Webbed footprints litter the snow. A cacophony of honks echo across the lawn. Green-tinged excrement coats the sidewalks. Students reluctantly recreate events from “Make Way for Ducklings” on their way to class. All of these resulted from the influx of Canada geese — also known under the misnomer of Canadian geese even though they lack Canadian citizenship — on the Medford/Somerville campus.
Attitudes towards these creatures may be varied; however, questions universally remain. Why are the geese here after decades of gaggle-less winters? Is it climate change that brought them to our lawns? How can we peacefully coexist?
Professor Michael Reed of the biology department and self-designated ‘bird guy’ provided some answers. He explained that the sudden arrival of the geese is actually quite simple.
“They’re always looking for a food source, and they tend to travel in large groups — flocks, as it were. And when they find a good place to eat, they tend to eat there until the food level drops; then, they find some other place to be,” he said.
Reed continued to explain that once one flock finds a food source, others will congregate around and share that source until it dwindles. Once they run low on grass, they spread back out until a new food-rich area is discovered.
Even if the reason the geese chose Tufts is similar to why a student chooses Dewick-MacPhie Dining Center — a practical availability of food — students and faculty are still confused by their arrival. Geese’s migratory habits to warmer climates are common knowledge to those accustomed to life in the Northeast, so it seems bizarre that the birds have settled here while snow still coats the ground.
Christina Roberts, a junior, shared her speculation on why the geese had descended on Tufts in this frigid weather.
“I think there’s a lot to do with climate change and things. I think geese are supposed to migrate south. I study [economics], but I know that much,” Roberts said.
Similarly, Robert Griffith, a sophomore, expressed the concern he and his friend had about the conditions in Canada for the geese to have chosen Boston.
“Geese are migratory birds, and it’s cold here — like they are migrating from Canada. What’s going on in Canada if they are coming here to have a warmer experience? Canada must be crazy right now,” Griffith said.
In reality, land use likely has more influence on Canada geese migrations.
Reed responded that although Boston may seem cold for us here, for a goose originating in northern Canada, Boston is quite comfortable.
The geese’s decision to land here is likely by chance; however, local environmental changes may have had some influence. Reed first highlighted a migratory phenomenon called short-stopping, which explains that bird migration patterns have become less extreme as lawn sizes have grown. Migrating birds in search of grasslands to feed on have to travel less distances north and south to find food thanks to these large fields, and instead, land somewhere in between the two extremes.
He also suspects that land use changes are a contributing factor to the geese appearances this winter.
“There’s actually more forest around here than there used to be. We’re actually short of grasslands. So it could be that as farmland disappears, they’re moving more into suburban areas. … Grassland birds are actually declining in a lot of New England because so much forest is occurring,” Reed explained.
The drop in farmlands since the 18th and 19th centuries has led to greater forestation rates as that land returns to its original state. Furthermore, as Reed describes, a heavy tree harvest half a century ago has led to migratory birds, like Canada geese, having difficulty finding flat land to graze.
Students may wonder how they can best share the campus with the new residents and how friendly the geese may be. Roberts shares her thoughts on this matter.
“I really want to feed them, and my mom was like, ‘Don’t do that.’ We grew up feeding geese, and … I had a loaf of bread, but I was scared that I was going to be attacked and end up on Sidechat,” she said.
Even with her concerns about being a goose attack victim, Roberts shared that she is in fact pro-goose and that she has enjoyed seeing them.
However, according to Reed, there is a low risk of aggression from the geese. The birds are often more aggressive during summer breeding months and when they have goslings with them. Although, he still advises students to minimize interactions.
“Just like at parks, don’t go out and feed them. They’re wild animals. Leave them alone. Don’t make friends with them,” he stated. “I think it’d be unusual for them to be very aggressive and certainly not in the winter unless you try to grab them. Don’t do that. … Don’t pick up the geese.”
If following this advice is not enough to prevent an encounter with an aggressive goose, Reed gave additional recommendations.
“If they come towards you, I wouldn’t run away because that usually triggers a chase response in animals. I would just take my backpack off and hold it in front of me, between me and the goose, and keep walking. Eventually, they’ll leave you alone,” he said.
There is little cause for concern though, as the geese are much more interested in what the campus can offer them rather than its students.
Even with goose violence being a non-issue, student and faculty attitudes towards the geese seem varied. Griffith’s perspective spans both sides.
“I have two conflicting sides of me that are pro and anti, and I think they cancel out. I’m pro-geese because we’re animals too. We are like ‘It’s our world’ but in reality, it is their world too. … And honestly, the other part of me is like, ‘I don’t think so.’ They’re annoying and they’re loud and they poop everywhere,” Griffith said.
It seems like the Tufts community may have to learn how to coexist with these feathered visitors. It may mean adjusting to dodge excrement and ignore goose honks, at least until the birds run out of food sources on campus. It is up to the geese whether or not their presence becomes an annual occurrence or perhaps just this winter.
