Contact(s)
Bird Control
Canada Goose populations have been steadily on the rise across Ontario as well as the issues associated with them. Did you know the City recently commenced a Bird Management Program for all City-owned properties, particularly targeting parks and the waterfront? In the past month, we have deterred approximately 2,400 geese around the city. Through a Ministry permit, we have also removed nests and eggs as identified. The program, through the City's contractor, actively patrols each park on a daily basis. Geese naturally gravitate to the waterfront and there are no perfect solutions to fully remove the resulting nuisance, but we believe that the measures that have been put in place have been helpful so far across the city.
Please Don't Feed the Birds!
The City is working to improve beach water quality and our waterfront parks. You can help by not feeding birds, ducks, geese, gulls or swans. Here's why:
- Bird poop can be a potential health hazard
- Feeding can attract many birds, resulting in large amounts of bird poop in the grass, sand and water
- Birds that are fed food scraps lose their fear of humans and become aggressive
- Birds that eat food scraps do not get all the nutrients found in their natural diet. As a result, they may be less healthy and become dependent on people.
- Most birds fly south in the winter to find other sources of food. Feeding birds may encourage them to stay here longer and rely on human food to survive.
Bird Management Program
The City currently undertakes a number of federally-approved and humane bird prevention methods, including:
- Dog patrol
These dogs are exempt from the Animal Control by-law as services are contracted with the City. - Avian dissuader laser light
- Avian distress call
- Marine and shoreline control
- Pyro technics
- Egg and nest depredation
Effectiveness
The program helps control the population in various parks and beaches in Orillia.
- J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park and Moose Beach
- Couchiching Beach Park and Couchiching Beach
- Stephen Leacock Museum
As birds change their seasonal behaviour characteristics, the professional services of the contractor anticipate and respond to these changes ensuring the objectives of the program are continuously maintained. Since the programs inception in 2019, recorded shows a decrease of more than 50% Canada Goose presence in our controlled areas.
The City encourages stakeholder participation in the overall program and if you are seeking professional, effective and humane management of Canada geese the contractor can be reached at :
Municipal Wildlife Control Services
1-888-557-5855
info@wildlifeteam.ca
