FAIRHOPE – City officials are watching the number of Canada geese at the Municipal Pier Park to determine if the birds will need to be relocated in June.
Richard Johnson, public works director, said the geese have not returned to the park in the numbers reported in earlier years. At the Fairhope City Council work session May 10, he said he counted about six geese at the park recently. Before geese were relocated in 2020, more than 150 of the birds were in the park, he said.
The city placed money in the 2021 budget to relocate geese this year.
“We have that money budgeted, and we are monitoring, and I don’t want to jinx it, but the population has been relatively low so far,” Johnson said.
The geese lose their feathers, known as molting, in June. At that time, they cannot fly for about three weeks. In 2020, many of the geese were collected and taken to another location in the Mobile River delta after molting. Officials said when developing the plan that by the time the geese could fly again, some would choose to stay where they had been relocated and some would be killed by predators.
“The molt occurs in the later half in June. That’s the optimum time because they’re basically grounded,” Johnson said.
He said the same company is available to move geese again if the service is needed this year.
“If we see that flock getting large leading into June, their molting season, we have that ability to use that service again from Wildlife Solutions,” Johnson said.
City Council President Jack Burrell said the city should not wait until the number of geese grows too much.
“So maybe if we get to what, 50? What’s the number? We did appropriate it,” Burrell said. “I think we need to get rid of them.”
Johnson said the low numbers indicated that the program had worked last year and might not be needed in 2021.
“Right now, I think our program was effective and we’ll stay on top of it, but I don’t think we need to be spending money unnecessarily,” Johnson said.
Burrell said he agreed that the city should not spend money if the expenditure was not needed, but that large numbers of geese are a health hazard, and the population should not be allowed to increase.
“I don’t like getting reports that say we’ve got the dirtiest beaches in Alabama when I know it’s from goose poop,” Burrell said.
Mayor Sherry Sullivan said city officials should keep track of the number of geese, but that the population does not yet seem high enough for another removal effort.
“I think I’m relying on Richard to monitor that and make a determination of when the time is appropriate,” Sullivan said. “I’ve been driving down there myself and have not seen an overabundance of geese so don’t see the need right now, but I think it’s certainly something we should monitor.”
City officials said Canada geese are a protected species. Before approving the relocation plan, the council discussed other methods to reduce the bird population, including using lights or noise to harass the geese. The council also voted in 2019 to ban the feeding of geese and other waterfowl in the park.
