Birds of a Feather… Flock Together to Find Habitats
Sep 5, 2023
Say you want to try out a new restaurant. Are you more likely to visit one that is packed and lauded by patrons? Or one that is deserted on a Saturday night and doesn’t have a review to its name? If you are like most, you would probably select the restaurant that others have vetted and recommended.
While Canada geese are never on the hunt for new culinary hotspots, they do use the same psychology to select habitats during migration season. That’s because, whether you are a human searching for a place to eat or a goose looking for a place to rest, there is safety in numbers.
When geese begin to settle in a specific location, it sends a signal to other birds that the site is safe. Once geese deem a location “safe,” it can be difficult – but not impossible – to convince them otherwise.
How Geese Select a Habitat
Geese are naturally gregarious: they find comfort among each other and naturally group together when possible. When geese begin to migrate in the late summer and early fall, their flocks generally range from 30 to 100 birds.
Migrating geese are constantly on the lookout for safe spots to recuperate, eat and drink. They tend to favor locations with the following characteristics:
- Water source, including ponds, lakes, marshes and bays
- Food source, including grasses, grains, berries and aquatic plants
- High visibility, to watch for potential predators
If weary, migrating geese spot birds congregating in a location with the attributes above, they will often stop by to rest. If no birds are nearby, geese will generally fly on – regardless of how inviting the location may appear.
Geese are, in fact, so hardwired to stick together, that hunters have long used geese’s natural yearning to be in groups against them. A common practice for hunters is to place “decoy” or fake geese in a field to attract real geese and, ultimately, maximize their take.
How to Stop Geese From Flocking to Your Property
If geese decide a spot is safe, their numbers can grow from a handful to hundreds in the matter of a few hours. Once geese settle, it can be hard to evict them.
Luckily, solutions do exist. A number of biology-backed goose control services can be employed to deter geese from making a habitat on your land.
One of the most effective ways to remove geese from properties – and teach passing flocks that it is an unwelcoming location – is border collie patrols. During a border collie patrol, highly trained dogs stalk birds without actually harming or attacking them. When geese are consistently stalked, they feel hunted and will abandon the area where dogs patrol.
Let Geese Know They Aren’t Welcome With Wild Goose Chase
The Wild Goose Chase team has over 25 years of experience deterring Canada geese and a variety of other nuisance birds. We are experts in making properties look unappealing to geese during migration season (and beyond).
By using a range of biology-based, proven-effective, and humane solutions, including border collie patrols, our experts will ensure your property is a haven for you – and not migrating geese.
For more information about the services Wild Goose Chase offers, or to schedule a site evaluation, contact us today.
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