"Threat To Aviation Safety": 2,000 City Geese To Be Eliminated

Photograph of geese in Gantry Park by themikebot on Flickr

In other Flight 1549 news, the city and Port Authority are embarking on a plan to kill at least 2,000 pesky Canada geese living within 5 miles of airports. Mayor Bloomberg said, "The serious dangers that Canada geese pose to aviation became all too clear when geese struck US Airways Flight 1549. The incident served as a catalyst to strengthen our efforts in removing geese from - and discouraging them from nesting on - city property near our runways."

The NY Times explains the first phase of Operation: Goose Be Gone starts "next week, during the goose molting season, when the birds shed old wing feathers and are less mobile, and continue until the end of July. The immediate culling effort — in which the birds will be euthanized — will cost as much as $100,000...The 40 parks in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx will include Fort Totten and Flushing Meadows-Corona; culling will also take place at city properties like wastewater-treatment plants." Deputy Mayor Ed Sklyer said, “Clearly, geese are a threat to aviation safety, and we can’t count on miracles."

Other measures reported by the Post (which can now claim victory in its war against the birds) include: "Training airport supervisors as certified shotgun instructors, so they can shoot birds in 'emergency" situations,'" "Enhancing a falconry program, which involves training birds of prey to scare off the geese or attack them," and "Installing a new bird radar pilot program at JFK." Another interesting fact: The Flight 1549 was a US Airways Airbus 320, whose engines can "withstand a strike of up to seven birds weighing 1.5 pounds without shutting down, or one 4-pound bird without catching fire or breaking apart." But the geese that hit Flight 1549 were about 8 pounds each.

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

By Jen Chung in News on June 12, 2009 5:48 PM

Comments [rss]

rockymarciano87

As per my point of view I think that their decision is quite impressive but on the other side there will be extinct of geese.I suggests that they should apply another way which didn't harm to anybody.

airport ground support equipmentt

TIW_16

This, you guys, is very cruel. I mean, thanks to human decimation, geese were almost extinct by the 1950s. To restore populations, geese were relocated to areas where they had never been found before. As a result, geese have adapted to urban and suburban areas, remaining there year-round. And New York has 14 MILLION people, so if they care to kill 2000 geese, why not 2000 people? A life is a life guys, and there is seriously nothing more amazing than seeing the geese migrate. Thanks to HUMANS, which feed them, and interact with them, they don't leave cities. I hate how the WORLD POPULATION OF CANADA GEESE IS ONLY 6 MILLION, COMPARED TO THE 7 BILLION HUMANS, and people think there are too many. Seriously? Want to gas geese? Gas me as well!

bts220

kill the geese save the peeps...rather have 2000 dead birds than another tragic accident survival of the fittest while we're at it lets kill all the pigeons too we can leave the dead carcasses for the rats too eat

militza

HONK!

Rocknrope

Maybe they teach geese.

SP

I wonder what they will do with all the carcasses. Seems like a waste of lots of perfectly good food. Have you seen how much goose goes for at a nice butcher shop? And goose liver pâté is fantastic. I think they should figure out a way to harvest them for food. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

felixthecat2

Snoopy's comment about " screwing his 14 year old neighbor hottie" has been removed. I think he should be removed from this site. No pedipholes allowed

Snoopy

One other thing. You can not relocate them because they return to their "place of birth" and breeding grounds.

Snoopy

Get back on subject. Do you have a solution to the geese problem?

r1b2

I worked in a psychology lab at university wherein I was responsible for the care and feeding and later euthanization of rats. We used CO2. While I hated having it be my responsibility, they did basically go to sleep from the lack of O2. Not supporting this measure at the airport one way or the other, just stating experience with the method which, to my untrained eye, seemed as humane as one could expect.

felixthecat2

As you read above, cowardice and ignorance support cruelty. If anyone reads this then report Snoopy for his comment about screwing a 14 year old. The above thread shows me that they and not the geese should be exterminated for our own safety

Rocknrope

119 commnents, really? From 6pm to 12am?

Seriously, Friday night people. Every one this thread needs to get a life.

emilydickinson

@JCS Wow. You spent more than 6 hours (1st comment 6:18 last comment 12:18)commenting on a blog post. On a really nice Friday night no less. That is dedication.

nik13

Only 2000? We should cull 20K of those dirty & aggressive poop machines. Feed them to the homeless, if that makes anyone feel better.

NannyState

Ha! You can't make this shit up!

NannyState

Ha!

longacre

You raise a good point. Humans aren't the only ones put in danger by these geese.

JCS & Felix: If a shipment of kittens had drowned in the cargo hold of US 1549, how would you feel about the geese issue?

dadoc

I prefer Evil Overlord. Better benefits and no term limits.

Loulou

lol sh!t

id go with the feed the geese to the homeless

At least not much is going to waste and that makes sense

Those other choices just don't make sense its avoiding the issue of overpopulation of a species in that area.We cant have city budget at this time halfassed versions of "clean up geese go go shoo away".There are other solutions such as this one which have to be taken into action and maybe implemented into it over time a non lethal solution.

Loulou

lol sh!t

id go with the feed the geese to the homeless

At least not much is going to waste and that makes sense

Those other choices just don't make sense its avoiding the issue of overpopulation of a species in that area.We cant have city budget at this time halfassed versions of "clean up geese go go shoo away".There are other solutions such as this one which have to be taken into action and maybe implemented into it over time a non lethal solution.