CANADA GOOSE
Canada geese live in Alaska, Canada and the northern parts of the United States, migrating southwards as far as the Gulf of Mexico in winter.
In some cases, flocks of non-migrating Canada geese have taken up permanent residence
throughout much of New England and the mid-Atlantic States, especially New Jersey and Long Island.
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The Canada goose, Branta canadensis, The tail is black while the feathers Their bill and legs are black. |
The Canada geese are gregarious outside the breeding season, forming groups of 200-300.
The bulk of the food of the Canada goose is vegetable. It grazes on grasslands and on the rushes and sedges in marshes.
Around the seashore, sea lettuce, eelgrass and various algae are eaten. they generally congregate in areas where food is abundant during a particular season,
usually in the early morning, but where persecuted they take to feeding at night.
The feeding flocks are guarded by sentries that warn the flock of approaching danger.
The sentries are relieved at intervals so that they may take their turn in feeding.
During the breeding season, the geese turn to a more aquatic diet.
They feed on the water plants and also take worms, insects, snails, crustaceans and perhaps small fish.
When feeding in the water they dip their long necks into the water and up-end like ducks.
Canada geese mate for life and arrive at breeding grounds already in pairs.
Nesting begins in March or April. The nests are usually built on the ground near water, but may be built on rocky ledges or in trees where flooding is liable.
The nests are lined with grass, reeds and down. The normal number of eggs in a clutch is 5-6 but 2-11 have been recorded.
They are brooded by the female alone, but throughout the 28 day incubation period the male (gander) stands guard to defend the offspring vigorously.
As soon as the chicks have hatched, the two parents lead them down to the water where they swim out, with the gander leading the way and the goose bringing up the rear.
At a very early age the chicks can dive and they are fully grown at 6 weeks, weighing about 10 pounds and having the characteristic adult plumage.
Most people find a few geese acceptable, but problems quickly develop as the numbers of birds increase.
This can result in overgrazed, denuded suburban lawns, undesirable accumulations of droppings and feathers,
and the polluting of reservoirs, swimming facilities, beaches, lawns, and golf courses.
Local populations of geese can be controlled by property owners.
A brochure describing the methods of control is available from Senator Owen Johnson's Office at (631) 669-9200.
WHY WE NEED TO MAKE FEEDING CANADA GEESE ILLEGAL A single goose can eat up to The over abundance of permanent resident geese Ultimately, the waste could compromise Canada Geese are extremely opportunistic: |
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WHY WE NEED TO MAKE FEEDING CANADA GEESE ILLEGAL; Legislator David Bishop
Feeding Canada Geese is bad for goose and human alike. And so I’ve recently filed a bill to make it illegal to do so in Suffolk County.
Long Island’s Canada Goose population is growing at an exceptional rate from a few thousand a decade ago to more that 50,000 today.
A single goose can eat up to seven pounds of food a day producing significant waste.
Human food, particularly bread, compounds the problem because geese do not digest it well and it often leads to the geese developing the crippling angel wing condition.
The over abundance of permanent resident geese presents a real environmental threat to our waterways in that goose waste
in excessive amounts depletes ponds, streams and bays of oxygen killing fish and wildlife. Ultimately, the waste could compromise the integrity of our water supply.
Additionally, Long Island’s governments are spending well over one million dollars in a seemingly futile effort to make our parks and ballfields useable.
Recent editorials tend to agree with my assessment of the problem, but worry that my proposal to make feeding the geese illegal is too harsh and unenforceable;.
I disagree. The model for my proposal are other largely self enforcing laws such as smoking bans and anti-littering ordinances, which rely on public education and an occasional summons.
Canada Geese are extremely opportunistic:
If you feed them they will stay.
Some communities have attempted to deal with the problem by slaughtering the geese.
My hope is that we can encourage them to leave peacefully by not feeding them.
By statute, education or a combination of vote the public must learn - don’t feed the geese.
CANADA GEESE, another point of view...
I'm sure we all agree that something has to be done to keep the population of Canada geese in check and I commend Legislator Bishop for introducing his controversial plan to outlaw the feeding of these geese in Suffolk County. In my opinion, this action alone is not going to solve the overpopulation problem. One problem that comes to mind is the fact that many people don't know a duck from a swan! "Canada goose?" "Is that the one with the green head or the brown head?" In my line of work, this is the type of comment I hear when discussing waterfowl ("What foul?"). Enforcement of this proposed law, even self-enforcement, simply won't be possible.
The goose population has not become sedentary solely because of people feeding them at parks. Our current resident population of Canada geese are the descendants of semi-domesticated introduced stock. The first releases of geese in New York occurred in wildlife management areas in the 1930's for hunting purposes. Frequent releases of captive birds are the only known source of breeding Canada geese in New York. (ref. Birds of New York State by John Bull). The introduced birds, and their descendants, didn't know how to migrate.
True migratory Canada geese breed only in the northern reaches of Canada. The earliest breeding record on Long Island was in 1970 at Gardiner's Island where 100 pairs were observed by Dennis Pulliston. (ref. The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State) Wildlife officials are currently taking care to distinguish between the migratory population and the resident geese because the population of migratory Canada geese is decreasing at an alarming rate. Neck bands, placed on the resident geese during breeding season, easily distinguish them from the rare migrants.
Controlling burgeoning populations of any introduced species is always a formidable task. Fortunately, geese are large birds and the nests are easily located. Prevention of future hatching by egg tampering, along with a feeding ban could possibly make the current population self-limiting. Tampering with the eggs before the embryo is formed by piercing or shaking, is preferable to taking eggs or breaking them because the goose will lay more eggs if a clutch is lost. Egg tampering might possibly be accomplished through the cooperation of the State Department of Environmental Conservation and local conservation groups.
Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. Exploding resident goose populations not only cover the eastern seaboard, but the mid-west as well. The scale of this problem is enormous and as one area is cleared, geese from an adjacent area will spill-over. Mr. Bishop's proposal reminds me of the story of the boy with his finger in the dike, but someone has to start somewhere!
"Wildlife that is best managed is that which is least managed."
Betty Conley, Wildlife Rehabilitator with State and Federal Permit
Preserve and Protect our Beaches.
for both of the geese pictures on this page.
web site: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/
Thanks to
Royal Reynolds: No 1/1995
David Bishops: No 4/1996
Betty Conley: No 4/1996
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