The Canada
goose (Branta canadensis) is a familiar and popular game bird.
They are instantly recognizable in a field or on a lake, and their distinctive
V-shaped flying formations overhead hearken the changing of seasons. Canada
geese figure strongly in tales and folklore: their heroic migration jaunts
and devotion to their mate (they bond for life) make them good animal
models for humans.
Canada geese also are a success story in wildlife management. By the early 1940s, heavy hunting had reduced migrating Canada goose populations close to extinction. A concerted effort by federal agencies, particularly the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has brought the Canada goose back to levels where hunting is again allowed—and has been for more than 20 years. All in all, the Canada goose has enjoyed a reputation as a proud, respectable bird.
Until now. People tell tales about trying to drive a Canada goose from their yard with savage screams that catch the attention of everything but the goose. Headlines are full of proposals to kill Canada geese and donate them as food for the homeless. Companies have sprung up that specialize in keeping Canada geese off of ponds and property. Why all the fuss about this seemingly harmless creature? Quite simply, the problem lies not with the majestic migrating flocks, but with their resident cousins – those Canada geese that have been born and bred in our own backyards.
There are three distinct populations of Canada geese in Pennsylvania. Two of these are migrants that nest in northern Canada (the Southern James Bay and Atlantic populations) and fly south for the winter. The third is the local resident bird, which is essentially non-migratory. Resident Canada geese are the products of birds released by sportsmen organizations and state wildlife agencies in the east, along with bird releases when live decoys were outlawed in the early part of this century.
Unlike the migratory Canada goose, whose numbers are again in decline due to poor survival and reproductive rates, the population of resident Canada geese residing in suburban America has skyrocketed in the last ten years. These birds are full-time residents who don’t fly away with the first chill. They are big and intimidating, hissing and charging in defense of their territory. There are so many of them that even their ordinary honking can become irritating. They have been known to eat turfgrass down to a nub and then leave uncountable piles of slimy green droppings. And, they can contribute to the spread of waterborne diseases, such as giardia and cryptosporsis, which have the potential to affect humans.
Canada geese have 11 subspecies. These subspecies range in size from 29 to 38 inches in length and 6 to 12 pounds in weight, with the smaller populations generally living further north. In 1965, a biologist found a population of the subspecies Branta canadensis maxima, the giant Canada goose, which had been thought to be extinct. Since its rediscovery, the giant Canada goose has recovered more quickly than any other subspecies and now makes up the bulk of our resident goose populations. There are estimated to be as many as 1 million giant Canada geese in the Atlantic flyway, as many as all other Canada geese subspecies in the flyway combined.
For the Canada goose, “paradise” might be defined as acres of short tender grass, a freshwater pond for drinking water and security, and no predators. It would look much like a public park, corporate office campus, golf course, cemetery, or waterfront yard. However, while other Canada goose subspecies are wary of humans, giant Canada geese are predisposed to ignore people. The biologist who rediscovered the giant Canadians noted that the “placid disposition of the giant Canada goose sets it apart from all others.”
Placid disposition or not, the giant Canada goose has adapted well to living among us. They have a weak migratory instinct and will stay in place as long as there is ice-free water and available food. Since people are willing to feed them and often keep their ponds ice-free in the winter, the geese are truly at home in suburbia. They have become accustomed to autos, planes, and other noises of modern life. In fact, they are so used to cars that they are willing to walk out in front of oncoming traffic, secure in the knowledge that the cars will stop for them.