Geese Relocation in Toronto: A Humane Approach to Population Control

The city of Toronto, with plenty of green spaces and natural as well as artificial bodies of water makes for a fine home for Canada Geese, from spring to fall, or even year-round. From well kept golf courses and public parks to manicured residential lawns, the city offers plenty of perfect feeding and breeding grounds.

Geese have adapted very well to living alongside humans; their growing numbers might suggest they are thriving, even, and overpopulation is becoming a real concern. Join us as we explore geese relocation as one of the many efforts to deal with urban geese populations in Toronto.

Why Geese Overpopulation Is a Concern

Environmental and Public Health Issues

• Contaminated Water Sources
  A goose can produce up to 1.5 lbs of droppings per day, and this influx of fecal matter contributes to the spread of water-borne disease and harmful algal blooms.
  
  
• Aggressive Behaviour
  Geese are fierce protectors of their nests and eggs and aren't afraid to attack pedestrians, cyclists or anyone else inadvertently getting too close for comfort.
  
  
• Property Damage
  Even a small flock of geese can decimate a grassy area in no time at all (a day or two). Young shoots are destroyed and grass has no chance to regenerate. Huge losses are also recorded in agricultural areas with geese feeding on sown crops.
  
  

The Need for a Humane Solution

• Anything other than humane and non-lethal methods is a public relations nightmare for owners or managers of the types of spaces that require Goose Management, All geese control methods require permits. Geese are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
  
  
• Humane geese relocation as a follow-up to other control methods is a sustainable solution. When done correctly and at the right time, geese translocation eliminates further efforts for the rest of the year.
  
  

Benefits of Geese Relocation in Toronto

Long-Term Population Control

• Breaking the Cycle
  All geese control methods have one goal: to break the cycle and have the birds decide to not return on their own. After you've spent time and money to make the area unappealing for nesting geese, geese relocation is the last step in disrupting their habits. 
  
  
• You're Done for the Year
  After you've relocated your flock of geese to somewhere (far away) along their natural migration route, you no longer have a geese problem. The birds you've captured and dropped off in their new home will remain there until it's time to fly south for the winter.
  
  

Ethical and Humane Treatment

The control methods used before and including relocation are designed to annoy geese and disrupt their behavior, not harm them in any way. 

Reduced Human-Wildlife Conflict

• Around Airports and Busy Highways
  By far the greatest threat to human life is the occurrence of bird strikes.
  
  
• Parks and Public Spaces
  The green will be greener and your walk can be in a straight line instead of a zig zag around goose poop. The fear of aggressive geese and other health related concerns will be eliminated. 
  
  

How Geese Relocation Works

Geese relocation ONLY works during molting season; in Ontario this happens between late June and mid July. During the molt, geese loose all of their primary feathers and are unable to fly. By this time, you will have already deployed a number of methods including nest removal, egg oiling, hazing, lasers, or falconry, etc.

Step 1: Planning and Permits

1. ALL geese control methods require permits. In January of each year (as early as possible) permits need to be obtained. A Relocation Permit will only be granted in conjunction with other control method permits. 
   
   
2. Together with your qualified Bird Control partner, you will come up with a strategic plan based on previous and current observations and activities.

Step 2: Capture Using Humane Methods

Herding Geese requires at least five or six people to move the geese slowly into a confined space. This could be the corner of a building or an area prepared with a 6 foot temporary fence. Remember, geese can't fly away at the moment. The geese are then picked up one by one and placed into a covered truck. 

While there is such a thing as walk-in traps, they are not efficient if dealing with more than a handful of geese.

Step 3: Preparing the Destination

The destination location will be 400 to 600 km southwest of the capture location. The desired location must be a submitted to and approved by the Canadian Wildlife Service. Here are some of the requirements:

• If on private land, you must have the landowner's permission in writing.
  
  
• The site must have adequate supplies of fresh water (pond, lake, river, stream, well with automated pump) and food (short cropped/mowed grass) for the number of geese to be released and geese must have access to shelter from direct sunlight (shade) at all times of the day.
  
  
• Often, the area must be enclosed by a six to ten foot high fence to prevent the flightless geese from leaving and ending up in traffic. Also, this helps keeps predators out and the geese safe.
  
  
• The site must be prepared and ready for inspection by authorities a minimum of 21 days before approval is sought.
  
  

Step 4: Safe Transportation

A covered truck (usually wire) containing food and water will transport the geese to their new location

Step 5: Post-Relocation Monitoring

You'll need to observe the geese in their new habitat to ensure their safety and well-being. If any geese escape and leave the designated area, it is your responsibility to recapture and return them.

Alternative Goose Control Methods

• Habitat Modification
  The #1 thing (and easiest to accomplish) to do is to let the grass grow a bit longer. At a height of four inches or more, getting to young shoots is much more cumbersome for geese. For ponds, erecting a low fence at the water's edge or wiring (or netting) the pond is also effective.
  
  
• Visual and Auditory Deterrents
  What works: Lasers, Remote Control Boats in the water, Pyrotechnics (where permitted).
  What doesn't work: Predator Decoys, Shiny Object, etc.
  
  
• Professional Goose Control Services
  No matter what, a combination of two or more control methods is needed for successful geese control. Methods with excellent outcomes include: Falconry (flying an Eagle), hazing with dogs, lasers, ROVs, nest removal, and more.
  
  

Choosing a Trusted Wildlife Control Expert

• It is of utmost importance to hire a licensed, insured, and experienced professional wildlife control service.
  
  
• The company you hire should give you a contract and a concrete quote.
  
  
• Hawkeye Bird and Animal Control fit all of those criteria and has provided ethical geese relocation and effective geese management solutions for over 30 years.
  
  

Contact Hawkeye's Expert Geese Relocation Services in Toronto

Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control is here to assist with obtaining your required permits and help set out a comprehensive long term Geese Management Plan that works for your circumstance, location, and budget. Call or email us now to schedule a consultation to learn more about our Geese Relocation Services in Toronto.