Canada Geese

Canada Geese Management in New York: What the Law Requires

February 14, 2025·11 min read

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are among the most contentious wildlife management challenges in New York State. A single adult goose produces approximately 2–3 pounds of feces per day — 730–1,095 pounds per year. A flock of 50 resident geese on a corporate campus, park, or lakefront property creates significant health, liability, and sanitation issues. And yet Canada geese are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, making most of the instinctive removal methods illegal without proper permits.

The Federal Protection Issue

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918 makes it illegal to "pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, or sell" migratory birds without authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Canada geese are included in this protection — despite the fact that the "Giant" subspecies (Branta canadensis maxima) that dominates New York's resident population is largely non-migratory and was actually reintroduced to the eastern United States in the 1960s and 1970s.

This legal protection applies not just to the birds themselves but to their nests and eggs. Disturbing an active nest, moving eggs, destroying eggs, or interfering with incubation without a federal permit is a federal crime with penalties up to $15,000 per violation and potential imprisonment under the MBTA.

New York State adds another layer: the NYSDEC requires separate state authorization for any Canada goose control activities beyond basic hazing. Any professional company offering goose management services in New York must be able to demonstrate proper federal and state authorization for whatever method they are proposing.

Legal Canada Goose Management Methods in New York

1. Hazing (No Permit Required)

Hazing — the use of non-lethal techniques to frighten geese and encourage them to relocate — does not require a federal or state permit. Legal hazing methods include:

• Trained border collies: The most effective long-term hazing tool. Geese quickly learn to avoid properties with active herding dogs and will relocate permanently if hazing is consistent.
• Pyrotechnics: Propane cannons, cracker shells, and bird bangers create loud startling noises. Effective for large open areas but require nuisance sound permits in many New York municipalities.
• Mylar tape and scare devices: Less effective for habituated urban geese but can supplement other methods.
• Landscape modification: Geese prefer open, short-cut grass near water. Allowing a 2–3 foot buffer of unmowed native vegetation between water and lawn removes the sightlines geese require for predator detection. This habitat modification is highly effective for long-term prevention.

2. Egg Addling (Federal Registration Required)

Egg addling is permitted under a free annual registration with USFWS (not a full depredation permit). The registered individual or organization may oil eggs (using food-grade corn oil) or shake them to prevent embryo development, then replace them in the nest. The female continues to incubate the non-viable eggs rather than re-nesting and producing a second clutch.

Egg addling registration must be renewed annually with USFWS and the work must be documented and reported. Property owners, municipalities, golf courses, HOAs, and licensed wildlife control operators can all register. Addling must begin before incubation has progressed too far (within 14 days of laying for corn oiling).

Egg addling does not remove the adult geese — it reduces population growth over multiple years. Combined with active hazing, it is the most effective legal long-term management strategy for properties with resident breeding pairs.

3. Nest Destruction (Federal Registration Required)

Destroying active goose nests (removing eggs rather than addling) also requires USFWS registration and is documented similarly to egg addling. Nest destruction must occur before eggs have been incubated for more than 14 days to be effective — a nest that has been incubated will trigger re-nesting even if destroyed.

4. Lethal Removal (Full MBTA Depredation Permit Required)

Rounding up and killing geese (or shooting them outside hunting season) requires a federal MBTA Depredation Permit from USFWS, supplemented by state NYSDEC authorization. These permits are primarily issued to municipalities, airports (bird strike risk), agricultural operations with documented crop damage, and similar institutional applicants. They are rarely issued to residential or small commercial property owners without substantial documented damage evidence and proof that non-lethal methods have been tried and failed.

Goose Management for Common New York Situations

Corporate Campuses and Office Parks

Corporate properties in Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties with retention ponds and manicured lawns are ideal Canada goose habitat. A combination of trained border collie hazing (typically 2–3 visits per day during peak season, April–September) and egg addling of any nest sites effectively manages goose populations without lethal methods.

Residential Properties

Residential properties with ponds or significant waterfront rarely qualify for lethal removal permits. Hazing with pyrotechnics (where permitted by local ordinance) and landscape modification — allowing natural vegetation buffers to grow along the water's edge — are the primary legal tools. Egg addling registration is available to individual homeowners.

Parks and Municipal Properties

New York municipalities can pursue a broader toolkit including the USDA Wildlife Services roundup program (operational during the July molting season when geese cannot fly) through coordination with USFWS. Parks departments in Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties have used this program successfully.

Frequently Asked Questions