Feeding Geese Makes Messy Walks And Neighbor Relations [Block Talk]

ACROSS AMERICA — “Don’t feed waterfowl” is an admonishment as common on park signs as the directions to restrooms or trails.

Yet people do, whether in a big public park or an area in their neighborhood with small ponds and lakes. Waterbirds don’t need our help to survive, even in a cold winter, according to wildlife experts, but if they get human assistance, they’re likely to make the area their home.

That can create messy walkways and shorelines — adult Canada geese can drop up to a pound of feces a day — and tense neighbor relations. We got a spirited discussion about that when we asked readers what to do about kind-hearted, waterfowl-feeding neighbors for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column.

“I would explain that their feeding is performing a cruel task of dependency,” said Brian, who reads multiple Patch sites. “The habituation of wildlife ensures poor outcomes in both life quality and longevity. They will only leave when you make them extinct.”

That almost happened. Giant Canada geese were nearly extinct in the early 20th Century due to unregulated hunting, egg collecting and habitat destruction, according to Ducks Unlimited, a nonprofit organization that conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and other habitat for North America’s waterfowl.

Waterfowl Make A Comeback

A remnant population of Canada geese found near Rochester, Minnesota, and other isolated wild and captive flocks kept by aviculturists were used as seed stock to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. Now, there are an estimated 4 million Canada geese in North America.

Their adaptation to urban landscapes has caused the goose population to soar. Populations of migrating trumpeter swans and mute swans are also healthy, although the numbers of tundra swans, North America’s most abundant swan species, are declining due to habitat destruction and water pollution.

Prolonged drought has reduced populations of ducks and other wetlands species in areas where they previously flourished, but overall, their numbers are strong, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2022 waterfowl census.

Giant Canada geese aren’t as likely as other waterfowl to migrate in the fall because they are so hefty. Adults weigh about 12.5 pounds, compared to less than 3 pounds for some other Canada geese species. People who worry about the ability of geese to survive polar vortexes and other cold weather extremes needn’t fret, according to the agency. With warm down feathers — the same type of insulation in parkas, snowsuits and comforters — geese are built to tolerate and thrive in frigid and frozen conditions.

If left alone in the wild to survive, waterfowl that cannot find a food source where they are spending the winter will simply move to another place, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Lisa, who reads Upper Southampton Patch in Pennsylvania and Manchester Patch in New Jersey, said Canada geese are abundant year-round wherever she and her husband go on their birding excursions, including remote areas.

“They do not need for us to feed them,” Lisa said. “It’s actually much better not to in the suburban and urban areas. They don’t need our help; they do just fine on their own.”

Jess, who reads Darien (Connecticut) Patch, said neighbors who feed waterfowl “have created a habitat for these animals and a nuisance for the other people that live on the block.”

Levittown (Pennsylvania) Patch reader Janne is a reformed feeder of waterfowl in city parks.

“I used to love to feed the geese,” she said — until, that is, “I was approached by caretakers who lectured me about it, and I moved on.”

‘Unintended Consequences Are Forever’

Relocation with the proper permits from wildlife authorities is one option to control problem populations of geese, but because waterfowl are such creatures of habit, that may not permanently solve the problem. Some areas allow the destruction of eggs and hunting in areas where they have become a nuisance.

“Get a dog to chase them away,” said Charlene, who reads Waterford Patch, New London Patch and Stonington-Mystic Patch in Connecticut.

Her suggestion is sanctioned by the Humane Society of the United States, which advises that if goose-herding dogs are properly trained not to kill the birds, geese will see them as predators and move on.

Brian, the reader who said feeding waterfowl creates a cruel cycle of dependency, warned against control methods that are too aggressive. He said he is a responsible hunter who understands “we all need to be reasonable stewards.”

“Ignorance has reduced so many species that had amazed many generations,” he said.

“There is a big difference between pesky wildlife and animals that are dangerous to all others,” Brian continued. “We don’t need to be the most dangerous.

“Start kicking the legs off your chair, and soon you will have no place to sit. Remember the passenger pigeon. You wish. You could have marveled that the skies darkened on sunny days for hours with nearly no stoppages. Just think of the poop. Some flocks were over a billion, just think of the poop. No more passenger pigeon, no more poop.”

On a side note, he pointed out that American bison spread drought-resistant plant species throughout the Old West with their feces.

“So, no poop, no plant spread, then get a bigger, drier desert,” he said. “Unintended consequences are forever and not very appreciated if nobody is left. Just saying.”

Brian said that if he saw a neighbor feeding waterfowl, he would make those points in a kind note, but would only involve wildlife officials if the birds were unnecessarily harmed.

Jess, the Darien Patch reader, thinks bird feeders that attract waterfowl should be removed and that “throwing food off the balcony into the lawn should be forbidden.”

‘The Geese Were Here First’

Laura, who reads multiple Patch sites, said feeding waterfowl has other unintended consequences, such as attracting rodents that feed on what the birds don’t eat.

“I would kindly tell them to stop feeding them,” she said.

Also, she said, “What happens if you are not here to feed them? We would have a bigger problem.”

The bigger problem could be a flock of aggressive geese suddenly deprived of a reliable food source. Groups like the National Audubon Society implore people to let all waterfowl fend for themselves.

Not only are the food bits people toss out — moldy bread and bird seed, for example — bad for waterfowl, but making them reliant on humans can change migration patterns and create unnatural competition among waterbirds, according to the Audubon Society.

“Leave them alone,” said a reader named Dee who saw our question on Facebook. “We need to learn to coexist with wildlife.”

Besides, she said, humans caused the problem.

“Where else are the geese supposed to go?” she asked. “There is so much building that they are running out of space.”

Geese can become aggressive when they are protecting their nests and goslings, she pointed out.

When Canada geese, in particular, find a spot they like, they return annually to the same nest area every year. Dee recalls geese flocking to a field near her home to feed, “and then these overpriced homes were built, and when the geese came back, these people who purchased these homes complained.”

“The geese were there first,” she said.

About Block Talk

Block Talk is a regular Patch feature offering real-world advice from readers on how to resolve everyday neighborhood problems. If you have a neighborhood etiquette question or problem you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com, with Block Talk as the subject line.

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