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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