homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Canada geese flock to cities to escape hunters

This is good for the geese, but can be nasty for the locals.

Mihai Andrei
October 30, 2017 @ 2:32 pm

share Share

Researchers were wondering why so many Canada geese were popping up in cities more often. After doing a bit of research, they found that the geese were actually hiding from hunters. Instead of being “sitting ducks” in the countryside, they take refuge in urban areas.

Canada Geese are large wild birds, native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, but also found in northern Europe. They’re so successful and widespread that in many parts of the world, they’re regarded as pests. They’re also one of the most commonly hunted species in North America.

From mid-October to mid-January, it’s hunting season in many parts of the US and Canada. University of Illinois ornithologist Mike Ward wanted to see if there is some connection between this season and the urban shift of the geese.

“We thought the geese would fly to forage on nearby agricultural fields during the day, then fly back to the city to roost, but that wasn’t the case. What we learned is that they weren’t going to the city for food, they were going there because there were no hunters,” he explains.

They tracked the birds and found that 85 percent of them wintered in the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area, and none made foraging flights to agricultural fields within or outside of the urban area. Their strategy worked well, Ward says.

“All of the Canada geese that spent the winter in Chicago survived, whereas half of the birds that decided to leave the Chicagoland area and go to areas where hunting is allowed, and more prevalent, were harvested.”

However, while this is good news for the birds, it might not be so good for local communities. There’s a reason these birds are often regarded as invasive — not only do they tend to push out native species, but they can also cause problems for locals. They can contaminate water sources, spread diseases, they can even be aggressive. Geese are also the largest bird commonly struck by aircraft in North America, Ward writes.

Researchers don’t really know what’s the best way to treat the problem, but they’re looking at what the geese are most interested in: food.

“We have future studies that will investigate the best ways to harass geese to make them leave the city,” Ward says. “We are approaching this from an energy use perspective. If the geese cannot find good sources of food and the harassment cause them to use energy, they may be forced to leave the city in search of food in agricultural fields.”

The paper “Survival and habitat selection of Canada Geese during autumn and winter in metropolitan Chicago, USA” is published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications by the American Ornithological Society.

share Share

The World's Oldest Known Ant Is A 113-Million-Year-Old Hell Ant with Scythe Jaws

A remarkable find for ant history was made, not in the field but in a drawer.

Your Cells Can Hear You — And It Could Be Important for Fat Cells

Researchers explore the curious relationship between sound and gene expression in cell cultures.

Scientists Create a 'Power Bar' for Bees to Replace Pollen and Keep Colonies Alive Without Flowers

Researchers unveil a man-made “Power Bar” that could replace pollen for stressed honey bee colonies.

First-Ever Footage Captures a Living Colossal Squid—And It’s Just a Baby

A century after its discovery, the elusive giant finally reveals itself on camera.

Yeast in Space? Scientists Just Launched a Tiny Lab to See If We Can Create Food in Orbit

Microbes can brew food in space — a game-changer for astronauts.

This Chewing Gum Can Destroy 95 Percent of Flu and Herpes Viruses

Viruses had enough fun in our mouths, it's time to wipe them out.

Scientists filmed wild chimpanzees sharing alcohol-laced fermented fruit for the first time and it looks eerily familiar

New footage suggests our primate cousins may have their own version of happy hour.

This Tokyo Lab Built a Machine That Grows Real Chicken Meat

A lab in Tokyo just grew a piece of chicken that not only looks like the real thing — it tastes like it too.

Why the Right Way To Fly a Rhino Is Upside Down

Black rhinos are dangling from helicopters—because it's what’s best for them.

Same-Sex Behavior Is Surprisingly Common in Animals — Humans Are No Exception

Some people claim same-sex attraction is "unnatural." Biology says otherwise