Furious Geese Are Defeating Humans, Scientists Find

Don't fight birds. The geese are going to win. Science is what it is.

Even if the harassment causes the birds to flee temporarily, standard goose "harassment" tactics are not very effective.

The field work done by the researchers was done in the winters of 2017: They were able to give some of the Chicago area's wild geese with gadgets. The scientists harassed the birds after they were fitted with the tracker, moving towards them while clacking wooden boards together. After analyzing the tracking data for years, the results are pretty clear and boring.

I thought using the devices on the neck collar would be a great way to understand resting, flying, or foraged behaviors. Mike Ward is a professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. I was surprised when it was analyzed.

He said that it wasn't a fundamental difference when you harass them.

Do you mean in other words? Geese do what they want, they do it when they want to, and if you try to ruffle their feathers, they will keep coming back.

You're not frightening if it's any solace. The geese care more about resources than humans.

Ryan Askren, a former Illinois graduate student and study coauthor, said in the release that when they're not being harassed, they're leaving the park because it's beneficial to them. They probably have a biological reason to be there when we harass them. They want to be at that moment because of the food or water resources.

Harassment techniques can be used to keep the birds off private property. It's not a good sign if geese don't migrate, so scientists should be able to use harassment techniques to make sure geese stick to healthy migration patterns.

Ward said that a bird is probably not in good shape in the winter. It's cold and doesn't have much to eat.

The goal of harassment is not to hurt the geese, but to get them to use up energy and migrate to warmer climates. It doesn't happen in practice.

Things are as we've been anticipating. Geese may be too powerful for their own good. For anyone out there who doesn't want scientists harassing them, lay down your sword and give up. It isn't worth the effort.