If you've gone by any park, golf course or pond in Boise you've seen them: Canada geese are everywhere. Honking, sometimes hissing, walking down the Greenbelt and yes .... pooping.
Idaho does see four different types of geese, most commonly the Canada goose, which is both a migratory and a resident species here in Boise. Canada Geese tend to migrate twice a year, in September or October to avoid the cold and back to the breeding sites in April, May or early June.
Snow geese also make their way through Boise on the migratory journey, either coming south or heading north. You can usually see them near the Snake River, according to Victoria Runnoe with Idaho Fish and Game and the MK Nature Center.
We also see greater white-fronted geese and Ross's geese.
Year-round geese in Boise
But back to Canada geese. Here in Boise, we have pretty much planted the welcome mat with all the grass in our area, as Canada geese are grazers.
"So your soccer fields, and our parks and backyards and green spaces are pretty much a buffet," said Runnoe. "And they allow these resident geese to just hang out. They've got the habitat, the food, water and shelter in a specie that they need to survive. And so why leave?"
While they do eat grass, Canada geese do not have teeth. All members of the waterfowl family have serrated edges on their bills, called lamellae. The lamellae helps geese to pluck the grass and other plants to pull them up.
How geese fly
When geese do fly, you notice that they fly in a V shape as an energy saving maneuver. Runnoe said Canada geese can migrate 1,500 miles in 24 hours, so the more energy they can save, the better. In the V formation, the goose in front has air spiraling off the wingtips, creating a tip vortex that makes a little bit of lift for the bird behind it.
"So each bird behind the leader of that flock benefits by the tip vortexes from the birds in front of it," said Runnoe. "They can save 20 to 30% of their energy by flying that way."
The geese do shift positions so everybody gets a turn being the leader. They also beat their wings exactly the same, allowing them to take advantage of that tip vortex.
Goose poop
Everybody and everything poops ... especially geese. If you've walked down the Boise River Greenbelt, you know this as fact.
Canada geese can produce about a pound of poop a day. Runnoe says this is because the grass passes through their system quite quickly.
With an increased number of resident geese and the added migratory population, this can lead to an increased amount of poop during certain times of the year.
Geese protections
The Canada goose is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The act does allow for the legal harvest of geese, but it's hit or miss on if you will like the taste of goose or not.
You should also try and move away from geese, especially if you notice it is nesting or has babies nearby. They will hiss and sometimes chase you if you get too close, but it is a protective thing, said Runnoe.
And if you notice a goose is injured, Idaho Fish and Game recommends you call Animals in Distress, a local nonprofit that helps injured wildlife recover.
