It's sick or injured
It's orphaned
I need it removed
Wildlife Hotline
614-793-WILD
(9453)          

Nuisance Waterfowl

Many corporations and private homeowners express concerns about the large population of Canada geese.  While eliminating the group of geese at your local pond might seem like a permanent fix, it is only a band-aid solution and there are other methods and factors that could assist humans in humanely dealing with this issue. 

The first step, though, is to understand the cause of the problem.

 
Migratory geese can be seen as a nuisance. However, there are many factors contributing to their desire to stay in Ohio for the winter.

The migratory habits of many mallards and canada geese have been altered by decades of human intervention. Corporate and housing complex ponds, parks, golf courses, and reservoirs often a cozy home to large sedentary populations of waterfowl. These birds have become habituated to supplemental feeding, man-made ponds and manicured lawns. These artificial conditions often promote larger populations in the given area than would occur naturally. These waterfowl no longer have the urge or need to migrate.

Residents and property managers may be concerned about large numbers of birds on their lawn causing an excess of droppings, trampling of grass, or the potential of transmitting diseases to humans. Whether or not these concerns are legitimate, the problem has been caused by humans.

Most people who call to complain about nuisance waterfowl want quick and easy fixes. These answers don’t exist. The problem was not created overnight and cannot be rectified instantly. The intention of the following solutions is not to harm the waterfowl, but to undo the artificial conditions that have caused them to adapt to a non-migratory way of life.

Management Methods

DON’T FEED THEM!
The most obvious and seemingly easiest remedy is to stop feeding the waterfowl when that is what is attracting them. The seemingly kind act of artificial feeding creates a dependency on humans, produces unnaturally large congregations, and subjects the birds to disease outbreaks. The feeding of bread can cause metabolic bone disease and other nutritional deficiencies. Wild waterfowl (those that can fly) do not need supplemental feeding at any time of the year. Having said this, it is sometimes difficult to convince people that supplemental feeding is not in the best interest of the birds. This is especially true when the weekly family outing, has for years, consisted of going to the park to feed bread to the ducks and geese.

HAZING - NOISE AND HARRASSMENT
These socialized birds are not easily frightened by normal harassment techniques such as effigies, flags, or mylar tape. Hazing, the practice of physically evicting the birds, must be aggressive and consistent to be effective. These techniques range from simply approaching and shooing the birds away to firing blanks at them to the use of herding dogs trained to chase the birds away.

HABITAT MODIFICATION
Habitat modification is an effective means of long-term control unwanted waterfowl. Geese and ducks prefer to be able to walk in and out of the water but dislike walking through vegetation higher than 18". Allowing natural vegetation to grow around the perimeter of a pond will deter many waterfowl. This has the added bonus of creating habitat for other wildlife species perhaps less obtrusive to the pond owner. Any lawn that can be allowed to revert to meadow will eliminate grazing geese and also provide numerous ecological benefits. Large stones (riprap) used along waterways to control erosion will make ponds undesirable to waterfowl.

THE USE OF DOGS
Organizations like Ohio Wildlife Center use herding dogs to persuade geese to find a new home.  OWC’s goose-dog, a full-breed Border Collie, herds the geese as she would livestock, eventually chasing them off to another location.  Continued use of this technique may tell the geese that this particular area is not safe for breeding, and they will find a new home.

OWC has a goose-management contract with the City of Dublin and offers this service on a contract basis only.  We do not have the resources to offer this as a free service to residents.  If you’re interested in goose management, contact your city officials and tell them to call us at 614-734-9453.

 
Sugar is OWC’s current "goose-dog." She uses her herding instincts to discourage geese in the city of Dublin to find a new home. 

