hide out, leaving goose populations to soar.
Olewski recommends leaving the grass uncut in public parks and waterfront areas.
The problem with popcorn
According to Olewski, when humans engage with wildlife and get a little too comfortable, that's where we start to see problems.
"When there is a space where there's a lot of that interaction happening naturally, you have humans getting more comfortable with wildlife than they should be, in the sense that they think they know how to care for their needs," he said.
"They get down and get close to them and they feed them foods that are not natural to their diet. The result of that can be dependence on humans for food."
As a result of being fed popcorn and bread, wild geese are developing a nutrient deficiency called angel wing.
This condition is marked by the growth of an incomplete wing. A goose will grow out only the core of their feathers, which keeps them grounded for the rest of their life.
Olewski says this is part of a vicious cycle where migratory birds inadvertently become local flocks that stay put 365 days of the year.
"They don't leave those conditions where there's a high chance of human interaction and there's a high chance of them not getting the nutrients that they do need. And then not just choosing to stay put, but also their bodies are not developing properly so they can't [even] choose to take flight," he said.
Relocating geese
Norm North is the owner of Integrated Goose Management Services. For decades, he's been relocating geese from areas like parks, beaches and airports.
"Not everyone has an issue with geese on their property, but most people on beaches ... or a town park, they really want to be able to utilize those areas without having a lot of goose poop," he said.
He says numbers have grown in Ontario because there's a lot of golf courses, agricultural lands and unforested areas.
"That's their preference: short, well-fertilized grass," he said, noting that Mississauga and Oakville have planted more flowers and shrubs and no longer cut their grass as short in order to make areas less attractive to geese.
Over the last five years or so, he's brought around 3,500 geese to Jack Miner from the Mississauga area.
It happens in June, at a time when most of the local geese can't fly because they are molting or too young.
"We can round them up, basically like sheep. We don't touch the birds, we just round them up ramps and into a trailer of one sort or another," he said.
If you do see geese running amok in Windsor, especially if it's in front of a line of cars on the road, North has a few tips.
"I would say reduce your speed, follow the speed limit and keep your eyes on the road. and Watch for the geese and slow down for them. Give them their space to get across the road and don't cause an accident."
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With files from Mike Evans