MARTIN S. LOWNEY, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
Animal Damage Control, 21403 Hull Street Road, Moseley, VA 23120
ABSTRACT: Non-migratory urban Canada geese present complex problems requiring innovative techniques that are effective yet acceptable to contemporary society. A grid technique was modified and developed to discourage non-migratory urban Canada geese from using water sources and thus abandoning adjacent areas. The technique is believed effective because it restricts the use of water resources for escape and reduces the required long take-off and landing zones of Canada geese. The grid successfully reduced non-migratory Canada geese from using three sites in northern Virginia. Several grid configurations and types of materials are discussed.
Pro. East. Wild. Damage Control Conf. 6:85-88. 1995.
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Urban wildlife damage problems tend to be complex and
require innovative strategies and methods for resolution. Complexities arise from the
species non-response to traditional nonlethal methods, legal considerations, changing
social values towards wildlife (Schmidt 1989), economic costs, and physical
considerations. Finding an effective, yet social, legal, economic, and physically
acceptable solution to an urban wildlife damage problem often directs the
decision-making process through numerous fine-screened filters (Slate et al. 1992,
USDA-APHIS 1993:2-24 to 2-31). The Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries reported 37,000 non-migratory Canada geese living in northern Virginia in 1993 (G. Costanzo pers. commun.). The public has complained to state and federal wildlife and agriculture agencies about the geese defecating on beaches, lawns, and golf courses; depleting vegetative cover on shorelines; acting aggressive towards people; swimming in pools; becoming a hazard to aircraft operations; blocking roadways; and contaminating water quality. Non-migratory urban Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in northern Virginia which I have worked with tend to show no response or limited short-term response to audio and visual harassment techniques (i.e., pyrotechnics, propane canons, eye-spot balloons, mylar tape). Additionally, some county and city governments have passed noise ordinances which preclude use of audio harassment of Canada geese. Some urban residents consider certain nonlethal and lethal methods socially unacceptable (i.e., barriers, harassment, egg addling, relocation, etc.). And some effective control methods for Canada geese are economically prohibitive to landowners, businesses, and homeowner associations, or are aesthetically unappealing. |
Overhead wires were developed to exclude gulls from
reservoirs (McAtee and Piper 1936) and since have been used to exclude numerous other
bird species (Pochop et al. 1990, May and Bodenchuuk, unpublished data). The contorted decision-making process motivated me to seek an
effective, economical, and practical method to the non-migratory urban Canada goose
conflict in northern Virginia. This paper details my account in modifying and testing
overhead wire grids to exclude non-migratory urban Canada geese from local areas. The author expresses gratitude to N. E. Myers, USDA-APHIS-ADC, Annapolis, MD; J. R. Thomas, VA. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Harrisonburg, VA; J. F. Heisterberg, USDA-APHIS-ADC, Raleigh, NC; W. R. Bonwell, USDA-APHIS-ADC, Elkins, WV; K. A. Knight, United Rope Works, Montgomeryville, PA; S. D. Fairaizl, USDA-APIHS-ADC, Reno, NV; and L. E. Terry, USDA-APHIS-ADC, Annapolis, MD for assistance with design and construction of the grids. I also express appreciation to R. D. Owens and P. P. Woronecki for reviewing the manuscript. MATERIALS AND METHODS Overhead "wire" grids were installed at three locations located in Fairfax, Herndon, and Alexandria, Virginia. The first site was a golf course in Fairfax were a grid made of parallel 12-gauge polypropylene lines (National Netting, Norcross, GA) spaced 8.3 m apart and overlapping perpendicular lines 16.6 m apart were erected in January 1992 over a 0.8 ha pond. Four-foot fiberglass rod posts, spaced at 8.3 m intervals around the perimeter, supported the grid and two-strand perimeter line fence. The lines comprising the two-strand perimeter fence were 20 and 35 cm |