The Canada goose is the most common species of goose in North America, with ubiquitous presence across all 49 continental states as a resident or winter migrant. While migratory populations have been relatively stable, the populations of sedentary Canada geese living year-round in the same location have exploded, with the North American population in 2022 estimated at 7 million birds, according to the Canadian Wildlife Service. These geese have adapted remarkably well to urban and suburban environments, owing to the abundance of food and the relative absence of predators compared with their natural wetland habitats. With members of the community spending increased time in proximity to the geese, many have formed strong opinions about these quirky birds.
Resident and Migratory Geese Population in North America, 1970-2012
Mr. John Regan, a social studies teacher and adamant goose-hater at Green Hope, states, “I think they’re more of a nuisance than an actual problem. When I become president, though, I’ll deal with them.” When asked what warranted his feelings against the birds, he stated, “I was bitten by a goose when I was a child. I think that’s when it started. I was trying to feed it some bread – it hissed at me and bit me.” Among the reasons people complain about geese are the road blockages they cause when they slowly and confidently walk through busy roads, as well as their occasional aggression, especially when they are nesting.
Green Hope student Aronelle Chu (28’) states that Canada geese live year-round at a lake near her house. She stated, “I love and hate them;” despite their amiable appearance, “They hiss at me, and they’re really mean. On the path by my house, they poop everywhere – I kind of have to tiptoe around it.” This highlights another problem brought about by the shift in goose population: their nitrogen-rich excrement, which, besides being a minor inconvenience to walkers, has been theorized to contribute to pollution of local bodies of water, causing algal blooms and potentially introducing harmful bacteria such as E. coli.
When asked about her thoughts on the status of the birds as protected by federal law under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Chu stated, “Yes, I think they should be protected. I’m afraid of most animals, but I like watching them and feel strongly about protecting them.”
(Leah Kim)
The migration patterns and population sizes of Canada geese have gone through significant changes over the years. Canada geese instinctively migrate up to Canada and the Northern U.S. to their breeding grounds during summer months, and winter in the Southern U.S. While a combination of climate change, habitat loss, and overhunting led to near extinction of the species in the early 1900s, efforts in the ‘70s to restore their numbers have led to an overall 4.5-fold increase from 1.26 million in 1970 to 5.69 million in 2012. The increase in sedentary goose populations during the same time frame was even more dramatic, at a 15-fold increase. This explosion in sedentary (non-migratory) populations has occurred as milder winters and the birds’ tolerance for human activity have enabled them to adapt to urban environments. The migration ranges of the remaining migratory populations have also shifted. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, many migratory populations do not fly as far south as they used to, a shift attributed to changes in farming practices that make waste grain more available in the fall and winter, as well as to changing weather patterns.
In essence, the geese’s instinct to migrate has been bypassed due to the overabundance of food and mild climate.
It is possible to tell from the presence of gosling in the spring whether a particular goose lives year-round in North Carolina. If a family of geese are breeding near your home in the spring, it’s a sign that it’s their home too! While not always the most friendly or elegant of neighbors, it is easy to find a sort of irresistible charm in these proud birds with a disregard for traffic laws.
