Vancouver’s Canada goose population is having a honking good time – too good of a time according to the parks and recreation board.
It’s asking people to help locate bird nests this spring, so it can addle the eggs and slow the Canada goose surge.
The problem, the board says, is that the birds are wreaking havoc on the city’s public spaces. They have a propensity for snacking on the youngest grass in newly seeded fields, digging holes with their beaks next to sprinklers and defecating in all manners of spaces. The droppings in turn can pollute outdoor pools and cause slips on sports field, according to the board.
The geese are also known to become aggressive during mating season.
Vancouver is home to several thousand of the creatures already, and the board says the city’s ideal climate and lack of predators means their numbers are only growing.
Upon locating nests, the board plans to replace laid eggs with addled ones that do not have reproductive capabilities.
Beyond helping to find the nests, people can also help by not feeding Canada geese. The board says supplemental feeding can result in the birds laying more than one clutch of eight eggs per season.
Nests can be reported to the City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation website. Wildlife feeding can be reported by calling 311.
READ ALSO: Canada goose from Vancouver Island makes it all the way to the Great Lakes
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