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hat is the status of Canada Geese? Canada geese have increased dramatically in abundance and geographic distribution during recent decades. Most regional surveys show that Canada goose numbers are either increasing or stable, but overall they are at unprecedented numbers. It is estimated that there are at least 7 million Canada Geese present in North America. In many parts of southern Canada, Canada geese exist in large numbers where only 30 years ago they were uncommon, and 55 years ago were considered to be extirpated. In general, all populations of Canada Geese are stable or increasing at the present time. For more information about the status of Canada Geese, please see the report Status of Migratory Game Birds in Canada at the following website: http://www.ec.gc.ca/rcom- mbhr/default.asp?lang=en&n=762 C28AB-1 Sometimes I hear the terms resident geese and temperate-breeding Canada Geese. What are they? Canada Geese occur throughout North America. However, in some • EC-CWS s primary responsibility is the conservation of migratory birds, which includes Canada Geese • Canada Geese have experienced extraordinary growth in abundance and expanded their geographic range • In particular, those Canada Geese that nest, raise their young and/or moult in the most heavily populated areas of southern Canada have increased rapidly • The population growth is caused by human- induced changes to the landscape that favour Canada Geese • In addition, during the 1970s 1990s wildlife agencies and individuals introduced Canada Geese to areas they had not inhabited naturally • In parallel with the population growth, the number of serious conflicts between geese and people is growing regions, the climate is sufficiently mild that Canada Geese are able to breed and spend the winter in the same place; these geese are sometimes referred to as resident geese. The term is more commonly used in the United States where large parts of the country support geese throughout the year, although there are some parts of Canada where the geese also remain through the winter. The term temperate-breeding Canada Geese refers loosely to Canada Geese which breed in the southern parts of Canada where the majority of Canadians live. Why did some Canada geese stop migrating? Canada geese return to nest where they first learned to fly. Canada geese breeding in southern Canada are not northern geese that stopped migrating, they are the result of the natural increase of populations that were re-introduced or introduced for the first time. The present-day southern landscape provides an abundance of high quality habitat for geese so they have expanded greatly in numbers and distribution. Northern-breeding geese still maintain their historic migratory behaviour nesting in Canada s sub- arctic regions and wintering in the USA. Are Canada geese protected and can they be hunted? Yes, Canada Geese are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA). This Act arose from an international treaty the Migratory Birds Convention - between Canada and the United States, signed in 1916. The MBCA provides for the protection and conservation of migratory birds, and prohibits people from harming birds, except under specified conditions. Several species, including Canada geese, are considered game birds and may be hunted. The Act gives the federal government the responsibility to establish hunting seasons, and Canada Geese are greatly appreciated by migratory game bird hunters across the country. More than 500 000 Canada Geese are taken in • The Migratory Birds Convention recognizes that birds may sometimes cause damage and danger, and provides management tools to reduce those conflicts (no migratory birds, their eggs or nests may be harmed without a permit) • These tools include permits that may be issued to qualified landowners or managers to scare birds away from the problem area, destroy eggs, relocate problem birds and/or kill birds • Application of the tools is complicated by the wide range of tolerances toward serious damage and danger caused by Canada Geese; this tolerance varies from person to person, and from place to place, depending on the particular circumstances • Most landowners are tolerant of the effects on property caused by small numbers of geese, while at the same time the damage caused by any geese are too serious for some individuals. • Hunting at current levels is not enough to stop the population growth and hunting regulations have been liberalized to the extent possible within the limits Canada each year by hunters. How many Canada Geese were present historically? Canada Geese nested historically in some parts of southern Canada, particularly in open grassland areas with wetlands. These habitats in south- western Ontario and the southern Prairies supported breeding populations of Canada Geese at the time of settlement, although it is not known how many birds were present then. There is much more food and suitable habitat available now as a result of human activities on the landscape (e.g., large scale agricultural production of cereal grains), so it is likely that there were markedly fewer Canada Geese than are present today, even in areas where they occurred naturally. This landscape change also benefits the Canada Geese that nest in sub-arctic regions. Further, in other Continued On Next Page permitted for hunting seasons under the MBCA • In many areas, Canada Goose populations have not reached the carrying capacity of the habitat and there is no biological reason to expect that these populations will stop growing in the short- term • In the United States, resident Canada Geese have been declared overabundant and as such are currently subject to special take by hunters outside of hunting seasons • At the present time the conservation status of Canada Geese is not threatened; populations in all regions are well above objectives; there is no conservation risk to providing permits to eligible people who need them to reduce damage and danger caused by Canada Geese on their property • EC-CWS monitoring programs will inform management agencies when and if a change in policy and approach is needed to maintain control efforts at the appropriate level in accordance with regional population objectives