Post Calls Fowl on Canada Geese

The NY Post has found a villain in the Miracle on the Hudson story, and it's Canada geese!

While authorities don't want to address what brought down US Airways Flight 1549, it's believed that a double bird strike caused the engines to fail. The Post has a graphic giving highlights of Branta canadensis and, in a separate editorial, the Post writes:

It's time to kill the geese... Canada geese are a serious threat to human life and property - not to mention a major pain to pedestrians, motorists and folks who just like to spread a picnic blanket in a park. Obviously, the official cause of the crash won't be declared for a while. But nobody doubts that it was what pilots call a 'bird strike' - just as nobody doubts that the guilty birds were Canada geese.

That's because Canada geese are everywhere - and they're out of control.

The Daily News wonders if a $500,000 radar system could have helped spot the geese. But even the NY Times offers an article about the risk that geese pose at airports, "For years, airport officials have removed shrubs and trees that attract birds. They have tried to scare them away with music, pyrotechnics and cannons. They have even raided birds’ nests and culled the adults with shotguns." The problem continues, and some suggest that global warming has caused birds' migration paths to change.

Wildlife biologist Steve Garber tells the Post that the Port Authority could try to remove geese populations during the summers, either relocating them or killing them (and donating meat to shelters)—"If you keep on doing that, you will get the whole breeding population. In a short period of time, you will have fewer breeding birds." He also suggests shaking their eggs (to damage embryos) and shooting them, "You can throw rocks at them. You can hit them with sticks. These are things that people don't like. But, we are talking about geese." We expect PETA, which has been upset with Canada geese slaughter, to speak up soon.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on January 17, 2009 3:25 PM

Comments [rss]

Mutuelle

The Canadian geeses has cause lot of damages to the

lakeshores, golf courses and sports fields. Private properties is not unleft and The cost of cleaning up facilities has also been great in terms of labor and supplies.

mutuelle

Mutuelle

The Canadian geeses has cause lot of damages to the

lakeshores, golf courses and sports fields. Private properties is not unleft and The cost of cleaning up facilities has also been great in terms of labor and supplies.

beijia

Canada geese are a serious threat to human life and property - not to mention a major pain to pedestrians, motorists and folks who just like to spread a picnic blanket in a park.

RubenO

Considering what happened to the U.S. Airways Flight 1549, About 155 people boarded the plane in New York City for a two-hour flight to South Carolina. All of a sudden they heard a big thump followed by a voice over the intercom instructing everyone to brace him or herself for an impact. Flight 1549 endured a bird strike right out of LaGuardia and crashed in the Hudson. This makes my week and my need to get a payday loan seem like nothing. Bird strike is when a plane flies into a flock of birds that gets sucked into the engines then gets shot out the other side. In this case, the Canadian Geese, which are relatively larger birds, ruptured the blades in the engine fan causing the engine to go out. Fortunately, there were no fatalities reported, and it appears all the passengers made it out safely without any injuries, thanks to the courageous Captain Sully. You can read more about the story from this article on the payday loan money blog at PersonalMoneyStore.com.

Mike Licht

Captain Sullenberger charged with goose poaching!

See http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/us-airways-violates-federal-migratory-bird-laws/

jpeditor

LOL!

I'll see your goose poaching and raise you: Burger King Unveils New 'Sullen Burger'

jpeditor

Schumer's fault...

solidago

The vast majority of the Canada Geese you see around are not the migratory type doing what's natural, but rather "resident" geese that in the last 50 years or so adapted to life in close proximity to humans. Resident Canada Geese degrade the habitats they occupy and compete with species that are actually in trouble. Check out this link - http://www.audubonmagazine.org/birds/birds0003.html - and do a search for "resident Canada Geese" for more details.

Kyle T

good article. seems like humans messing around with nature does it again.

Felix Hoenikker

I heard Cheney will have some time off soon. Geese are probably almost as easy to shoot as old lawyers, although not nearly as much fun or useful to society.

Roncore

WON'T SOMEBODY PLEEEEEEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!

MrCow

they are OUT OF CONTROL!! heheh

nustita

Listen Everyone these geese are only trying to fly south and is not their fault that a jumbo plane interferes. A heroic act took place because of the geese. I think these geese should also get full credit. I think multiple statues of these geese should be built.

yours truly,

Goose Lover

NannyState

Just divert them To Newark and stop feeding them during their flight.

Barbj8

Roasted yes, but wrapped in bacon.

freddynyc

I like geese - roasted Cantonese-style...

santijose

think it was a geese suicide mission.

SeasTooFarToReach

how come no one is calling out the truth behind the event: this was a synchronized terrorist attack on the us of a! yes, canada hates us too! and they used this bio-weapon of mass destruction on us. this is just the beginning... they are training a bigger flock of birds as we speak.

kill 'em all!!!!

glennQNYC

The massive amount of shit those geese leave around already had me wanting to exterminate those damn things... It can't be healthy to have all that waste and bacteria all over our "green spaces."

jchez

Canadian Geese are a nuisance!

They block jogging paths, they crap everywhere, they foul lakes and ponds killing the fish there, they drive away other non-nuisance bird species like ducks, and now they no longer migrate because they've gotten too fat by hanging around city and suburban parks.

Those who seek to protect them are doing them a disservice and pissing off the rest of us.