Canada Geese are common on the Androscoggin River and the city has posted signs urging people not to feed. Still, people can be seen feeding them especially in Rotary Park along the river. (BARBARA TETREAULT PHOTO)
Canada Geese are common on the Androscoggin River and the city has posted signs urging people not to feed. Still, people can be seen feeding them especially in Rotary Park along the river. (BARBARA TETREAULT PHOTO)
Canada geese are a common sight around lakes and ponds in New Hampshire, which makes sense: Their natural habitats are along a waterbody’s bank or shore. If left to nature, their presence would be a nice addition to the landscape, enjoyable for wildlife enthusiasts, avid bird watchers and curious children (especially if they are just making a pit stop during their migration). But too often, these goose populations grow into major nuisances that can do very real damage to the surrounding environment.
One of the biggest causes of goose overpopulation is people feeding the geese and other waterfowl. Areas known for handouts will see a few geese increase to 100-fold over time. This seemingly generous act is actually harmful to both the animals and the waterbodies they populate. Most foods people like to give to geese and other waterfowl — bread and crackers — are harmful to them, because they tend to fill up on that instead of regular nutritional sources, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. The geese actually have plenty of natural food sources, such as aquatic plants and invertebrates, to fill up on.
[thumbdown]Terrible article full of misinformation. Feeding geese has virtually no effect on their population. That's why feeding bans, which are commonly the first strike against geese always fail. Geese hang out where we do because to them, they're the most ideal locations. Water, completely surrounded by cut grass is a paradise to them, and that's exactly why golf courses and HOA's quickly get overran with geese despite not offering food to them.
Geese contribute very little to water pollution, even in large numbers. Their diet is almost completely grass that has been digested for less then an hour. It has an insignificent amount of bacteria due to this fact. Geese also almost entirely poop on land while they're grazing as well. To blame them for water pollution makes zero sense, and has NEVER been proven.
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[thumbdown]Terrible article full of misinformation. Feeding geese has virtually no effect on their population. That's why feeding bans, which are commonly the first strike against geese always fail. Geese hang out where we do because to them, they're the most ideal locations. Water, completely surrounded by cut grass is a paradise to them, and that's exactly why golf courses and HOA's quickly get overran with geese despite not offering food to them.
Geese contribute very little to water pollution, even in large numbers. Their diet is almost completely grass that has been digested for less then an hour. It has an insignificent amount of bacteria due to this fact. Geese also almost entirely poop on land while they're grazing as well. To blame them for water pollution makes zero sense, and has NEVER been proven.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.