Canada geese

What does it look like?

Canada Geese have a black head and neck with a large white stripe behind their lower beak that extends behind their eyes. The rest of their plumage is light brown. Their young (goslings) hatch pale yellow and slowly emerge in adult colours as they mature. Both male and female geese weigh between 4.5–5.5kg.

Why is it a problem?

Canada Geese cause significant damage to waterways and agricultural pasture. They consume a significant amount of pasture and stock crops when foraging, with five geese capable of consuming the same amount of pasture as one sheep. Their acidic droppings cause a decline in water quality in lakes, ponds, dams, streams and estuaries, and can cause stock to avoid areas of pasture that geese have fed upon. Droppings from these geese can carry harmful bacteria like E-Coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella. Mobs of geese can reach large numbers and pose a risk of bird strike at airports.

Canada geese were moved from Schedule 1 (Wildlife declared to be game) to Schedule 5 (Wildlife not protected) in the Wildlife Act in June 2011. At that point, their management was no longer the statutory responsibility of Fish and Game. It became the responsibility of the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary Industries to monitor Canada geese numbers when their status changed.

We are not involved with or responsible for Canada geese management in Hawke’s Bay. Canadian geese have no protection status under any legislation and can be humanely controlled by the local authorities or landowners/interested groups (with the permission of landowners).

Control methods

Shooting
Canada Geese control can be achieved through shooting. While this is common in rural situations, it’s not always possible on lifestyle and semi-rural sites. Since 2011, anyone can hunt or kill Canada geese at any time of year without a need for a game licence or permit for control.

As Canada geese are an intelligent bird, control via shooting works best when control is well-organised. Although ad-hoc shooting can deliver short-term benefits, in many situations it merely acts as a deterrent and may even disperse the population, prompting groups to fragment and search for food in new areas.

CAUTION: A VALID NEW ZEALAND FIREARM LICENSE IS REQUIRED UNDER NEW ZEALAND LAW FOR ANY USE OF FIREARMS

Breeding interference
Breeding interference means egg destruction or collection. Oiling, pricking, or addling (shaking) eggs, which leaves infertile eggs that the geese will attempt to incubate unsuccessfully. There is a cultural shift in traditional Māori kai collection, moving from native species to introduced birds, which fits in with the principle of Kaitiakitanga. Collected eggs are utilised as a valued food source which can be shared between many families. It’s recommended to leave one shaken or pricked egg per nest to discourage further laying.

Deterrence
Deterrence can be achieved using shotguns, gas guns, lasers and potentially, wolf decoys. Decoys need to be moved every day and are not 100% effective, although there has been relative success on golf courses and parks.

• No poisons are registered for Canada geese control.
• We can only provide limited advice on control methods and are not experts in this type of work.

More information

Search online for bird deterrents for products and services available online or near you.

Related links

New Zealand Birds Online listing for Canada Geese