Family of geese nesting at Calgary's City Hall allowed to stay — for now
It's not the first time a goose has laid eggs at the Calgary Municipal Building
City officials are giving a pair of geese nesting at city hall some room while they wait for their eggs to hatch.
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It's not the first time a goose has laid eggs on a concrete planter at the southeast door of the municipal building.
A goose, which employees named Lucy, had been a regular resident in the past.
But this year's goose appears to be younger — and isn't believed to be the same bird. This mother goose is also accompanied by a protective papa goose, who can get agitated with visitors.
Kelly Pratt with the city says they have set up yellow barricades on the steps by the goose to ensure people stay back and no one gets injured.
Once the eggs hatch, wildlife officials will move the goslings and their parents to a slightly wetter area than the concrete steps of city hall.
City geese right at home
It seems geese have been out in full force in the downtown this week. Calgary firefighters had to rescue some geese and goslings from a downtown parking lot Thursday.
An expert on Canadian geese says it's not unusual for some of the birds to build their nests in what seems to be very strange places.
Sid Andrews, an interpretation co-ordinator with the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, says geese who stay around Calgary see the urban environment as their habitat.
"As you can see they adapt quite well to city steps, apartment balconies, a puddle in the middle of a traffic circle — anything like that," he said. "From a goose's point of view — because remember they can fly — the river, whether it's the Bow or the Elbow, the river is never very far away."
Andrews says people can notice the difference with wild geese because they get very nervous around people.
"From their perspective, the city environment is just as similar as a wild environment for a wild goose living up in the north, for example, to get to the closest body of water that is going to help them feed their babies, and or have their babies feed on their own," he said. "They tend to be quite precocious and independent."
