Invasion of the Canada geese

Towns across suburban America are at war with millions of Canada geese. Why have these migratory birds given up their long-distance lifestyle to settle in the U.S., and why do people hate them so?

Why are there so many geese?

The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is a migratory waterbird that traditionally spends summers in Canada and winters in the northern half of the U.S. By the early 1960s, illegal hunting had brought the Canada goose to the brink of extinction. So wildlife biologists made a deliberate effort to incubate their eggs and introduce them to areas of the U.S. where they were once unknown. It worked only too well. Geese like to eat closely mown grass and swim in ponds, so they found delightful homes in golf courses, office campuses, and public parks. People also fed them out of misplaced kindness. Given such a hospitable environment and plenty of food, the geese began staying in suburban communities year-round, instead of migrating.

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