Page 8 - Gateways_2019_SPRING

News Bites continued Data from the collars show that because
they have access to food, water, and shelter
Permanent even in the coldest weather, these geese
CONSERVATION Residents no longer have a reason to migrate south.
Buildings, parks, and nature preserves give
You might have been slightly the geese plenty of nesting area with coverage
confused seeing a gaggle from freezing rains, blinding snows, and
of Canada geese waddling around Brookfield blustery winds—esssentially, humans have
Zoo this winter—after all, don’t geese created new, urban homes that make migrating
migrate during the cold weather? geese put down permanent roots, changing
Many do, but these geese are their instinctive need to migrate.
nonmigratory. Years ago, they stopped
migrating and made their year-round While we know these geese aren’t going
home at the zoo and its surrounding anywhere, we will continue to monitor
areas—you might also see them in them. Further investigation into their flight
neighborhood parks, railyards, and
around canals. and migration patterns will help local
Some of these geese wear collars, municipalities decide how to best
but these collars don’t mean they
“belong” to the zoo. These tracking welcome and handle their increasing—
collars are the result of our and permanent—numbers.
partnership with Southern Illinois
University and the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who
are studying the patterns of Canada
geese in Chicago’s major
metropolitan area.

CANADA GOOSE
8 GATEWAYS | NEWS BITES