Major Signs Canada Geese Invasion

The most obvious signs are the ones left behind on the ground.

• Nests and eggs. Shallow nests of grass and down, usually near water, holding 5 to 7 eggs during the March through May breeding season.
• Feathers. Loose feathers scattered across lawns, especially heavy during the summer molt when adult geese are temporarily flightless.
• Droppings. Geese produce a large volume of droppings while grazing, and heavy accumulation on turf, walkways, and pool decks is usually the first complaint we hear about.
• Grazed or bare turf. Repeated grazing on the same stretch of lawn wears the grass down and can expose bare soil near shorelines.

A resident flock does more than leave a mess. Overgrazing thins turf and can accelerate soil erosion along ponds and shorelines. Heavy dropping loads running into water bodies raise nutrient levels and can contribute to algae blooms that affect water quality. Droppings can also carry bacteria and pathogens, which is a real concern for schools, healthcare campuses, food service properties, and anywhere the public walks barefoot or children play on the grass.

There is a wildlife cost too. Geese are territorial around a chosen nesting or feeding site and will compete with smaller native birds for the same shoreline habitat, which can crowd out other species over time. None of this means the geese themselves are the problem. It means an unmanaged resident flock puts more pressure on a property than most owners expect until they start counting the signs.