Park and Recreation staff are rounding up the waterfowl in Gibson Park at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 16.
City staff annually round up the domestic waterfowl and move them to the Honker Hilton, their winter quarters at the north end of Gibson Park.
While in their indoor quarters, the birds enjoy an indoor pond and are fed daily.
Spring waterfowl release a longstanding Great Falls tradition
“It is always entertaining for kids of all ages,” according to Park and Rec.
The waterfowl are released back into the pond each spring.
Last fall, the roundup was delayed when bird flu was detected in a goose in Gibson Park.
Waterfowl release rescheduled due to weather
Earlier this year, Kevin Vining, Great Falls Park and Recreation parks supervisor, told The Electric that city staff doesn’t know exactly when the roundups started, but from what staff can piece together, the Honker Hilton was built at the north end of Gibson Park in the late 1940s and tailored to house waterfowl in the 1950s.
Vining said the city flock, largely domestic ducks and geese, can’t migrate and likely wouldn’t survive Montana winters on their own.
Bird flu detected in Gibson Park goose; waterfowl roundup postponed [2025]
When Gibson Pond freezes, the birds lose their access to open water, natural food sources and shelter, Vining said,
The Honker Hilton includes heated space and an indoor pond, where birds are fed and watered through the winter.
Their care takes minimal time and cost, Vining said, with a waterfowl grain mix as the main purchase.
Waterfowl roundup Oct. 18 [2024]
In the fall, it takes six to eight Park and Rec staff about 30-45 minutes to round up the birds from the pond for transport to the Honker Hilton.
Gathering the birds for the spring release into Gibson Park takes about half an hour, Vining said.
Some members of the Gibson Pond flock have been there for years, Vining said.
He said city birds aren’t tagged, but Park and Rec tries to keep 75-90 birds in the flock to ensure the pond is full, but a bout of bird flu last year dropped the population a bit.
For more information, call the Park and Recreation office at 406-771-1265.
