 A Gaggle of Canada Geese
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Aug. 19, 2003 — A new law was passed recently in Connecticut that allows towns and homeowners to apply for, and receive, federal permits to kill the state's resident Canada geese, by hunting them out of season or by rounding them up for slaughter.
Killing the geese will be legal if the permit applicant can show Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection that they have already tried alternative measures to get rid of the geese, such as planting ivy instead of grass, harassing the flocks with lasers, or chasing them away with border collies, with no success.
The law takes effect in October 2003, and will be fully implemented in spring 2004 when the migratory — and more legally protected — geese have flown away, leaving the unprotected resident geese behind.
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Killing Canada geese in Connecticut requires a federal permit, according to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. But 3.5 million Canada geese across the United States are non-migratory, and stay put all year.
For years, Connecticut residents have tried to keep resident goose populations down by "egg-addling" — shaking their eggs to kill the developing embryo inside. Border collies are also frequently used to harass and chase the geese from area to area.
Connecticut residents object to sharing their land with the resident geese primarily because of the volume of droppings they leave — up to a pound per day, per goose.
"They are goose-poop factories," said Denise Savageau, conservation director for Greenwich.
But animal rights activists, such as Gregg Feigelson of the Coalition To Prevent The Destruction of Canada Geese, said the droppings do not threaten the health of the human residents.
"It's a nuisance but not worthy of wiping out these geese," Feigelson said.
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Name: Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
Primary Classification: Anseriformes (Waterfowl) Location: North America, northern Europe, northeast Asia and New Zealand. Habitat: Temperate grassland, streams, marshes, lakes and lagoons. Diet: Grass, sedges, grains and other low vegetation. Size: Up to 39 inches in length and 13 lbs in weight. Description: Brown with lighter underparts; black head; black bill; white cheeks; black neck; blackish wing tips; black feet; blackish tail with white underneath. Cool Facts: When warm, it flatten its feathers against its body, reducing dead air space and keeping it cool; on cold days, it fluffs its feathers to increase insulation. Conservation Status: Common |
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