A City of Windsor standing committee has the daunting task of deciding what the city should do about its burgeoning Canada Goose population.
A report to the Community Services Standing Committee on Wednesday recommends a multi-faceted approach involving allowing the grass to grow in city parks, removing or oiling goose eggs, relocating the birds, and using lights and lasers to make their hangouts less welcoming. It doesn't recommend a cull but doesn't rule it out as a last resort.
The report is a response to a question asked by Councillor Jo Anne Gignac last January.
"The Canada Goose population is becoming a dangerous hazard, and there are no natural predators to keep a check on the population growth," asserted Gignac. "Personal injury and vehicle accidents related to geese are on the rise."
Administrators consulted with wildlife experts before making their recommendations.
The Migratory Birds Convention Act signed by Canada and the U.S. in 1916 protects Canada Geese from harm except under specific circumstances.
Over the past five years, the 311 Call Centre has received about 500 calls regarding Canada Geese. Most were about dead birds, but more than a quarter were complaints about goose droppings, while the rest were about injured birds, improper feeding, road safety concerns, and signage requests.
The report warns councillors that most of the recommended actions would require a permit, hiring a wildlife management company, and putting aside $150,000 for each year of the strategy.
Even if councillors decide to move ahead with the multi-pronged approach, the strategy comes with no guarantee the birds will relocate to more suitable environments.
"Even when using proper methods a mitigation strategy cannot guarantee complete removal," said the report. "A mitigation strategy is an annual plan aimed at limiting new nests, limiting the number of goslings born each year, making existing geese less comfortable so they find other homes, and potentially relocating a number of existing goose residents."
There is no funding available for it in the operating or capital budgets, so if city councillors green light a pilot project, the city treasurer would need to bring the funding request to 2025 budget deliberations.
Since geese prefer short, freshly cut grass to feed, the report recommends creating more naturalized areas in city parks with longer grass and more pollinators. Geese avoid longer grass because that's where predators hide. In late April, wildlife experts could remove the eggs from goose nests. Eggs can also be oiled to prevent them from hatching. Once geese realize no eggs will hatch, they'll abandon the nests. However, if it's done too early, the geese may just lay more eggs. Relocating geese and their hatchlings would happen in late June or early July. They would be loaded onto a transport truck and taken to a suitable relocation site, like the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary. Hazing is another method used by wildlife management companies. It involves using lights, lasers, pyro techniques, and specially-trained dogs.
The trouble with holding a goose cull is the City of Windsor has bylaws against the discharge of guns or other firearms inside city limits. Councillors would need to change the bylaws to allow it, and the cost would be "substantial."
The administration recommends hiring a wildlife management to carry out a three-year pilot project.