How to Help England’s Gorgeous (noisy!) Geese
England’s wild geese are large, noisy and social birds that (like swans) mate for life, and call out to each other, during their long migrations.
They often fly in a V-line (if one gets sick, two more fly down to be with it, until it recovers or dies). Then they fly back to the original group, or find another one to join. How loyal!
Geese are comical birds who fixate on the first ‘being’ they see. And that (sometimes person) becomes their ‘mother’. Which is why they behave like guard dogs, if someone goes near your territory, if they think they should protect you!
Like most birds, geese love our wetlands, and return to England for breeding. So it’s really important to protect remaining wetlands, as we have lost most of them to industrial farming.
England’s wild geese breeds
- Canada geese are common, with black necks and honking calls.
- Barnacle geese have black and white plumage, like they are wearing tuxedos! They migrate from Greenland to Scotland each autumn, and love coastal areas.
- Brent geese are also found along coasts and estuaries. These dark-bellied geese breed in Siberia (if light-bellied, they are from Canada). They love eating eelgrass and marine vegetation.
- Greylag geese are heavy birds that often graze on agricultural land. They often nest in grounded tufts of grass.
- Egyptian geese were originally from Africa, and have striking brown and beige plumage, with distinct facial markings. They like to live in parks and large estates, and often nest in trees.
Read The Meaning of Geese, the story of one conservationist, who watches wild geese fill the Norfolk landscape, as they fly in from Iceland and Siberia on epic journeys of over 1000 miles.
Keep ponds and rivers clean
Never drop litter or pollute local rivers and ponds, as plastic bags, fishing line and discarded rubbish can choke or entangled geese, as can lead shot (there is only a voluntary ban at present).
Get involved in local litter clean-up campaigns, to clear rubbish that affects geese habitats. Anglers can use Monomaster to safely store tackle until they find fishing line recycling bins.
Protect nests and nesting areas
Geese need quiet, sheltered spaces along the water to build nests and raise goslings. So on walks, keep you and dogs away from nesting sites, and stick to marked paths.
Also stick to slow speeds on boats, and remind children not to chase or shout at geese.
Councils can help by planting reeds and grasses along riverbanks, to provide nesting sites and also this stops bank erosion and helps filter run-off before it reaches the water.
Ask councils to install bird diverters
Geese fly well but need a long run to take off, due to body weight. So they often fly into pylons or busy roundabouts. Experts say councils could install bird diverters (these can also help prevent owls and bats from being injured or electrocuted).
Use rapeseed oil (for roast potatoes)
Make roast potatoes with local rapeseed oil. You don’t need goose fat to make nice roast spuds, for Sunday lunch.
Don’t buy or order foie gras
Don’t buy pate de foie gras (nor support shops or restaurants that sell it). Illegal to produce in the UK due to cruelty.
Is it okay to feed swans, ducks and geese?
These creatures naturally live on grass, insects and molluscs. They should in theory be able to find their own food easily, under the water.
If you do choose to feed extra food, Swan Sanctuary says to only feed (occasional torn) lettuce, spinach or fresh (torn) bread is best (throw it on the water, as geese have no teeth). This also discourages wildfowl from coming onto dry land, where they can be at risk from dogs and traffic.
Never feed mouldy/stale/crusty bread nor buttered bread (this smears on feathers, affecting waterproofing/insulation).
Never feed geese on nests, as it upsets brooding and encourages vermin. The Swan Food Project has good tips on what to (and what not to) feed wildfowl.
How to help injured or orphaned geese
Geese sometimes get caught in fishing lines, swallow hooks or suffer from dog attacks. If you see a goose in trouble, call a local wildlife rescue or the RSPCA. Quick action often means the difference between life and death.
It’s illegal to harm geese (or disturb nests). Report to wildlife crime unit (can be anonymous).
Keep rescue numbers handy if you visit water often, and never try to handle an injured goose yourself. These birds are strong and can be frightened easily; experts know how to help safely.
Support good work of geese sanctuaries
Support GoodHeart Animal Sanctuaries which gives loving homes to geese, who enjoy patrolling the yard and swimming in ponds. When night falls, the ‘tame flock’ are herded into a cosy ‘bedroom’, while the ‘wild flock’ heads to a secure island.
Find help on caring for geese
If you care for geese, RSPCA has information on food, housing, disease and keeping them safe from predators.
