Considered an invasive species, the Egyptian goose has made its way into South Florida neighborhoods with mixed reactions from residents.
Encounters with these intelligent birds in South Florida are now fairly common, standing out with their unusual appearance and in the way they handle their families.
Egyptian geese are native to much of Africa and were made famous in ancient Egyptian artwork. The birds made their first appearance in Florida in the 1960s. Now they are now among the most common nonnative waterfowl species in Florida.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, these geese typically eat seeds, leaves, grasses, grains and insects. They nest in a wide variety of places, including on the ground or in tree cavities.
One of the issues with Egyptian geese is that, even though they typically defend their territory outside of breeding season, they sometimes flock together in areas where people tend to feed them. When that happens, conflicts can arise between people who enjoy the birds and those who consider them a nuisance because of their waste and noisy behavior.
In 2019, the city of Coconut Creek faced backlash from animal lovers after they heard about officials’ plan to hire a trapper to remove the geese because they were pooping on the sidewalk and in the grass at Sabal Pines Park. Amid the outcry, the plan was put on hold.
One resident’s story
Barbara Kalish, a resident of Huntington Pointe in Delray Beach, has gained a deep affection for a family of Egyptian geese that found their home at her home. Her curiosity for the distinctive family of waterfowl evolved into an affection that made her protective of the birds.
“There was one family of geese that I watched growing up,” she said. “I noticed how their parents were so attentive and very aggressive toward any other species that would come near them. They wouldn’t allow anybody near them and their babies. It was amazing how the mother and the father were with them constantly. And if one one flew away for a little bit, there was always another one there.”
Kalish said that she noticed one day that there was a single goose on top of a carport across from her condo back in June.
“I hoped that it wasn’t dead,” she said. “I discovered the goose was sitting on a nest. I found out that these geese lay eggs once a year, and that none of the eggs hatch until they’re all ready. The way that happens is very smart, because they’re not going to have little ones running around the nest every day while the others are waiting to be born.”
Kalish also noticed that the male partner would often stay right by the female on the carport while she was sitting on the eggs. She said that he would leave once in a while, but he was always nearby. She also noticed that they would sometimes change places that he would be on the nest for some time.
The presence of the birds in her neighborhood led Kalish to do her research on them. She also happens to be a big fan of Egyptian archaeology.
“Egyptian geese have their origins from the Nile River area,” she said. “Many of the tombs even show hieroglyphics of them.”
Because of her growing interest in Egyptian geese, she decided to call a wildlife biologist in Florida.
“I was concerned that, since the eggs were laid on the top of a carport, there would be quite a distance that the goslings would have to go to get to the ground, and then to get to the lake,”she said. “The biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission told me not to worry, since they know just where to hatch their eggs.”
The scientist made a suggestion that would work in any neighborhood in which a resident wants to be of help to one of these families of geese. He said that if Kalish found any of the babies on the ground, that she could put them in a shoe box and transport them over near where their parents would see them.
“At one point, I realized that they had hatched and I ran into the house,” she said. “When I got back within minutes, the nest was empty and both parents were gone and all the babies were out of the nest. I couldn’t imagine how they got them down from the carport. They ended up hatching 10 little goslings. How they got them down from the carport, I will never know.”
Kalish ended up helping five of the 10 goslings, which had been left in a grassy area and couldn’t make it into the lake.
“You have to be careful, because the parents are very protective,” she said. “After the babies hatched, I almost got attacked when I tried to help some of the goslings get into the water.”
Something disturbing happened the following day, however. The baby goslings went missing. Kalish said that the parents returned to their original nesting place to search for them, but to no avail.
“I see the parents every day when they come looking,” Kalish said. “I also saw them flying around the lake in circles trying to find the babies. They are an intelligent, loyal kind of species. If they lose their mate, they will mourn for a long time. They appear to have done that with their babies. It’s worse for these birds, since they only hatch eggs “
The best guess that she and the biologist could come up with was that there was a predator living in the lake. And since there were no alligators or other common predators, the scientist told her the only thing that it could have been was an otter that she had seen in the lake.
“I was crying for three weeks,” Kalish said. “I couldn’t stand it. They were the most beautiful little babies you’ve ever seen.”
How to prevent geese issues
According to information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, residents who find Egyptian geese should never feed them, either by direct handout or by placing food in accessible locations. They advise that feeding encourages the birds to linger, potentially creating overcrowding that leads to messy conditions.
The FWC also advises that Egyptian geese, like all nonnative species, are not protected in Florida. They can be captured and humanely killed on private property at any time with landowner permission. Their nests and eggs may also legally be removed and destroyed. They also say It is illegal to release or relocate captured nonnative species in Florida.
Nonnative birds can impact Florida’s economy and natural ecology, according to the FWC. Removal of nonnative species can benefit native wildlife and reduce conflicts with people. If caught in traps, Egyptian geese cannot be relocated and must be kept in captivity or humanely killed.
If you are concerned that the geese are a nuisance in your neighborhood, the FWC recommends hiring a nuisance wildlife control operator for interested property owners who may find it difficult to perform trapping or humane removal on their own. A list of trappers can be found at MyFWC.com/Trappers.
What to do if you see exotic animals
Take a picture.
Note the location.
Report your sighting by calling 888-483-4681 or visit IveGot1.org.
For information about exotic animals in Florida, visit MyFWC.com/Nonnatives.
