OFFICIAL SITE OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are native to North America, where they occur in every state in the United States except Hawaii, every Province of Canada, and many States of Mexico.  Historically, Canada geese populations were heavily reduced in the early 1900s due to unrestricted harvesting and habitat loss.¹ Legislation and management efforts since then have allowed this species to rebound and thrive throughout much of its range. They are readily recognized by their characteristic black neck and white cheek patch.  Most authorities currently recognize 11 extant subspecies of Canada geese which differ primarily in body size and color.² New Jersey is home to a portion of the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population (AFRP), a typically non-migratory population that nests in seventeen eastern states and parts of Canada. This present-day population was established during the early 20^th century and is comprised of various subspecies of Canada geese.¹  In addition to these resident geese, migratory geese pass through or remain in New Jersey from October through March.

While once regarded as a symbol of wilderness, Canada geese have effectively acclimatized to human environments.¹ Though many people welcome the presence of a few geese, large numbers of nonmigrating geese can be unaesthetic and cause erosion and crop losses. High populations of resident geese can also lead to the accumulation of fecal matter on land.  This fecal matter can cause degraded water quality by increasing the inputs of bacteria, nitrogen, and phosphorus to a waterbody.  High Canada goose populations can also be hazardous to aircraft at airports.² These undesirable outcomes have led to renewed management efforts to control their populations.

Canada geese are grazers with a preference for tender, mowed, and fertilized turf grass. However, during the fall and winter they also feed heavily on small grains, such as corn and soybeans. They prefer to feed in large open areas with few obstructions giving the birds a 360° view of potential predators (e.g., coyotes, eagles, nest predators).

AFRP Canada geese are non-migratory and usually begin nesting at three years of age.  Pairs frequently stay together for life. In New Jersey, nesting occurs from late March through May. Canada geese typically nest within 100 feet of open water, although they prefer islands, shorelines, and peninsulas. An egg is laid about every other day, and typical clutches are made up of four to seven eggs. If the nest or eggs are destroyed, geese will frequently renest.

Canada geese are highly adaptable and adult Canada geese undergo a complete replacement of their wing feathers (molting) from mid-June to mid-July.  During this period, the birds are unable to fly. High annual Canada goose survival and recruitment and preference for human-dominated landscapes result in human-goose conflicts throughout the US.

Canada goose management includes both lethal and non-lethal techniques.¹ Non-lethal methods include hazing, habitat modification, institution of no-feeding ordinances, and nest and egg control.  Hazing refers to scaring the geese into leaving the area through the use of noisemakers, scarecrows, dogs, or other techniques.  Habitat modification consists of eliminating, modifying, or reducing access to areas that provide attractive spots for geese.  This can include increasing time between mowings in order to reduce the palatability of turf grasses; changing the grass cover mixture; and erecting fencing, rock barriers, or vegetative buffers.  Nest and egg control consists of nest removal, which is seldom used, or egg management.  Egg management includes the shaking (addling), puncturing or oiling of the eggs, or the removal and replacement of the eggs with dummy eggs.  These techniques terminate the viability of the eggs without the geese being aware of the tampering; it is done in lieu of simply removing or destroying the eggs, which would cause the geese to lay more eggs.  Lethal techniques include shooting under damage situations, round-up and culls during the molt, and the use of hunting seasons.

Efforts to reduce goose populations often are undermined by people who feed the birds, which often concentrates them near heavy human-use areas.  Feeding also results in geese becoming more tame and ultimately more aggressive toward people.  When geese become acclimated to people, they are more likely to approach them for food, which can often cause conflict.  In addition, overcrowding increases their susceptibility to avian disease.

Since 1989, NJDEP Fish & Wildlife (NJFW) has conducted a survey each spring in concert with other states, as part of the Atlantic Flyway Breeding Waterfowl Survey. These ground surveys are conducted using observers in boats, vehicles, and on foot. The data from these surveys are used to estimate the AFRP, which are shown in Figure 1. Notably, from 1989-2012 there were 250 randomly located, one-kilometer plots sampled. Beginning in 2013, the number of plots surveyed was reduced to 105, which increased variability in the results as survey data are extrapolated to estimate the statewide population.

From 1989 to 2023, the long-term average of the resident Canada goose population was 73,398 in New Jersey. AFRP Canada geese increased rapidly during the 1990’s and peaked during 2000, largely due to curtailment of hunting seasons in response to the poor status of migrant (Atlantic Population) Canada geese.  After 2000, with the expansion of hunting opportunities, increases in nest and egg treatment, as well as round-up and cull operations, the population of AFRP geese has generally decreased.  The 2023 resident Canada goose population in New Jersey was estimated to be 63,485 birds.

Figure 1.  Annual Canada goose population of New Jersey estimated from the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population surveys conducted by NJFW (1989 to 2023). The error bars on each point are calculated by multiplying the coefficient of variation by the respective data value. Data from this figure can be accessed in the “Download the data” section below.

AFRP Canada geese thrive in the human-dominated landscapes of New Jersey.  Continued implementation of an integrated management approach that utilizes non-lethal and lethal techniques will be critical to maintain a Canada goose population at a socially acceptable level.

http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/waterfowl_info.htm

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/downloads/canada_goose.pdf

https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Branta_canadensis.html

¹Cummings, J.L., 2016. Geese, Ducks and Coots. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Services. Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series 4. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nwrcwdmts/4. Accessed on 2/5/2024.

²U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture.  2005. Final environmental impact statement: resident Canada goose management. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., USA. https://www.fws.gov/media/final-environmental-impact-statement-resident-canada-geese-appendices Accessed 2/5/2024.