One tip to humanely deter foxes, is to get the male member of the household to urinate in the garden!
Ban Foie Gras: Step Forward for Welfare
Foie gras is one of the cruellest foods on earth, made by force-feeding factory-farmed geese (or ducks) through a tube, until their livers turn to pate. It’s like force-feeding you plates and plates of spaghetti in one go.
Yet despite being illegal to produce in the UK, it’s still legal to sell it. So boycott it in hotels and restaurants, and any stores (including Harrods and Fortnum & Mason) that still sell it.
Foie gras is so cruel, that it’s banned for production in nearly all countries on earth (a few still produce it, including France and Hungary).
When he was California’s governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger banned its sale, he was so appalled by it being offered in local restaurants and shops. It’s banned for sale in New York City and even the whole of India.
So why on earth is it still not banned for sale in the UK (and Ireland)? Kudos to King Charles III, who at least has banned it at Buckingham palace and all royal residences.
But this does not go far enough. England is a country that adores animals, so why is it still on the menu of nearly every ‘posh’ hotel (including the Ritz, the Savoy and the Four Seasons).
Health dangers of foie gras
As well as being cruel, foie gras is very bad for your health. It’s extremely high in saturated fat and cholesterol, a real ‘heart attack on a plate’. It’s just the kind of food to block arteries.
Due to the way that it’s produced (including intensive housing), foie gras also has risks for listeria and salmonella, as well as bird flu. It’s already not recommended for pregnant/nursing women or anyone with weak immunity. And is not good for anyone else either.
Why has the import ban been delayed?
Just after the Labour landslide election in 2024, environment minister Steve Reed MP promised to ban the import of foie gras (like real fur, if it’s illegal to produce here, it should be illegal to sell). However, Animal Equality is not impressed that one year later, nothing has happened.
Apparently, the reason given is to do with ‘border checks’ in order to ‘boost economic growth’. We are better than that. Write to Your MP and ask what’s happening with the Bill, and ask him or her to support it, and raise the issue in parliament.
Every year, millions of terrified ducks and geese endure unbearable suffering for foie gras. Promises toe and UK imports of this abhorrent product has been disappointingly slow. Animal Equality UK
Labour has already pledged to ban foie gras imports. Foie gras imports betray British values of compassion. We should not be importing products that don’t meet our values. Animal Policy International
Kind alternatives to to foie gras
The reason given to eat foie gras is always the same – taste. So for those who can’t seem to stop eating it, just go for a good alternative instead.
Vegan Foie Gras (Full of Plants) was created by a French chef, and apparently tastes just like the real thing. It’s made with cashew nuts, and infused with tahini, truffle oil and miso (avoid for pregnancy/nursing due to being unpasteurised).
- Faux Gras (Two Spoons) is made from mushrooms and lentils, for a umami-rich seasoned paste by an American who has lived in France for several years.
- Shocken Foods No Duck Pate features brandy and black truffle. Sold frozen, it was created by award-winning foodies.
- Spain’s Hello Plant Foods has sold nearly 4 million units of its faux gras, including to Michelin-starred restaurants.
When consumers try Fuah! their eyebrows shoot up and they go ‘Madre Mia’. Javier Fernández (founder of Hello Plant Foods)
Also avoid ‘exotic meats’ in supermarkets
Some UK supermarkets sell ‘exotic meats’ like ostrich, crocodile and kangaroo. But welfare laws are likely even less stringent than they are for barn animals in England.
Read our post on Compassion in World Farming’s campaign to get shops to take on its 6-tier food labelling system (consumers would then know which animal foods to avoid, if they eat them).
Crocodiles are often skinned alive to make handbags and shoes and kangaroos are often clubbed to death (with their joeys left to starve) for the football boot industry, so it’s likely these animals used for food suffer the same fates.
Ostriches (the world’s largest birds) are also often killed (along with emus) for the beauty industry.
Some online stores even sell foods like zebra? Many supermarket had to take wild boar off the shelves, due to consumer boycotts. And there were more boycotts abroad, when some supermarkets started to stock snake.
They may be advertised as ‘low-cholesterol’ alternatives, but all animal foods have cholesterol (even chicken has the same cholesterol as beef). The only way to avoid bad cholesterol is to avoid animal foods – cholesterol is stored in the liver, and broccoli doesn’t have one!
