 |
|
Living With
Canada Geese & Mallard Ducks in Dupage County
|
 Canada Geese
There are 3 sub-species commonly found in DuPage County, the most notorious of which is the giant Canada goose, which can live here year round. The 2 other sub-species, the Interior Canada goose and Lesser Canada goose are primarily winter visitors and may be seen during their annual migration.
Breeding season for the giant Canada goose is from late April through early June. An average of 4 – 7 eggs are laid and the female incubates them for approximately 28 days. The nest is made of dry grass, moss, sticks, bark chips and lined with down. The female will usually only produce one clutch a year. However, if they lose their eggs or are forced to abandon the nest, they will continue breeding until they’re successful or until the breeding season ends. Within 24 hours of the last egg hatching the parents move their young to water. (Geese may nest up to 5 miles away from the nearest water source.) The young are able to fly at approximately 9 weeks of age. Canada geese are monogamous for life and are known to return to successful nesting sites.
Deterrent Techniques for Canada Geese
- Manicured lawns, retention ponds of subdivisions, industrial and business complexes, and golf courses provide excellent habitat for Canada geese. Conflicts with man usually arise during the summer months when the birds can aggressively defend their young when threatened. They may hiss or chase people who get too close to the nest or flock. Many deterrent products or techniques will only last a short period of time; such as plastic or live swans, fake alligators in a pond, brightly colored streamers or balloons or spreading methyl anthranilate (an additive to powder grape drink and grape soda) that irritates their skin. For a long-term solution, landscaping with native plants is recommended for open spaces and the perimeter of ponds. Trees and bushes in yards and tall grass plantings around ponds add natural beauty and provide hiding spaces for predators. Using landscaping to decrease open space makes the area less attractive to geese.
Mallard Ducks
Mallards will usually migrate south during the winter looking for open water. During mild Chicago winters they may stay year round.
Mallards are seasonally monogamous, switching mates each year. Prior to laying her eggs, the female will increase her weight so she can incubate the eggs. An average of 7 to 10 eggs are laid and the incubation period is approximately 23 days. The male leaves after the first week of incubation to join the male flocks. The female is responsible for raising her young and only produces 1 brood a year. However, if she loses her eggs or is forced to abandon the nest, she will breed again until she is successful. After the last egg hatches, the female takes her young to water within 24 hours. This trip can be up to 1 mile. The young are able to fly within 42 to 60 days. The female is known to return to successful nesting sites.
What To Do When You Find a Baby Duckling or Gosling
- Goslings occasionally get separated from the brood on their way to water after hatching. A few simple steps can be taken to reunite or foster the gosling with its own species.
- Find a pond with goslings of similar size.
- Distract the parents.
- Place the gosling (s) near the other goslings at the pond.
- Walk away immediately and observe from a distance to see if the gosling (s) has been accepted.
- Reuniting/fostering needs to be done within 24 hours of finding the lost gosling. It must be done immediately to prevent imprinting or taming. If reuniting is unsuccessful, Willowbrook does accept Canada geese for captive rearing. Please remember that humans can never provide the same care as the real parents. It is always best to have young raised by its own species.
- Fostering or reuniting mallards is not successful. If you find a lost duckling (s), please contact Willowbrook for advice at (630) 942-6200 between 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM daily.
- Canada geese and mallards are protected by federal law. It is illegal to keep them, even for a short period of time. They have specialized nutritional, housing and handling needs that you are unlikely to be able to provide. Inexperienced individuals who attempt to raise or treat them inevitably produce an unhealthy, tame animal that cannot survive in its natural habitat.
Feeding Waterfowl
Willowbrook Wildlife Center does not recommend the feeding of waterfowl for the following reasons:
- Migration patterns disrupted: People who feed wild birds are unknowingly enticing the birds into delaying their migration and encouraging them to become permanent residents.
- Overpopulation: Thousands of waterfowl concentrate in areas because handouts are non-threatening and easily attainable. They will lose their fear of people and pick up habits that conflict with man.
- Spread of disease: Food handouts often result in large numbers of birds competing for very limited food supplies in small concentrated areas. Such crowding and competition for food combined with the stresses of less nutritious food and harsh weather increases their susceptibility to life-threatening diseases such as avian cholera, duck plague and avian botulism. These diseases have the potential to kill large numbers of waterfowl.
Public Health Concerns
- The Illinois Department of Health has shown that a small number of birds in DuPage County do carry equine encephalitis viruses. These are transmissible to humans through mosquitoes. Humans are not at risk simply due to the presence of birds in your area, but the presence of mosquitoes is a risk factor. It is recommended that mosquito repellent be worn during outdoor activities in the summer months.
- Canada geese and mallards can carry intestinal parasites that have potential to cause diseases in humans. However, this can only occur if the bird’s fecal material is accidentally ingested. Practicing basic hygiene and watching toddlers carefully is sufficient to prevent any problems.
- During summer months waterfowl throughout DuPage County can succumb to botulism poisoning. The disease is frequently confined to a few ponds but can prove fatal to all of the waterfowl at those ponds. These outbreaks do not place humans at risk but it can endanger any pets that may choose to ear or drink at affected sites. Always keep your pets indoors or on a leash.
What Not To Do
- All native birds are protected by the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It is illegal for any person to possess nesting material, egg(s), feathers, bones or a live bird without the proper permits from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It is also illegal
to harm or kill a protected bird species and it is illegal to remove or destroy nesting material. The law does not protect three birds, they are; Pigeon (rock dove), English house sparrow and the European starling.
- Once a nest is established (first egg laid), it is illegal to destroy it.
- Never remove eggs or young from the nest. Contact Willowbrook Wildlife Center for advice at (630) 942-6200 between 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM daily.
- Do not use poisons. They are inhumane and may be illegal. They can result in secondary poisoning of raptors, wild scavengers and neighborhood pets.
When to Call Willowbrook Wildlife Center
- If you come across a wild animal and are concerned, leave it alone. Call Willowbrook Wildlife Center at (630) 942-6200 for advice 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM daily.
- If you find a Canada goose or mallard with visible wounds, please call Willowbrook Wildlife Center before bringing an animal to the center 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM daily. Call (630) 942-6200.
- Willowbrook is open daily from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
- If you find an animal with visible wounds and it is after Willowbrook’s business hours, please follow the instructions below:
- Throw a blanket or towel over the entire goose or mallard. Pick it up with a firm grip around the animal’s mid-section. Make sure the wings stay properly tucked in.
- Place the animal in a box or animal carrier using heavy gloves.
- Keep in a dark quiet space, away from people & pets.
- Place a heating pad on low underneath ½ of the box/carrier.
- Do not feed. Improper food or drink can harm them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Nature Centers