Many people enjoy the presence of Canada geese in urban and suburban settings—watching them tend to and teach their young, listening to them communicate with one another, and observing them parade across a lawn or swim gracefully in a nearby pond.
But during the spring and summer, at the peak of outdoor activities, humans and geese routinely intersect in parks, on golf courses, and other public green spaces. This is when some people view the presence of geese as a problem.
Human conflicts with geese sometimes arise because changes made to a plot of land attract more geese than the property would in its natural state. In these cases, human-goose conflicts can be reduced by simply returning some of the natural features. This, however, means more than just adjusting the existing features of the landscape. To reduce the number of geese using a site, the key is to replace the features that attract the geese with features that are less attractive to them.
What Attracts Canada Geese Anyway?
Canada geese prefer wide open, simple landscapes with low vegetation and open water—exactly the features commonly found in the public green spaces. These urban landscapes typically share these characteristics:
An absence of well-developed layers of native vegetation
Trees, shrubs, and non-native plants arranged in sparse patterns, rather than natural clumps
"Hard" edges between habitat features or plant "communities," rather than the "soft" edges and gradual transitions typical of natural landscapes
Modifying Goose Habitat
By creating a dense community of native plants between water and land and leaving it undisturbed, you can reduce a site's appeal to Canada geese while creating a habitat that will attract a wide variety of other wildlife. One of the most effective ways to minimize the attractiveness of an area is to reduce the sight lines at access points to grazing and nesting areas to less than 30 feet. If geese feel vulnerable to predators, they will move on. Here are a few other useful tips:
Plant a variety of native tall grasses or shrubs along shorelines. These buffers will cut off goose access from water or land.
Build paths for recreational use within 30 feet of shorelines.
Locate ball fields as far from open water as possible.
Cut the size of foraging areas where geese are not wanted.
Reduce finely bladed grass species within foraging areas. Leave grass at least 4 inches high.
Establish barrier plantings that are taller than 30 inches, and close up breaks in these planting wherever possible.
Erect durable barrier fencing that is taller than 30 inches.
Maintain or establish stands of trees.
Ask municipalities to post “No Feeding” signs in strategic places on public properties.
The key to successfully and humanely resolving conflicts with geese is to work in harmony with what we know about the habitat preferences of geese. With this approach, we can fully enjoy our properties and public green spaces—as well as our wild neighbors.
