Latest news with #CanadaGeese
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Militant approach needed to control Canada goose population in border city, says expert
Social Sharing Managing Windsor's population of Canada geese will require militant effort over multiple years to truly make a dent in the number of the birds throughout the city. That's according to Dan Frankian of Hawkeye Bird and Animal Control Specialists — a bird control expert with more than 36 years of experience managing animal populations. "They're coming after you and you're going after them, and we know how militant they can be," Frankian told CBC. The former Canadian Armed Forces sniper and master falconer has traveled all over the world to help large corporations and government agencies get bird populations under control. Frankian said dealing with Canada geese needs special diligence. "I mean, they call them the Canadian Air Force not for unknown reasons. These things are good, all right," Frankian advised. The City of Windsor has hired a contractor to remove 150 eggs from seven nesting locations in Windsor. It's a method that requires a permit from the federal government. Council approved a $30,000 geese management strategy as part of the city's annual operating budget earlier this year. Management plan a good start, says federal government Riverside-area councillor Jo-Anne Gignac pushed for action on the issue after she heard last summer from a constituent complaining about nearly colliding with geese while riding a bike on Ganatchio Trail. "He swerved to avoid them. He was thrown from his bike and spent four days in the hospital with a broken collar bone and six broken ribs," Gignac told council in June 2024. Geese crossing busy roads have led to other collisions in the city, in some cases sending people to hospital with serious injuries. "These flocks of geese just walking out into the road, people slamming on their brakes, and it's a mess," Gignac told council. But a spokesperson for the federal government said Windsor's management plan is a good starting point that's in line with what similar sized cities across Ontario have been doing. "However, habitat modification and education remain vital to mitigating human-goose conflicts in Windsor," wrote Samuel Lafontaine, a spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada. The federal agency 430 permits regarding Canada geese have been issued across Canada since 2020, and 97 per cent of them include egg management methods. 'Do not let the population grow' The Canadian Wildlife Service says Canada geese lay two to eight eggs a year, starting when the adults are around three years old. The large birds nest in the spring in familiar areas for their entire lives — which can be as long as 25 years. That means one Canada goose could produce 176 eggs in its lifetime. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, late April to early June is when geese are most aggressive — because they're motivated to protect their recently hatched goslings. Frankian said oils can be applied to eggs to prevent them from hatching — but that won't dissuade a Canada goose from nesting at a location again. He said the city's contractor should act like a predator to the full extent that the federal permit allows. "Destroy the nest, destroy the eggs, do it in front of the female," advised Frankian, who emphasized that the act needs to show the goose that all humans are a threat. "The basic thing is: Do not let the population grow." According to the City of Windsor, its federal permit only authorizes "the removal of nests and eggs during a defined period." But Frankian believes outright, obvious destruction of the nest and eggs is necessary for the plan to be truly effective. Otherwise, the goose will persist in nesting again. "You are trying to tell the goose, get out, don't come back," Frankian said. Windsor resorts to removing geese eggs for population control 3 hours ago Duration 2:40 The City of Windsor has obtained a federal permit to remove 150 Canada goose eggs — part of an effort to control the local population of the large and persistent bird. But anti-goose expert Dan Frankian says the city will need to be militant about the plan. CBC's Chris Ensing reports. University sports fields protected by dogs This isn't the first time Windsor has tried to get geese out of popular park areas such as the riverfront trail. In 2019, city staff placed two-dimensional dog-shaped cutouts on the riverfront to try to scare away geese. The University of Windsor tried the same, then had a better idea: Employ an actual dog to chase the geese off campus sport areas. Winston, a St. Bernard-Mastiff mix, is owned by Rick Daly — manager of athletic facilities and services at the university. Twice daily, Winston runs through the track and football fields of the Toldo Lancer Centre, making life difficult for geese. "Ultimately it's just to annoy them so that they're not nasty," Daly explained. Daly consulted with golf course operators to find the right approach to preventing the accumulation of "geese content" — the term Daly uses for goose droppings. Daly also encourages fellow dog-owning staff members to bring their pets to campus and help out. "We simply just want to gently remove the geese from locating here." "The dogs won't necessarily catch them. They won't be able to." Daly said Winston gets paid for his work with treats and hugs. Mutli-year effort needed, says expert Frankian said that a dog can work to deter geese from frequenting a park — but it needs to be consistent. Chasing geese with dogs is the only method that doesn't require a federal permit, Frankian added. The stronger method would be to obtain a permit that allows for physical relocation of geese to other communities. "Geese molt," said Frankian. "In other words, these flight feathers entirely disappear. They fall off every year. They're flightless." That time of year is when experienced bird control professionals will slowly corral the geese into manageable groups that can be put into trucks and moved elsewhere. According to Frankian, the key is to outlast the geese with your efforts: You don't stop until the geese give up — which will take more than a few years. "When they give up, you do an extra year, and then you're done," Frankian said.
