Prairies, parks, and padfoots: My summer with Canada Geese

Coming this far into the Prairies to attend a scientific conference was quite an undertaking, but getting to admire the beauty of Canada Geese each morning near my hotel was deeply rewarding. I could not have asked for anything more precious.

During a two-week stay at a downtown Saskatoon hotel in the summer of 2019, it became a daily routine to encounter gaggles of geese foraging along the South Saskatchewan River. The more I watched them, the more captivated I became by their distinct features. These birds are abundant throughout Saskatoon, particularly along the Meewasin Valley Trail.

Canada Geese grazing near South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon. Native to North America, these large waterfowl are easily recognized by their long black necks, black heads, and striking white `chinstrap` facial patches. Highly adaptable, they frequently forage on manicured lawns in urban parks. Photo: Collected/Dhaka Tribune

Throughout the day, I frequently crossed paths with flocks on the grassy waterfront stretches of Kiwanis Park, the manicured lawns of Spadina Crescent East, and in the river itself. As I walked beneath the mature ash and elm canopy along the paved trails flanking the west bank, seeing these geese became a constant and comforting sight.

For about two weeks, I stayed at Delta Hotels Saskatoon Downtown on Twentieth Street East, nestled in Saskatoon’s central business district near the scenic river pathways. The 18-storey structure, originally built in 1983 as the Ramada Renaissance Hotel, is one of the tallest buildings in Saskatoon. It was later renamed the Radisson Hotel Saskatoon before undergoing its most recent transformation. In January 2019, just six months before my visit, the property was rebranded under Marriott International’s Delta Hotels banner.

Two Canada Geese standing on a grassy stretch next to a gravel path along the waterfront at Kiwanis Memorial Park. Photo: Collected/Dhaka Tribune

As a guest in Room 619, I frequently encountered Canada Geese in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. Staying just 650 metres from Kiwanis Memorial Park and the sprawling waterfront lawns along the South Saskatchewan River, I was virtually guaranteed to cross paths with them every day.

Located practically across the street and stretching within a few short blocks of the hotel, the beautifully manicured green space of Kiwanis Park on the river’s west bank serves as a primary foraging ground, where gaggles of geese graze on open lawns throughout the day.

The iconic urban canopy of American elm trees shading the brick-paved promenade along Spadina Crescent East. This vibrant Saskatoon riverfront stretch runs right next to Kiwanis Memorial Park, sloping down toward the South Saskatchewan River on the left and the downtown street on the right. Photo: Collected/Dhaka Tribune

Furthermore, the paved Meewasin Valley Trail runs directly along the riverbank, just steps from the hotel lobby. Along nearby Spadina Crescent East, the geese routinely moved between the river and urban park lawns, occasionally halting downtown traffic as they crossed the busy street.

While Canada Geese have earned a notorious reputation for being cantankerous, fiercely territorial, and hostile towards humans, I pleasantly discovered that this downtown Saskatoon flock was highly urbanized and remarkably calm. They comfortably foraged beside the paved walking paths, paying little attention to me as I photographed them.

A flock of six geese grazing on the riverside lawns of Kiwanis Memorial Park, right besides a winding, paved pedestrian pathway. Photo: Collected/Dhaka Tribune

One afternoon, I spotted a few goslings along a stretch of the South Saskatchewan River shoreline, though I missed the opportunity to take a photo. Because it was already late July, I had also missed the chance to witness the local “crèches” by about a month. Had my visit taken place between May and June, I would have had a much better chance of seeing these massive gosling broods along the Meewasin Trail.

During those spring months, dominant adult pairs frequently form cooperative daycares, herding groups of up to 60 fuzzy goslings along pathways and across local streets.

A pair of Canada Geese by the water`s edge, surrounded by tall, dry grasses and reeds. One stands alert while the other rests on the bank, casting a sharp reflection in the calm water. This quiet marshland represents their traditional nesting and foraging habitat. Photo: Collected/Dhaka Tribune

Had I been in the Canadian Prairies a couple of months earlier, I probably would have witnessed many more goslings than I actually did. Goslings typically hatch in May, resulting in crowded and highly active family scenes along the riverbanks. By mid-summer, geese undergo their annual moult and temporarily lose their flight feathers, meaning they spend considerable time walking around public parks and paths rather than flying.

One afternoon, while sitting on a park bench, I watched a flock of geese frolicking and noticed the distinct physical features that set them apart from other birds. They have solid black heads and long, elegant black necks. Their signature bright white “chinstrap” is impossible to miss — a stark patch running across the throat and up the sides of the face. Their breasts range from light brown to grayish, contrasting beautifully with the scalloped, tan-edged feathers along their backs and wings. Completing their striking appearance, their large webbed feet are deep dark grey or black.

Goslings swimming between two adult Canada Geese. Such large group is known as a crèche. Canada geese frequently combine their goslings into a single “nursery” guarded by a few adult `babysitters`. Cooperative parenting behavior distributes the heavy duty of predator surveillance across fewer adults, dramatically increasing the survival rate of the young goslings. Photo: Collected/Dhaka Tribune

That summer 2019 visit to the Canadian Prairies also took me to Alberta. On a road trip from Saskatoon to Edmonton, it drizzled almost the entire way. As I travelled along the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), which cuts through the agricultural aspen parkland and prairie regions, I spotted gaggles of geese around many canola fields and prairie sloughs — shallow, swampy wetlands.

Once I reached Edmonton, however, my busy schedule with other commitments did not allow me to visit some of the urban green spaces where I could probably have seen larger goose broods.

Five Canada Geese lined up along the grassy banks of the South Saskatchewan River. Photo: Collected/Dhaka Tribune

Both Saskatchewan and Alberta lie within the “Prairie Pothole Region” and the “Mississippi-Central Flyways”, making them home to some of the highest concentrations of Canada Geese in North America. The regions serve as major migratory hubs as well as permanent breeding grounds.

After reading some literature on geese, I learned that the Canada Goose is widely considered one of the ultimate wildlife conservation success stories, having recovered from near extinction in the early 20th century to a thriving population of millions across North America today.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, unchecked hunting, habitat loss, and the widespread use of geese as live hunting decoys decimated their populations. Backed by protective measures such as the Migratory Birds Convention Act, aggressive captive-breeding programs and the release of former live decoys helped restore the species across the continent.

Humans also altered the North American landscape in ways that have favoured the survival traits of the Canada Goose. Freshly mowed suburban lawns, corporate parks, golf courses, and agricultural fields now provide prime, nutrient-rich grazing grounds. Human development has also eliminated many major natural predators, removing one of the primary threats to adult geese.

Consequently, many urban goose populations have lost their migratory instincts entirely. Because urban retention ponds and parks rarely freeze completely, millions of geese remain year-round residents of cities.