2001 Canada Goose Roundup
By Matt Young Senior Writer
A special DU report on the status of Canada goose populations in every flyway
In this era of booming Canada goose populations, it's hard to imagine that just more than 50 years ago the birds were a rarity across much of North America. 
In fact, the giant Canada goose, which historically nested throughout the Upper Mississippi River Valley, was believed to be extinct, and many other Canada goose populations had been reduced to perilously low levels.
According to Frank Bellrose, author of Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America, only 76,700 Canada geese were inventoried in 1943 throughout the entire Mississippi Flyway. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) estimated that the Mississippi Valley Canada goose population alone had a fall flight of nearly 1.3 million birds.
The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) is among the most successful and genetically diverse of the world's waterfowl. Taxonomists currently recognize several separate subspecies, all of which evolved unique physical and behavioral characteristics to fill diverse ecological niches across the continent. They range in size from the cackling Canada goose (B. canadensis minima), which is slightly larger than a mallard, to the giant Canada goose (B.c. maxima), which can tip the scales at more than 20 pounds. While all subspecies share the trademark black head and neck with a white cheek patch, their body plumage varies from pale gray to dusky brown.
For management purposes, waterfowl biologists group Canada geese into several geographic populations, some of which consist of more than one subspecies. Most Canada goose populations are presently thriving, and more of the birds likely exist in North America today than at any other time in history. The expansion of agriculture on breeding and wintering areas, coupled with sound harvest management strategies, have greatly improved survival of adult Canada geese throughout much of the continent, enabling many populations to flourish.
However, northern nesting Canada geese remain vulnerable to harsh spring weather, overharvesting, and habitat degradation on their fragile tundra breeding grounds. In recent decades, some Canada goose populations have suffered sharp declines, while others remain below optimal management levels. The following is an overview of the status of Canada goose populations by flyway, compiled from surveys conducted by the USFWS, Canadian Wildlife Service, and cooperating state and provincial wildlife agencies.
The Atlantic Flyway
The birthplace of North America's waterfowling tradition, the Atlantic Flyway is home to two large migratory populations of the interior Canada goose subspecies (B.c. interior). The Atlantic Population primarily breeds in northern 
Quebec and winters in the Chesapeake Bay region, with the largest numbers gathering on the Delmarva Peninsula of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
This once heavily hunted population peaked at nearly 1 million birds during the 1970s, then suffered a sharp decline during the late 1980s and early 1990s. By 1995, breeding pair counts in northern Quebec had declined by 75 percent since the time that surveys were initiated in 1987, forcing waterfowl managers to close the general Canada goose season throughout the Atlantic Flyway states.
The closure remained in effect until 1999, when a limited hunting season was resumed in several states. In 2000, the USFWS surveyed 93,000 breeding pairs in northern Quebec, a 20 percent increase from the year before. Unfortunately, harsh spring weather resulted in poor production of goslings. Nevertheless, as growing numbers of juvenile geese reach breeding age in coming years, waterfowl biologists are cautiously optimistic that the population will continue its recovery.
The remainder of the flyway's interior Canada geese are managed as part of the North Atlantic Population, which breeds in Newfoundland and Labrador and winters in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and western New England. Recent research has revealed that a small but growing population of interior Canada geese-currently numbering approximately 2,500 pairs-is nesting along the west coast of Greenland. With juveniles included, an estimated 10,000 Canada geese now migrate from Greenland to North America.
This discovery was made by a cooperative study conducted by DU's Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research (IWWR), the U.S. Geological Survey at Cornell University, and the Denmark National Environment Research Institute. DU and its partners are 
presently tracking several migratory Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway with satellite transmitters to learn more about the birds' breeding, migration, and wintering habits (see sidebar). This information will help waterfowl biologists to develop more effective management strategies for migratory Canada geese throughout the flyway.
