Locals offer alternate solutions to Canada geese issue in Madison

A decision by the Homeowners Association for the Edgewater community in Madison to euthanize hundreds of Canada geese has sparked discussion locally and statewide regarding the removal of these migratory birds.

Deemed a nuisance to the neighborhood, the geese are scheduled to be gassed Monday morning, but our Facebook audience has chimed in with resources and suggestions for alternative removal methods.

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Locals offer alternatives for geese scheduled for euthanasia

The common complaint surrounding geese is that their dropping and feathers they leave behind are an inconvenience and unsanitary. As well, their massive flocks have often led to traffic disruption and property damage.

However, Canada geese are federally protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act . Because of these protections, it is illegal to harm the birds, their nests or their eggs without obtaining a specific permit. According to a report from WAFF, the USDA has not received an application for a permit from the Edgewater HOA.

Our Facebook followers, when asked their thoughts on the matter, overwhelmingly opposed the HOA’s decision to euthanize the birds, and many offered alternate methods for removal.

Some of our followers pointed out that this same community did obtain a permit to kill the geese in 2020, but within a month, more geese returned.

Some of the solutions offered up by our Facebook followers include relocating them to a nearby lake (Guntersville was suggested, among other local watersheds) and catching, sterilizing and releasing them to control the population.

Relocation is the most common suggestion among our followers, with other solutions a bit less orthodox (such as introducing alligators or other predators to the habitat), but a common sentiment among those who responded to our post is that the HOA should explore other alternatives before proceeding with euthanasia.

Other common solutions

According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, trapping and relocating nuisance flocks is often the first control idea considered. However, ACES studies have shown that this is not always effective, as female geese often return to their previous nesting spots.

Other solutions listed by ACES involve taking away the food supply, draining bodies of water they choose to inhabit or “hazing, which can include:

• Battery-powered, motion-activated sprinklers
• Reflective Mylar tape or streamers that flutter in the wind and erratically reflect the sunlight, which scare the geese away
• Predator decoys (such as coyote silhouettes, artificial alligator heads that float and balloons that mimic predators’ eyes)
• Chemical repellents with the active ingredient anthraquinone or methyl anthranilate to deter Canada geese from feeding on grasses

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