NORTH IOWA OUTDOORS: Iowa's Youth Only Waterfowl Season Starts Today in the North Zone – Mix 107.3 KIOW kiow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kiow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Radio Iowa
You are here: Home
State geese population increases as migrating birds stop in Iowa
Canada geese and a goldeneye duck. (Photo by Karl Schilling, Des Moines)
If it seems like there’s an inordinate amount of Canada geese flocking around Iowa right now, you’re not imagining things.
While many of the distinctive black-and-white-necked birds live here year-round, others are in the midst of a migration from Canada to parts south.
Orrin Jones, a waterfowl biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says Iowa’s city-dwellers are likely noticing the gobs of geese the most.
“The geese are actively seeking out the metropolitan areas,” Jones says. “That’s a very attractive place for them right now. It has a combination of open water sources, food, and relative safety.” Hunting season on geese in central Iowa just ended last weekend.
AJ TaylorJanuary 16, 2021Last Updated: February 28, 2021
A recently completed three-year study to better understand how Canada geese utilize metro Des Moines will be used to revise the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Canada goose management plan.
Orrin Jones, state waterfowl biologist with the Iowa DNR, collaborated with Iowa State University to mark 71 urban and rural female Canada geese with GPS GSM transmitters and monitored their movements between 2018-2020.
“Modern urban development, specifically short grass adjacent to open water, is very attractive to geese. It’s remarkable how geese have learned to exploit habitat in urban areas and how well they move through urban areas from May to August despite being largely flightless for most of that time,” Jones said.
Research project tracks movement, survival of urban Canada geese
A recently completed three-year study to better understand how Canada geese utilize metro Des Moines will be used to revise the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Canada goose management plan.
Orrin Jones, state waterfowl biologist with the Iowa DNR, collaborated with Iowa State University to mark 71 urban and rural female Canada geese with GPS GSM transmitters and monitored their movements between 2018-2020.
“Modern urban development, specifically short grass adjacent to open water, is very attractive to geese. It’s remarkable how geese have learned to exploit habitat in urban areas and how well they move through urban areas from May to August despite being largely flightless for most of that time,” Jones said.