The Mississippi Flyway
Ranking first in abundance of Canada geese, the Mississippi Flyway supports three migratory populations of interior Canada geese, which, in the fall, collectively number nearly 2 million strong. The largest of these is the Mississippi Valley Population (MVP), which breeds in northern Ontario and northeastern Manitoba, especially in the coastal lowlands bordering James and Hudson bays. The bulk of MVP Canada geese winter near the Mississippi River in Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri. In recent decades, however, increasing numbers of the birds have been wintering farther north in southeastern Wisconsin, where nearly the entire population gathers to stage in the fall.
During 2000, waterfowl biologists surveyed more than 1 million MVP Canada geese, similar to the 1999 estimate and slightly above the 10-year average. Unfortunately, the birds suffered poor breeding success due to a late spring blizzard, which caused extensive nest losses. Despite this setback, the population remains at a level slightly above the management goal.
The Eastern Prairie Population (EPP) breeds in the Hudson Bay lowlands of Manitoba. Historically, nearly the entire population staged in autumn at Manitoba's Oak Hammock Marsh, site of DU Canada's national headquarters, and Minnesota's Lac qui Parle State Refuge, and wintered on Missouri's Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge. During the past several decades, major shifts in the distribution of EPP Canada geese have occurred in response to changes in agricultural practices and milder fall and winter temperatures.
While many EPP Canada geese continue to migrate to Missouri, they now arrive several weeks later than in the past. As a result, fewer of the birds have been using Swan Lake Refuge, while more of the birds are congregating with resident geese on ice-free lakes near urban centers. Interestingly, a similar shift has occurred in Manitoba, where growing numbers of EPP Canada geese have shifted from Oak Hammock to stage within the city limits of Winnipeg.
For the past decade, the EPP has remained relatively stable at a level near the management goal. Last spring, waterfowl biologists surveyed 275,000 geese across EPP breeding areas, a 33 percent increase from 1999. However, due to a late spring and coastal flooding in some areas, very few breeding geese were observed, and gosling production was low. In addition, a weak breeding effort observed among EPP Canada geese in the Cape Churchill area may be attributable to habitat degradation caused by overabundant breeding and staging lesser snow geese.
The Southern James Bay Population (SJBP) of Canada geese breeds largely on Akimiski Island and the coastal lowlands to the south and west. The majority of this population of the interior subspecies migrate through southwestern Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and northwestern Pennsylvania, and winter in northern Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and southern Michigan. Roughly 10 to 15 percent of SJBP Canada geese winter in the Atlantic Flyway, primarily in Virginia and North Carolina.
The SJBP is among the few Canada goose populations that have remained persistently below management goals, and restrictive harvest regulations for the birds have been in place since the early 1990s. Recent research, supported in part by DU's IWWR, has documented that the breeding habitats of SJBP geese on Canada's Akimiski Island have been severely degraded by overabundant staging snow geese. As a result, goslings hatched on the island suffer from poor nutrition, and those that survive to fledge have very low survival rates.
During 2000, the USFWS surveyed 89,100 Canada geese across the SJBP breeding range, a 35 percent decrease from the year before. This included 27,847 breeding pairs, which was 48 percent lower than the year before. Without a dramatic improvement in habitat conditions on Akimiski Island, the SJBP is expected to remain at depressed levels, warranting continued harvest restrictions.
The Central Flyway
Nowhere are Canada geese faring better than in the Central Flyway, which supports five large populations of the birds. The Western Prairie Population (WPP) is comprised largely of interior Canada geese that breed across the prairies of eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. The Great Plains Population (GPP) consists of giant Canadas that were reintroduced to North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Both populations winter together along the Missouri River in South Dakota and in the southern High Plains region. These prairie-nesting geese have experienced explosive population growth in response to several consecutive years of unusually wet weather on their breeding grounds, a situation that has created an abundance of prime habitat for nesting pairs and broods. In January 2000, the USFWS surveyed 594,700 WPP/GPP Canada geese, a 27 percent increase from the year before and well above the 10-year average.
The Hi-Line Population (HLP) of Canada geese, comprised largely of the western (B.c. moffitti) and giant subspecies, was established through reintroduction efforts conducted in southwestern Saskatchewan, southeastern Alberta, eastern Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Historically, HLP Canada geese wintered in greatest numbers in the Texas Panhandle, but, during the past decade, their winter distribution has shifted north to Colorado.
