Migration, fidelity, and use of autumn staging grounds in Alaska by Cackling Canada Geese Branta canadensis minima

Robert E. Gill; Christopher Babcock; Colleen M. Handel; William R. Butler; Dennis G. Raveling

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70185348

Migration, fidelity, and use of autumn staging grounds in Alaska by Cackling Canada Geese Branta canadensis minima

Robert E. Gill·Christopher Babcock·Colleen M. Handel·William R. Butler·Dennis G. Raveling

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Cackling Canada Geese were studied annually (1985-88) on autumn migration staging areas in Alaska during a period of rapid population growth. Geese concentrated at two estuaries (Ugashik Bay and Cinder Lagoon) along the north side of the Alaska Peninsula. Birds arrived on the staging areas in late September, numbers peaked during mid-October, and departure occurred by late October or early November. Annual peak counts combined for the two staging areas ranged from 16,000-54,000 geese, or from 23-120% of the autumn population index. Up to 30,000 geese were recorded at each estuary, but relative use of the two staging areas varied among years. Within-year fidelity to staging areas was high; only three of 242 neck-banded geese seen more than once were observed at both areas within a season. Between-year fidelity to staging areas was highest among hatching-year females (11 of 11) and adult males (14 of 17), lowest among hatching-year males (4 of 9), and intermediate among adult females (18 of 28). Use of the two staging areas was independent of family status, reproductive status, and age. Late arrivals on the staging areas consisted of a higher proportion of single and paired birds than of geese in family groups. Most geese departed the staging grounds with the onset of freezing conditions and the passage of low pressure systems that produced winds favourable for migration. Transoceanic flights to the wintering grounds in Oregon and California were completed in about 48 h. During years with mild weather on the breeding grounds and years with early freezing conditions on the staging areas, few geese staged on the Alaska Peninsula, indicating that geese can sometimes obtain sufficient energy reserves to migrate directly from the breeding grounds without stopping on the staging areas. Only 25% of the area used for staging is legally protected. Use of unprotected areas may become increasingly important if the population continues to increase.

Explore related subjects

Wildfowl Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 57.24190755845816° to 57.79062478377777° latitude; -158.4173583984375° to -157.30224609375° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Robert E. Gill, Christopher Babcock, Colleen M. Handel, William R. Butler, Dennis G. Raveling. 1996. Migration, fidelity, and use of autumn staging grounds in Alaska by Cackling Canada Geese Branta canadensis minima. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70185348

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2021

Strong evidence for two disjunct populations of Black Scoters Melanitta americana in North America

Black Scoters Melanitta americana were marked with satellite transmitters on Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America to examine continental-scale population delineation. Scoters marked on the different coasts did not overlap at any stage of the annual cycle, suggesting that birds in the two regions could be monitored and managed as separate populations: 1) an Atlantic population, which winters along the Atlantic coast and Great Lakes and breeds from northeast continental Canada westward to the Northwest Territories, and 2) a Pacific population, which winters along the Pacific coasts of Alaska, British Columbia and the Pacific northwest states, and breeds in western Alaska. Range maps for Black Scoter could reflect these distributions revealed by satellite telemetry. Our data provide new information on the distribution of Black Scoters in North America, which can be used to improve the design of future surveys.

Alaska↗

USGS2020

Survival of Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis differs among island populations: Role of chronic avian botulism

Monitoring demographic response over time is valuable for understanding population dynamics of endangered species. We quantified the variation in survival patterns for three small isolated island populations of endangered waterfowl in the Hawaiian Archipelago. Laysan Teal Anas laysanensis were individually marked and the fate of 1,150 individuals were followed from different cohorts among the two reintroduced (Kure and Midway Atolls) and the single relict (Laysan Island) populations for time series of 4, 10 and 15 years respectively. We applied a non-parametric Kaplan-Meier estimator to describe variation between the populations in survival for different cohorts. For Laysan Island and Midway Atoll, we used log-rank tests to determine the effects of cohort, island and sex on survival. Birds in the Laysan Island population had significantly higher survival than those in the Midway population, and males had higher survival than females in both populations. The proportion of females surviving at Midway Atoll was 40% lower than for females on Laysan Island at year 5. The oldest bird observed from Laysan Island was at least 15.5 years old and had been ringed as an adult. The Kure Atoll founder cohort ( n = 28) had 100% survival 18 months post-release, but this dropped by 39% during the first avian botulism type C outbreak. Ten of twenty-eight founders and a population of 60–70 birds persisted on Kure Atoll in 2020. We summarised mortality records to generate hypotheses to explain the cause-specific mechanisms driving the observed survival differences. Mortality data showed that the survival differences between islands in Laysan Teal survival was driven by chronic epizootics of avian botulism type C at Midway and Kure Atoll.

Wildfowl↗

USGS2020

Migration routes and population status of the Brent Goose Branta bernicla nigricans wintering in East Asia

Of the world’s Brent Goose Branta bernicla populations, the migration routes and winter distribution of the East Asian population of Brent Geese B. b. nigricans are the least well known. We therefore marked Brent Geese at their primary pre-migratory staging area in Notsuke Bay, Hokkaido, Japan to describe their migration between breeding and wintering areas in East Asia. Additionally, count data were compiled from the literature to identify important wintering and staging sites for the species, following Ramsar Convention criteria, and to assess trends in numbers of Brent Geese recorded in Japan and South Korea. The tracking data provided the first direct evidence of migratory connectivity between staging sites in northern Japan and the Korean Peninsula. A total of 26 internationally important sites were identified in the Russian Far East (7), northern Japan (16), northeast China (2) and the Korean Peninsula (1). Autumn surveys made at staging sites in Japan indicate that the East Asian population is increasing, although more extensive surveys for Brent Geese in China and on the Korean Peninsula are needed to confirm overall population trends and to identify critical habitats and wintering sites. We encourage the continuation of tracking studies, to describe more precisely the main migration routes, staging areas and, importantly, the breeding grounds for this vulnerable Brent Geese population.

Wildfowl↗