USDA's Bird Hit Man

There are now almost 4 million Canada geese in the United States, up from just 230,000 in 1970. That fact provides full employment for Michael J. Begier of the Agriculture Department's Airport Wildlife Hazards Program.

The Washington Post reports today that Begier is the program's bird expert, with the job of keeping avian threats--especially Canada geese, who don't have a lot of natural predators--from aircraft. That means euthanizing geese--usually in gas chambers, but sometimes by gunshot--at a rate of 24,000 last year, more than twice as many as in 2008.