Why are Canada geese a problem in City parks?

• eat up to 1.4 kg of grass a day
•  damage 0.5 square metres of turf every day
• produce more than 0.5 kg of feces every day

• grass can become damaged by trampling and consumption
• feces pose health concerns to park users
• feces & feather droppings can harm water quality

How is the city doing to deal with unwanted Canada geese in parks?

• Using birds of prey and dogs to frighten the geese to leave the park
• Egg oiling
• Round up

Using birds of prey and dogs to frighten the geese to leave the park
The City of Pickering hires an experienced contractor who uses trained birds of prey and dogs to encourage geese to fly to another location. The birds of prey and dogs are trained not to physically touch the Canada geese but rather to frighten them into flight.

Egg oiling
With a permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service, trained contractors search common breeding areas, mark nest locations and place a vegetable-based, biodegradable oil on the eggs within 10 days of being laid. Egg oiling prevents the egg from developing and hatching.

Round up
Geese in specific areas are rounded up, put into pens, banded and then relocated to an approved host location using a climate-controlled transport trailer. The roundups occur when the geese are molting and cannot fly away. They are also done early in the morning when the temperatures are cooler and there are few people in the park, to reduce stress to the birds. Goslings and their parents are not rounded up. No geese are harmed during this process.

A round-up requires a permit from the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). The City of Pickering’s round up was performed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Data from CWS indicates that only about 15% of the relocated birds will return to area. In June 2009 approximately 150 geese from Pickering were rounded up and relocated.  Media Release, Goose Roundup  June 2009 [PDF]

• Hand feeding causes birds to concentrate in one location resulting in decreased water quality due to accumulated feces and feather droppings.
• Bread is low in nutrients and difficult to digest.
• Bread swells and causes birds to feel full, making them less likely to search for their natural foods, which contain proper nutritional value.
• Birds can get respiratory infections caused by mold from decaying bread.
• Birds that should migrate will not if they find sufficient food here; this may result in birds freezing during the winter months.