Canada geese have long been a part of campus life at the University, but their overwhelming presence has caused concern among Champaign-Urbana residents. Many consider the large birds to be a nuisance species.

The campus geese are temperate nesting geese, a subspecies that breeds in the Midwest. The geese are very comfortable in urban and suburban settings. The abundance of geese on campus is a result of the ideal environment humans have created for them. 

“They like to eat new grass shoots, and we’ve created these nice parks and golf courses and areas where they’ve got plenty of food,” said Ben Williams, Urban Waterfowl project manager at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 

Furthermore, geese also need water. The retention ponds and water features on the University campus and Boneyard Creek give geese everything they need to thrive.

“We’ve kind of created these perfect habitat areas for them where they don’t have any predators, and they’re doing very well,” Williams said.

Federal law protects Canada geese and prohibits physically harming them. However, there are regulations on what can be done when the geese are labeled a nuisance. 

By definition, geese are considered a nuisance when they are overly abundant, damage turf, are aggressive or when there are excessive amounts of feces. Under these circumstances, people may harass, scare or chase after them. However, they cannot touch or physically harm them.

“Even if you’re harassing them, you can’t be throwing rocks at them,” Williams said. “During nesting season, if they have a nest with eggs or really young goslings you’re not allowed to harass them anymore — you have to wait them out.”

Harassment is legal on private property when an owner decides the geese are a nuisance. With the campus being University-owned land, this complicates the regulations for student action. 

Some geese can be aggressive — hissing, flapping their wings, chasing after people or even attempting to bite them.

Geese are typically most aggressive during their nesting season, which spans March through May. The geese pair up, and while the female sits on the nest, the male patrols the area around it. Once the eggs hatch and they take the goslings to the pond, they’re less aggressive and avoid confrontation. 

“Geese are learning that we’re not threats,” said Michael Ward, professor in ACES. “They just want to protect their young, so just give them a little space.” 

Geese often nest in flower beds, shrubs and vegetation near water. Being aware of these nest locations can help decrease confrontation with geese. Knowing what to do when a goose is being aggressive can also reduce hostile interactions.

“Try to be as confident as you can be … try not to run away,” Williams said. “Give them a wide berth, don’t walk up to a goose nest, walk past quickly, talk to them and clap your hands, or sometimes carrying an umbrella or something like that can help to be big and scary to them.”

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences is concerned about student violence towards the geese, such as throwing rocks at them. The department created a Reddit thread to keep students informed on how to properly handle geese-related incidents. 

“It ended up being way more popular than anticipated,” said Lisa Kelly, administrative aide in the NRES department. 

Another prominent indication of the geese’s presence on campus is their waste. Joy O’Keefe, associate professor in ACES, highlighted concerns about geese feces collecting on sidewalks and lawns.

“There could be bacteria in the poop that could cause an infection,” O’Keefe said. “Most people should be fine, but if you’re breathing it in all the time and it’s something you’re not used to, it could be problematic.” 

Ward and O’Keefe have initiated discussions with the University about population control, such as obtaining permits for oiling eggs to make them non-viable.

“We wouldn’t have to kill any living geese, just try to introduce some measures to control the populations,” O’Keefe said.

While some C-U residents, students and staff are concerned about the presence of geese, others enjoy them and consider them a part of campus life. 

“I love walking out and seeing the geese out there,” Kelly said.

Many students treat the geese like the campus squirrels, taking pictures of them as they walk to class. 

“They add a lot to the campus character and make it much more interesting to walk around,” O’Keefe said.

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