Canada Geese Banding - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

For the first time in 3 years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission was in Erie County to band Canada geese.

 Workers from the commission aided by volunteers, rounded up the geese at Mallory Lake on the Edinboro University campus. The geese were put into a makeshift pen, then one by one, banded before they were released. Blood samples were taken from some of the geese to check for avian influenza.

 The project helps to provide more information about the health, habits and movement of the geese.

 Waterfowl biologist Kevin Jacobs said, "So we can effectively monitor population size, harvest and survial rates. So we can set hunting seasons and manage the population over time."

 The workers have to be careful because the geese can be quite aggressive, biting or scratching at times.

 But they can't fly. The project is done at this time of year because the birds are molting, losing their flight feathers.