birding-aus

Canada Geese Update

To: Gary Davidson <>
Subject: Canada Geese Update
From: Carl Clifford <>
Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:25:28 +1100
I did not mean that reduced hunting pressure is the main cause of expansion, though as Dave Torr noted in his post the number of Hunters in the USA has dropped sufficiently to cause a problem with conservation funding in quite a few areas.

Geese are very intelligent and adaptable birds, some of Conrad Lorenz's writings give good examples. When humans provide such prime habitats, such as parklands and golf courses, with succulent herbage just the right height for grazing Geese, bodies of water for bathing and few predators, what is a Goose to do, but move in. Having visited the wonderful parks and gardens in Vancouver, B.C., I can understand some peoples concerns, not everyone enjoys playing Goose dropping hop- scotch It is rather like situations that arise in Australia when people move to rural areas and build a nice big house with expansive lawns and gardens and complain when Kangaroos move in and start grazing on the man made "marsupial lawns and relieving themselves in the human's precious garden.

The northward movement of Canada Geese is interesting. Could it perhaps be related to Global warming or is it due to expansion of suitable suitable man-made habitat?

Carl Cliffprd


On 31/12/2007, at 2:46 AM, Gary Davidson wrote:

I'm not sure I agree with Carl's assessment here. Canada Geese are definitely expanding their winter range northward into areas that they have never previously inhabited in winter. And, as I mentioned in my previous post, they are learning to adapt to human altered landscapes. City parks are now a favourite. It is largely this adaptation that has earned them 'pest' status in many cities and towns in the USA and Canada. To say that this is all due to reduced hunting pressures is much too simplistic. And by the way, the species Canada Goose, Branta canadensis, has recently been split into two species. There have always been a large number of recognisable subspecies. Now several of the smaller subspecies have been split off and are now called Cackling Goose, Branta hutchinsii.
  Gary Davidson
  Nakusp, BC
  Canada

Carl Clifford <> wrote:
  The numbers of Canada Geese have been increasing in numbers in its
native habitat in North America over the last 50 or so years and have
become a nuisance in some areas. The main reason for this increase in
numbers I think you will find, is that there are less people in the
USA and Canada out there blowing the daylights out of them in the
name of Sport. I think that Humans are more of a pest species to the
Geese, than the opposite. The Geese are only regaining their original
range and numbers.

Carl Clifford


On 30/12/2007, at 10:03 PM, Dave Torr wrote:

Not just the UK and NZ - in many parts of the US I believe it has now
expanded to "pest" status (at least unofficially)


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