CBC
4 days ago
- General
- CBC
Militant approach needed to control Windsor's Canada goose population, says expert
Social Sharing Managing Windsor's population of Canada geese will require militant effort over multiple years to truly make a dent in the number of the birds throughout the city. That's according to Dan Frankian of Hawkeye Bird and Animal Control Specialists — a bird control expert with more than 36 years of experience managing animal populations. "They're coming after you and you're going after them, and we know how militant they can be," Frankian told CBC. The former Canadian Armed Forces sniper and master falconer has traveled all over the world to help large corporations and government agencies get bird populations under control. Frankian said dealing with Canada geese needs special diligence. "I mean, they call them the Canadian Air Force not for unknown reasons. These things are good, all right," Frankian advised. The City of Windsor has hired a contractor to remove 150 eggs from seven nesting locations in Windsor. It's a method that requires a permit from the federal government. Council approved a $30,000 geese management strategy as part of the city's annual operating budget earlier this year. Management plan a good start, says federal government Riverside-area councillor Jo-Anne Gignac pushed for action on the issue after she heard last summer from a constituent complaining about nearly colliding with geese while riding a bike on Ganatchio Trail. "He swerved to avoid them. He was thrown from his bike and spent four days in the hospital with a broken collar bone and six broken ribs," Gignac told council in June 2024. Geese crossing busy roads have led to other collisions in the city, in some cases sending people to hospital with serious injuries. "These flocks of geese just walking out into the road, people slamming on their brakes, and it's a mess," Gignac told council. But a spokesperson for the federal government said Windsor's management plan is a good starting point that's in line with what similar sized cities across Ontario have been doing. "However, habitat modification and education remain vital to mitigating human-goose conflicts in Windsor," wrote Samuel Lafontaine, a spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada. The federal agency 430 permits regarding Canada geese have been issued across Canada since 2020, and 97 per cent of them include egg management methods. 'Do not let the population grow' The Canadian Wildlife Service says Canada geese lay two to eight eggs a year, starting when the adults are around three years old. The large birds nest in the spring in familiar areas for their entire lives — which can be as long as 25 years. That means one Canada goose could produce 176 eggs in its lifetime. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, late April to early June is when geese are most aggressive — because they're motivated to protect their recently hatched goslings. Frankian said oils can be applied to eggs to prevent them from hatching — but that won't dissuade a Canada goose from nesting at a location again. He said the city's contractor should act like a predator to the full extent that the federal permit allows. "Destroy the nest, destroy the eggs, do it in front of the female," advised Frankian, who emphasized that the act needs to show the goose that all humans are a threat. "The basic thing is: Do not let the population grow." According to the City of Windsor, its federal permit only authorizes "the removal of nests and eggs during a defined period." But Frankian believes outright, obvious destruction of the nest and eggs is necessary for the plan to be truly effective. Otherwise, the goose will persist in nesting again. "You are trying to tell the goose, get out, don't come back," Frankian said. Windsor resorts to removing geese eggs for population control 9 minutes ago Duration 2:40 The City of Windsor has obtained a federal permit to remove 150 Canada goose eggs — part of an effort to control the local population of the large and persistent bird. But anti-goose expert Dan Frankian says the city will need to be militant about the plan. CBC's Chris Ensing reports. University sports fields protected by dogs This isn't the first time Windsor has tried to get geese out of popular park areas such as the riverfront trail. In 2019, city staff placed two-dimensional dog-shaped cutouts on the riverfront to try to scare away geese. The University of Windsor tried the same, then had a better idea: Employ an actual dog to chase the geese off campus sport areas. Winston, a St. Bernard-Mastiff mix, is owned by Rick Daly — manager of athletic facilities and services at the university. Twice daily, Winston runs through the track and football fields of the Toldo Lancer Centre, making life difficult for geese. "Ultimately it's just to annoy them so that they're not nasty," Daly explained. Daly consulted with golf course operators to find the right approach to preventing the accumulation of "geese content" — the term Daly uses for goose droppings. Daly also encourages fellow dog-owning staff members to bring their pets to campus and help out. "We simply just want to gently remove the geese from locating here." "The dogs won't necessarily catch them. They won't be able to." Daly said Winston gets paid for his work with treats and hugs. Mutli-year effort needed, says expert Frankian said that a dog can work to deter geese from frequenting a park — but it needs to be consistent. Chasing geese with dogs is the only method that doesn't require a federal permit, Frankian added. The stronger method would be to obtain a permit that allows for physical relocation of geese to other communities. "Geese molt," said Frankian. "In other words, these flight feathers entirely disappear. They fall off every year. They're flightless." That time of year is when experienced bird control professionals will slowly corral the geese into manageable groups that can be put into trucks and moved elsewhere. According to Frankian, the key is to outlast the geese with your efforts: You don't stop until the geese give up — which will take more than a few years. "When they give up, you do an extra year, and then you're done," Frankian said.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
