Canada goose: What to do if you encounter the hissing, sometimes aggressive bird — 'back off'

A sure sign of spring in Canada often involves the increased presence of the Canada goose, which can be spotted soaring in v-shaped groups in the sky, perched on rooftops and waddling around urban areas like parks and beaches.

While these birds have a reputation of being surly and gruff, with a penchant for leaving their waste behind, one wildlife expert cautions that any aggressive behaviour they display directly relates to protecting their young.

What to do near Canada goose birds: 'Back off'

Barry MacKay is a wildlife expert with Animal Alliance of Canada, a Toronto-based non-profit. He explains that there are migratory and non-migratory populations of the bird. He says populations of the Canada geese, particularly in the central region of North America, are becoming less migratory as a result of two factors that relate to their basic need for food and being close to water.

First, they’re being provided with more food that wasn’t previously available, and second, their habitat is morphing as a result of climate change.

“They don't do well if water is frozen over, but that’s happening less and less,” he tells Yahoo Canada.

What do Canada geese eat?

Canada geese are known as grazers, which means they eat grass and other herbaceous plants. MacKay says that one of the most nourishing foods for them is well fertilized lawn grass, which there is a lot of in Canada.

“Whether it’s golf courses or parks or gardens or mediums, there’s an overwhelming amount of lush green grass, which satisfies one of their needs,” he says.

In the summer, after the birds’ babies are hatched, both male and female Canada geese will lose their feathers, which makes them unable to fly and increases their vulnerability.

“That’s when they need that combination of food and water nearby, which happens to be a combination that’s attractive to people,” MacKay says.

When the birds are nesting, the female sits on the eggs for three weeks until they hatch. In that time, they are defenceless against predators, which is when the males step up to protect them in the face of perceived danger. They do this by hissing and spreading their wings out to look big.

Expert: Avoid Canada geese as much as possible

MacKay says the key for people to avoid confrontations with the bird is to avoid them as much as possible.

“If you are confronted with an aggressive Canada goose, back off,” he says. “If for some reason you can’t back off, make yourself more aggressive looking. He’s trying to bluff you, so out-bluff them.”

MacKay suggests spreading your arms wide or raising them above your head, so that you look big. Even shaking a plastic bag will help to scare them off.

“You just have to convince him that you’re bigger and stronger than he is,” he says.

MacKay also strongly discourages feeding Canada geese, as it habituates them. In turn, they are more likely to come close to people, including those who are nervous about them.

Foods like bread and crackers are particularly harmful as they can lead to choking. MacKay also notes that feeding the birds can encourage a concentration of them at water’s edge, which in turn can lead to shoreline deterioration of vegetation and subsequent erosion to the detriment of water quality.

Control programs vary: Canada goose in Quebec and B.C.

There have been several programs across the country that focus on maintaining Canada goose populations.

In Lasalle, a region of Montreal, the birds and their waste were creating such havoc to the area’s parks that the city implemented a control program. Every April since 2019, trained dogs and remote control devices are brought in as a means to scare geese away without touching or injuring them.

Meanwhile, in B.C. the Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program has organized an annual egg-addling program. This involves shaking eggs or coating them with non-toxic biodegradable food-grade corn oil within 14 days of incubation to make them non-viable. Once they’ve been targeted, the eggs are returned to the nest and geese continue to incubate until they realize they won’t hatch. By then it is generally too late to produce more eggs. The process doesn’t harm the adults, who continue with their regular annual life cycle.

Sometimes, the culling of the birds isn't intentional, or appreciated.

This past March, Kevin the Goose, a beloved local celebrity in Penticton, B.C., had to be euthanized after being attacked by an off-leash dog. A celebration of life was organized in his honour.

Some love, others hate 'G-Rex' Canada goose birds

Love them or hate them? A post this week on the British Columbia Reddit forum reflected that mix in sentiment about the Canada goose. The set of photos warned others about the attitudes of the hefty birds with the signature honk, which sparked varied reactions to their presence.

In the over 100 comments on the post, the Canada goose is referred to by a few different monikers like “cobra chickens” and “G-Rex,” a reference to its dinosaur-like appearance.

Some shared stories about the large amount of feces they leave behind; others recalled being honked at by the birds for getting too close.

“When I run near the ponds in my hometown, the geese barely spare me or anyone else a glance, even when they’re feet from their goslings,” Elenson wrote. “But when I run by the river in the city, every single one of them hiss at me for daring to breathe within their 100-foot personal space bubble."

Others celebrated them as oddities.

“They look ridiculous, make hilarious hissing noises and get ridiculously aggressive if you get too close,” debbieyumyum1965 wrote. ”I can just sit and watch them doing their nonsensical little things all day.”