Vancouver Park Board asks public to help manage Canada goose population

The Vancouver Park Board is asking for help keeping the Canada goose population in check.

The Vancouver Park Board is asking the public to help keep the city’s growing Canada goose population in check by deterring the birds from nesting on their properties.

“Canada geese are beautiful and resilient birds, but they also wreak havoc on the city’s parks, green spaces, traffic, and public enjoyment,” reads a news release from the park board.

In addition to ruining picnics in the park with their poop—they defecate every nine to 12 minutes—Canada geese dig up sprinkler heads on sports fields and eat young grass and native plants, among other nuisances, Dana McDonald, the board’s environmental stewardship co-ordinator, told CTV News.

While Canada geese hang out in public spaces, the city cautions they like to nest on private rooftops and balconies.

“We’re asking people to think about preventing the nest from being built on their private property in the first place,” McDonald said. “They want a nice, flat, open area where they can see predators coming from around them, so if you have a big open balcony, put some potted plants or other things there, so that the geese wouldn’t feel that it’s a safe place for them.”

The park board also recommends removing fresh water sources, like ponds and fountains, to discourage geese from settling nearby, at least during nesting season between early March and early May.

People can also set up deterrents like reflective tape, motion-activated lights or scarecrows to make their homes less appealing for geese.

The city asks residents to report nests by calling 311 or emailing [e-mail]. That’s because the park board controls the goose population by addling eggs, which involves shaking them to kill the embryo before returning the egg to the nest.

McDonald says staff addle between 400 and 600 eggs in an average year.

“That prevents those geese from entering the breeding population and creating more and more and more geese,” she said.

In addition to addling, the park board’s Canada goose management plan includes surveys of the population, and was used to purchase a “goose pooper scooper,” a piece of equipment that gets towed by a tractor, last year.

The board reminded residents not to feed geese, which if done in a Vancouver park or beach could lead to a fine of up to $500.