CANADA GEESE

Range
In North America, most waterfowl are migratory, flying long distances in the spring and fall between the summer breeding grounds and wintering areas.

Ducks and geese breed throughout North America including the mid-Atlantic states’ coastal marshes and barrier islands.

Many of the historical North American waterfowl breeding, migrating, and wintering areas are changing because of agricultural and land-clearing practices, northern prairie pothole drainage, and development of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge system.

Habitat
Waterfowl, as their name implies, are most often found near water. They can, however, fly long distances to and from favorite feeding grounds, which may include agricultural or upland sites. Some species, such as the mallard and certain subspecies of Canada geese, are extremely adaptable. They are equally at home in rural and urban environments, on a pond in a city park, or on a marsh in Alaska.

Food Habits
The food of individual waterfowl species ranges from fish to insects to plants in various combinations, depending on availability. Waterfowl bills have evolved to allow the exploitation of a wide variety of food sources and associated habitats. Even though many species are adapted to feeding in the water, most will readily come on land to take advantage of available food. Since space does not permit a species-by-species description of food habits, a few general comments will suffice.

During the prefledging period, young waterfowl feed primarily on aquatic insects and other invertebrates. As adults, waterfowl have an omnivorous diet. Dabbling ducks, whistling ducks, and shovelers are primarily filter feeders and will consume almost anything edible. Torrent ducks, blue ducks, and scaups feed heavily on aquatic insect larvae, snails, and other invertebrates found on and under rocks in streams and ponds. Large eiders, scoters, and steamer ducks feed heavily on mollusks and shellfish. Steller’s eider feeds more on soft-shelled invertebrates. Fish are the main food of mergansers. Swans are aquatic grazers and geese are terrestrial grazers.

General Biology, Reproduction, and Behavior
Waterfowl are normally monogamous and solitary nesters. The size of the nesting territory is determined by the aggressiveness of the particular pair of birds. Pair formation in geese and swans tends to be permanent until one of the pair dies; the remaining bird will often re-mate. Ducks seek a new mate each year.

Damage and Damage Identification
Goose problems in urban and suburban areas are primarily caused by giant Canada geese, which are probably the most adaptable of all waterfowl. If left undisturbed, these geese will readily establish nesting territories on ponds in residential yards, golf courses, condominium complexes, city parks, or on farms. Most people will readily welcome a pair of geese on a pond. They can soon turn from pet to pest, however. A pair of geese can, in 5 to 7 years, easily become 50 to 100 birds that are fouling ponds and surrounding yards and damaging landscaping, gardens, and golf courses. Defense of nests or young by geese and swans can result in injuries to people who come too close.

Migrant waterfowl damage agricultural crops in northern and central North American. In the spring, waterfowl graze and trample crops such as soybeans, sunflowers, and cereal grains. In autumn, swathed grains are vulnerable to damage by ducks, coots, geese, and cranes through feeding, trampling, and fouling. Young alfalfa is susceptible to damage by grazing waterfowl. Geese sometimes damage standing crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat. In southern agricultural areas, over-wintering waterfowl can cause problems in rice, lettuce, and winter wheat.

Economics of Damage and Control
Waterfowl cause significant losses to agricultural and aquacultural crops, damage golf courses, cemeteries, lawns, and gardens, and contaminate reservoirs. Their activities can cause real economic hardship, aggravate nuisance situations, or create human health hazards. A reliable figure for the total national economic loss caused by waterfowl does not exist. The following examples serve to illustrate the magnitude of the problem, however.

Legal Status
In the United States, migratory birds, including most waterfowl, as well as their nests and eggs, are federally protected (50 CFR 10.12) by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (16 USC. 703. A complete list of all migratory birds protected by the MBTA can be found in 50 CFR 10.13. Also, all states protect most waterfowl. Exotic and feral waterfowl species including mute swans, greylag geese, muscovy ducks, and Pekin ducks are not protected by the MBTA, but may be protected by state law or local ordinance.

Persons wishing to take any migratory bird outside of the legal hunting season must first secure a federal permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and in some cases a state permit. “Take” means to pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect (50 CFR 10.12). “A federal permit is not required to merely scare or herd depredating migratory birds other than endangered or threatened species or bald or golden eagles” (50 CFR 21.43a).

Three species and one subspecies of waterfowl that occur in the United States are listed as endangered in 50 FR 17.11, October 1, 1992 edition (Table 1). In addition, five subspecies of rails, and one species and one subspecies of crane are listed. Contact personnel from your local USDA-APHIS-ADC office for information on obtaining a federal permit to take migratory birds.

Damage Prevention and Control Methods

Exclusion
Install fence around ponds, gardens, and yards. Install overhead grids or netting on ponds, reservoirs, and fish raceways.

Habitat Modification
Vertically straighten pond banks. Allow ponds to freeze in winter. Eliminate vegetation (nesting/escape cover) in and around ponds. Reduce or eliminate fertilizer use around ponds.

Cultural Methods
Change the timing of planting and harvesting of vulnerable crops. Produce winter grains instead of spring grains. Use grain dryers to allow earlier harvest of high-moisture grain. Plant crops uniformly in spring. Delay fall plowing as long as possible. Use less-preferred plant species in parks, cemeteries, and lawns. Plant trees and shrubs to block flight path. Provide lure crops. Field baiting.

Frightening
Flags. Mylar tape. Balloons. Scarecrows. Water spray devices. Automatic exploders. Pyrotechnics. Recorded distress calls. Dogs. Dog Decoys.

Live Capture
Walk-in funnel trap. Rocket/cannon nets. Spring-powered nets. Net launchers. Alpha-chloralose.

Please read more about us and our bird removal services .  You can also learn about Cowleys history and understand why to choose Cowleys for bird exclusion. You can read about what physical or visual bird deterrents are used and what to do if nuisance birds are taking over your business.