A ‘Quixotic' Fight to Protect a Bird That Can Be Hard to Love
Whether goslings live or die at the Central Park Reservoir could be up to two 70-something, nature-loving men who first crossed paths there this winter. Edward Dorson, a wildlife photographer and regular visitor to the reservoir, learned in 2021 that federal workers were destroying the eggs of Canada geese there as part of a government safety program to decrease bird collisions with airplanes. He tried to stop it. He reached out to animal rights organizations and wrote letters to various government agencies. He got nowhere. Then in December, he met Larry Schnapf, a tough-talking environmental lawyer, who spotted Mr. Dorson admiring the birds and introduced himself. Mr. Dorson told him about the nest destruction. Mr. Schnapf, in his 40-year legal career, had mostly focused on redeveloping contaminated properties but had picked up the occasional pro bono passion project. 'I told him I take on quixotic pursuits,' Mr. Schnapf said. Now, they are teaming up to protect the eggs of a small population of Canada geese that nest around the reservoir, a popular attraction for joggers and bird watchers. The battle will undoubtedly be uphill: They are lobbying multiple government agencies during a fraught time in aviation where bird strikes are one of many concerns, on behalf of a bird often described as a nuisance because of its honking cries and the droppings it leaves on lawns, parks and golf courses. The men say they appreciate the importance of protecting planes. But they are seeking to exempt the Central Park Reservoir from the egg destruction program so that it can serve as a sanctuary for the nesting geese. They argue that Central Park is far enough from the area's airports that the geese do not pose a major problem. Mr. Schnapf said he plans to send a cease-and-desist letter to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees five major airports in the region, including Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. The agency works with an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the safety program. 'I think this is all unlawful,' he said. 'These are protected animals.' Port Authority officials did not comment on the advocacy plans of the two men. But they stressed that government efforts like those underway in Central Park were part of creating safer conditions for air travel. 'Managing wildlife risks — especially from resident Canada geese — near our airports is a life safety imperative and essential to maintaining safe operations,' said Laura Francoeur, the Port Authority's chief wildlife biologist. Although Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, authorities have obtained a waiver to control the population. The birds, which can weigh as much as 19 pounds and have a wingspan up to 5.5 feet, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, can get sucked into plane engines and bring an aircraft down. Between 2008 and 2023, there were 451 aviation accidents involving commercial aircraft in the United States, with a total of 17 caused by bird strikes, producing five injuries and no fatalities, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. New York City tightened its grip on Canada geese in 2009, after a collision with a flock caused US Airways Flight 1549, piloted by Chesley B. Sullenberger III, to lose both its engines shortly after it took off from LaGuardia. The plane was forced into an emergency water landing in what is now commonly known as the 'miracle on the Hudson.' The event prompted the Port Authority to ask the Department of Agriculture for help. In 2010, federal wildlife workers took on the management of Canada geese populations within seven miles of the city's major airports, including in city parks. Mr. Schnapf calls the current rules an overreach, since Federal Aviation Administration guidelines call for wildlife management only within five miles of airports. A Port Authority spokeswoman said the agency honors all federal regulations, including addressing wildlife hazards within five miles of airports. But she added that the agency will often go beyond that radius when specific threats arise. Data from the F.A.A. shows that Canada geese strikes at LaGuardia and Kennedy Airports have remained consistent over the last two decades, with between zero and four instances per year. Canada geese thrive in people-friendly landscapes, and their population has boomed throughout North America over the last four decades. Many geese have become so comfortable in parks and other green spaces, like the reservoir, that they have stopped migrating, becoming year-round residents. There are about 228,000 resident Canada geese in New York State, up from 150,000 in 2002. The state's Department of Environmental Conservation would like to see that number shrink to 85,000. The two men fighting for the Central Park Reservoir's resident geese were both born in the Bronx, are similar in age and diet (one is a vegetarian, the other a vegan). But the similarities more or less end there. Mr. Dorson, 77, an accomplished underwater photographer and conservationist with a background in the arts, is a soft-spoken lover of hard-to-love animals — he helped start a shark sanctuary in Palau, in Micronesia. Mr. Schnapf, 72, is a fast-talking, fast-acting networker who is not afraid to make noise. 'I told Ed,' he said, 'you've got to rattle the bureaucracy.' Mr. Dorson and Mr. Schnapf are hoping to meet with officials from the Port Authority, the Central Park Conservancy and the city's Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the reservoir, among other decision makers. 'All we're trying to do is get them to talk to us, so we can come up with a plan so at least some of those eggs can be hatched,' Mr. Schnapf said. Mr. Dorson admitted that, right now, 'I don't see too many people like me who are worried about the geese.' 'But maybe 10 years from now, when there are no geese here, then people might feel the loss,' he said. 'I'd like to change that.'
