I noticed this big flock of Canadian Geese near a local business center.  My big question is why haven’t they migrated further south for the winter?  I decided to do some research into this topic.

Back in the 1960’s Canadian Geese were consider endangered since they were heavily hunted.

In a normal year, Canadian Geese fly back to where they hatched in Northern Canada and then, in order to survive,  fly south in the winter to warmer climates.

The geese have changed their life styles due to warmer winters, new hunting patterns, and more food.

Some geese do not fly quite as far as they used to and others never migrate at all.

In north east area of the United States, the geese that survived the winters reproduced.

These “southern bred” geese do not have a migrating instinct since they were never taught to fly north to nest.  They live comfortably year round in a certain area.

 

Problems with Non Migrating Canadian Geese

Canadian Geese are now making their homes in urban areas.

A major problem is that a flock of geese produces quite a bit a fecal matter which carries bacteria and parasites which can infect humans.

When geese are hand-fed, they lose their fear of humans.  At some point the geese can become nuances.

When this happens people try a variety of methods to remove the geese from the area.  Geese eggs can be destroyed.  Another method is to scare them off with dogs or noise.  Also, please do not feed the geese.

I hope the huge number of wild geese in this photograph will remain part of nature and not become too “urban”.

Canadian Geese Near Business Center

If you know anything about migrating birds, we would love to hear from you.  Please leave us a reply below.  Thanks.