NATURAL SPRAY
A relatively new product for wildlife use, methyl anthranilate, is reported to be highly effective in repelling birds. It is a natural substance found in grape flavoring. It can be sprayed onto lawns or introduced directly into ponds to repel waterfowl. Methyl anthranilate shows promise as a non-lethal tool in dealing with numerous species of birds whose large numbers may be perceived as a nuisance. It is marketed for wildlife use as Bird Shield and ReJeX-iT. Sources for these products can be found in the appendix of Wild Neighbors by the Humane Society of the United States, available at OWC.
The Red-tailed hawk is a medium-sized bird of prey found throughout North America. It is generally non-aggressive toward humans and other birds and is an opportunistic feeder with a diet mostly of small mammals. Raccoons are opportunistic eaters and can be avoided by keeping garbage and compost piles secure, and keeping pet food inside. Photo by Scott Schisler American bullfrogs are common in Ohio and recognized by their deep, throaty song. Photo by Dr. Don Burton Canada goslings are born in the spring and by fall are mature and ready to fly south with their flock. Photo by Katherine Clifton Coyotes were introduced to Ohio and have thrived in urban environments. This coyote, Hope, was unreleasable because she was hand-raised by humans before sent to OWC, and so lacks certain survival skills. Photo by Sue Simunich Mother deer tell their fawns to stay still and low (often curled up) all day while she is away. She will return at dusk and likely move them to a new spot. This is a safety precaution for the fawns, but many times fawns are mistaken to be orphans because of it. Photo by Scott Schisler Black rat snakes are native Ohio snakes. This snake resides at OWC because of injuries that would compromise its ability to survive in the wild. Photo by Sue Simunich. The Chukar is a game-bird in the pheasant family, originally from Asia but introduced to the United States. This Chukar is Tori, who resides at OWC. Photo by Sue Simuncich This male American Kestrel also resides at OWC and can be seen at the center’s outdoor wildlife display. Photo by Deb Keller You may see Eastern Gray squirrels like this in your backyard, consuming seeds, acorns, insects, eggs and other nuts. Photo by Sue Simunich The population of the Leopard frog is decreasing due to pollution and deforestation. They are often good indicators for environmental problems because of their sensitivity to chemical pollutants found both in the air and the water. Photo by Sue Simunich Most Snapping turtles eat plants, small mammals, fish and birds and are quick to take off your finger if you get too close. Photo by Sue Simunich Despite what it looks like, those big tuffs on the top of this Great-horned owl’s head are not ears. To predators, they may look like an easy way to grab the owl, but they are actually just feathers. Photo by Sue Simunich The American Bald Eagle is an endangered species. Photo by Katherine Clifton Male Cardinals are recognized by their bright red appearance. Photo by Scott Schisler The Eastern Fox snake resides in Ohio, Michigan and parts of Canada in flat, marshy areas. Fox snakes will eat primarily small rodents, but will also eat small birds, rabbits and other small animals. Photo by Sue Simunich The wings of the male Kestrel are slate-blue. Females are rusty to match the back feathers. Photo by Deb Keller Flying squirrels are one of the most common squirrels in Ohio, although they are rarely seen because they are nocturnal (meaning they are awake at night time). Photo by Deb Keller Red fox kits stay with their mother and siblings for several months and then go off on their own typically in July. Foxes are generally shy animals. Photo by Scott Schisler The Painted turtle is a reptile that is common in southern Canada, the US, and Mexico and is related to other water turtles like sliders and cooters. They live in ponds, marshes, and slow-moving rivers with muddy bottoms. Photo by Deb Keller Great horned owls hunt at night by waiting on a high perch to swoop down on prey. They eat small to medium-sized mammals like rats, voles, skunks and rabbits. Photo by Deb Keller Blanding’s turtles are a semi-aquatic species found mostly near the Great Lakes regions. Photo by Sue Simunich The Virginia Opossum is about the size of a house cat and “plays dead” as a defense mechanism from predators. Photo by Sue Simunich White-tailed deer have been forced to adapt to urban environments as their natural home is being destroyed by human development. Photo by Katherine Clifton Canada geese are dedicated parents and very social. When one goose is fatigued while flying, they will make sure it is not alone while it rests and will fly in shifts. Photo by Katherine Clifton Bobwhite quails are ground-dwelling birds found in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Photo by Deb Keller Raccoon mothers will call out to their young should they fall from a tree or get lost. As long as she sees them or hears their cries, she will do whatever it takes to retrieve them. Photo by Owen DeWolfe In flight, Red-tailed hawks flap as little as possible to conserve energy. Their flight is slow and deliberate, with deep beats of their wings. Photo by David Harrison The male Red-winged Blackbird fiercely defends his territory during the breeding season. He may spend more than a quarter of all the daylight hours in territory defense. He vigorously keeps all other males out of the territory and defends the nests from predators. He will attack much larger animals, including horses and people. (birds.cornell.edu) Photo by Tripp Braden