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Michigan DNR pauses pilot program to lethally gas nuisance Canada geese
Michigan DNR rolls out new guidelines to kill nuisance Canada geese instead of moving them Michigan DNR rolls out new guidelines to kill nuisance Canada geese instead of moving them Michigan DNR rolls out new guidelines to kill nuisance Canada geese instead of moving them The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is pausing its pilot program to lethally gas nuisance Canada geese after receiving pushback from state lawmakers and animal rights groups. M. Scott Bowen, director of Michigan's DNR, confirmed his department's plans to pause the program in a letter sent to state Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) on May 9. "After further consideration and consultation with our Wildlife staff, we have decided to pause the program for this year and will not be issuing any permits or conducting this work on any sites, including Belle Isle Park," wrote Bowen. "We will continue to research alternative options for managing human-goose conflicts and health and human safety concerns for areas with overabundant Canada Goose populations." Polehanki and other lawmakers penned a letter to the state's Natural Resources Commission and the DNR on April 22, urging the groups to pause lethal gas control in 2025. "Canada geese serve an important ecological role in our state; they disperse seeds, fertilize soil, and act as prey for a wide range of native predators. Reducing their populations through mass culling not only disrupts that balance but sets a dangerous precedent," wrote Polehanki in the letter. State lawmakers have said as many as 10,000 Canada geese and goslings could be rounded up from their natural habitat "during the summer molt (June and July) when they are flightless." The pilot program was initially approved by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission on Oct. 10, 2024, and allows for landowners to apply for a permit to have geese on their property rounded up and humanely euthanized, but only after applicants have exhausted a variety of control methods, like nest and egg destruction, according to the DNR. Animal welfare groups have welcomed the DNR's decision to pause its program for 2025. "This is a hard-won victory for both geese and the compassionate Michiganders who spoke out for them," said Katie Nolan, Wild Animals Campaigner for In Defense of Animals, in a statement. "Pausing this program sets an important precedent by showing that there's a better way to handle conflicts with wild animals. Michigan's decision has the chance to inspire more humane, thoughtful approaches across the country, not just for geese but for all wild animals." While the program is on hold for now, Bowen said the DNR will encourage and prioritize non-lethal ways for homeowners to handle nuisance Canada geese. "We will continue to encourage and prioritize non-lethal techniques for landowners, including habitat modification, elimination of feeding, scare tactics, repellents, and nest/egg destruction," he said. "It is important for the health and safety of our citizens and the management of our natural resources that we continue to use the goose management tools at our disposal."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan DNR halts program to euthanize Canada geese
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan lawmakers recently passed a controversial proposal to lethally gas Canada geese. However, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it's now changing course. The pilot proposal passed by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission last October allowed for the roundup and lethal gassing of Canada geese during summer months when they're flightless, as a way to reduce overpopulation and conflict. Under the program, landowners are able to seek a permit to have geese on their property captured and humanely euthanized, but only after they have attempted a number of control methods, including nest and egg destruction, according to the state department. Michigan lawmakers expressed concerns about the program in a letter penned to the Natural Resources Commission in late April, prompting a response from Michigan DNR director M. Scott response comes a week before the May 16 deadline to apply for permits for the program. 'The department planned to continue to research alternative options for managing human-goose conflicts and health and safety concerns for areas with overabundant Canada goose populations. We will also continue to encourage non-lethal techniques for landowners to deal with problem geese, including eliminating feeding, using scare tactics and destroying nests' Michigan DNR director M. Scott Bowen's letter says in part The DNR says on its website that it encourages tolerance and coexistence with Canada geese, stating that there are numerous non-lethal techniques available, and that capture and euthanasia should only be considered as a last resort. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
