Spring is upon us, people of Toronto, whether you trust the weather to stay warm or not — and our feathered friends are ready to rumble in defense of their chosen homes.
Canada Geese are repopulating their favourite water-adjacent sites in and around the city, turning parks, ponds and pathways into breeding grounds for a whole new flock of goslings.
You can tell you've stumbled upon the rough location of a nest, should you come anywhere close to one, by the presence of angry, hissing geese.
A Canada Goose was seen attacking a dog near Avenue and St. Clair #Toronto pic.twitter.com/BiF8CcxK5v
— blogTO (@blogTO) April 23, 2019
These big birds can be terrifying, as you should very well know if you went to the University of Waterloo or Western, and they certainly aren't afraid of humans.
Not even moving traffic can phase them. They've been known to attack cars, but drivers should be careful not to retaliate: Canada geese are federally protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. It's illegal to hurt, move or interfere with their nests in any way.
Still, there are measures people can take to protect themselves (and their pets) from aggressive geese as they start to honk their hearts out in Toronto once again.
OMG, Canadian Geese are so mean. I used to play cricket in Toronto and they pretty much acts like thugs, not to mention the poop 💩 we had to clean from the pitch. 😡
— Ali Mehedi (@AliMehedi) April 7, 2019
"Geese are well-known for their defensive nesting behaviour, and they often nest in busy urban areas in close quarters with people and cars," reads the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC)'s website. "Sometimes the nest isn't obvious—it might be in a planter or on a rooftop nearby."
Keep yourself at a distance, if possible. They're known to be most aggressive right now, at the beginning of their nesting season, but will settle down "once they get used to all the action surrounding them."
If a goose is nesting on your property, TWC recommends putting up a visual barrier, like a snow fence, between the nest and any walkways. Also, put up signs to warn other humans of potential goose attacks.
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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