Geese on the Roof? What You Need to Know.

Calgary Wildlife
1 day ago
3 min read

A close-up view of a brood of juvenile Canada geese, called goslings.

Every spring, Canada geese return to Calgary, quietly staking their claim on rooftops high above the streets. The nest-building often starts unseen, unnoticed, tucked away on a gravel-covered parkade. It’s all calm and quiet—until the goslings appear. Tiny, fluffy bundles teetering on the edge of a three-story ledge. That’s when the phone lines light up at Calgary Wildlife. A flurry of concerned calls come in, with people wondering how these little ones ended up so high, and what can be done to help them.

It may seem like an odd choice, concrete and chaos instead of quiet wetlands, but to a goose, a flat rooftop looks an awful lot like a lakeshore: open, elevated, and predator-free. And once a pair chooses a nesting site, they’ll defend it fiercely, often surprising property managers and passersby with their bold, hissing presence.

The key message we want to share? Prevention is everything.

Before eggs are laid, there is still time to gently guide geese elsewhere. Once nesting begins, however, things become more complicated—not just practically, but legally. Canada geese are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, and active nests cannot be moved or disturbed without a federal permit. Even well-intentioned actions can be illegal and harmful if done outside of regulation.

That’s why early-season management is so crucial. Rooftops and other potential unsafe nesting sites can be equipped with exclusion measures like netting, fencing, or visual barriers such as tall planters or mesh screens. These visual barriers create a sense of enclosure, making the area feel more closed off to geese, who prefer open spaces with clear lines of sight and low predator risk. Hazing techniques like coyote decoys, flashing laser lights, or even trained dogs (used humanely and under professional guidance) can also be effective in convincing geese to relocate. These methods tap into the geese’s natural fear of predators, helping to encourage them to seek a more secure site. But timing matters: these strategies only work before the eggs arrive.

A newly hatched gosling, still drying off from the shell, rests under the watchful eye of its parent.

When hatching happens in awkward places, like the third-floor ledge of a downtown office, people naturally want to help. It’s heartening to see so much compassion for wild families. The good news is that goslings are surprisingly resilient. They can often survive falls of up to three storeys (30–40 feet), and parents usually lead them safely to nearby water.

If something goes wrong—if the parents disappear, if a gosling is injured, or if there’s no safe way down—then wildlife professionals like us can step in. Under Section 6 of the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, people are allowed to temporarily move distressed birds for the purpose of rehabilitation or safe relocation. But this must be done carefully, and ideally with expert guidance.

So what can you do?

If you see geese inspecting a rooftop or courtyard early in spring, consider reaching out to building managers or wildlife experts about deterrents.
If a nest is already active, keep your distance and avoid disturbing the area.
If you find a gosling in distress or in an unsafe location, call Calgary Wildlife or a licensed rehabilitator before taking any action.

Every spring, the city becomes a nursery for one of our most iconic birds. By acting early—and acting with care—we can make sure it’s a safe season for both people and geese.

To report a goose concern or seek guidance, contact Calgary Wildlife at 403-214-1312 or visit calgarywildlife.org.