Like other prairie-nesting Canada geese, the HLP has experienced explosive growth in recent decades. Winter surveys suggest that the population has grown by an average of 7 percent per year since 1970. Last spring, 279,291 HLP Canada geese were counted across their primary breeding grounds, a 42 percent increase from the 1999 estimate.
You can track the migration of Atlantic Canada geese from the comfort of your own home by going to "Geese in Space." The section includes video footage of the birds and the latest update on their movements.
Scientists with Ducks Unlimited and the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University fitted 20 geese from Labrador and four from Greenland with lightweight satellite transmitters, allowing the biologists to track their movements and learn more about their migration and wintering habits. This research, supported by funding from Tudor Farms, will be critical to the conservation and management of the geese, which have suffered severe declines during the past decade.
Weighing only 35 grams, the radio transmitters are attached to the geese with a flexible harness. The radio sends signals to satellites that circle the globe. This information is sent to a receiver on earth and then is transferred to the researchers' computers.
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In addition to having an abundance of large Canada geese, the Central Flyway also supports more than 500,000 lesser (B.c. parvipes) and Richardson's (B.c. hutchinsii) Canadas, which breed across much of the Canadian Arctic. Due to the vastness of their breeding range, these small geese, weighing from four to six pounds, are managed as two separate populations, each comprised of both subspecies.
The Tall Grass Prairie Population (TGPP) historically wintered along the Gulf Coast of southeast Texas and northeastern Mexico. In recent decades, however, the winter distribution of this population has shifted gradually northward into Oklahoma. The Short Grass Prairie Population (SGPP) winters in southeastern Colorado, northeastern New Mexico, and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Based upon spring and winter surveys, both the TGPP and SGPP have remained relatively stable during the past decade. Although harsh spring weather on their breeding grounds resulted in poor gosling production during 2000, both populations remain at levels above management goals.
The Pacific Flyway
The vast and geographically diverse Pacific Flyway is home to seven subspecies of Canada geese, most of which are managed as separate populations. Four of these-cackling, Aleutian (B.c. leucopareia), Taverner's (B.c. taverneri), and lesser (B.c. parvipes) Canada geese-are classified as small subspecies, while Dusky (B.c. occidentalis), Vancouver (B.c. fulva), and western Canada geese are considered to be large subspecies. The population status of these different subspecies varies, and many of the birds share the same migration and wintering areas, making Canada goose harvest management in the Pacific Flyway far more challenging than in other regions.
The most abundant of the Pacific Flyway's small Canada geese, the tiny cackling Canada breeds exclusively on Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Cacklers suffered a severe population decline during the 1970s and early 1980s, but have been increasing at a rate of 10 percent a year since 1990. In 2000, the USFWS estimated the fall cackling Canada goose population to be roughly 210,000 birds, similar to the 1999 estimate. In recent decades, large numbers of cacklers have shifted their wintering range from the Central Valley of California to the Willamette Valley of Oregon, where they intermingle with several other subspecies of Canada geese.
The Aleutian Canada goose, named for its breeding grounds in Alaska's Aleutian Island chain, has also staged an impressive comeback in recent decades. This small Canada goose was driven to the brink of extinction earlier this century when foxes were introduced to the Aleutian Islands. The removal of predators from several islands and the protection of the birds on migration and wintering areas have enabled the population to increase from approximately 800 birds in 1974 to 33,496 birds in the winter of 2000.
Following the stunning success of these recovery efforts, the USFWS has removed the Aleutian Canada goose from the federal threatened species list. The majority of Aleutian Canada geese winter in the San Joaquin Valley of California, where DU works with private landowners, government agencies, and other organizations to conserve critical waterfowl habitats.
The Pacific Flyway's other two small Canada goose subspecies, lesser and Taverner's Canada geese, breed throughout the North Slope and the interior of Alaska and largely winter in Washington and Oregon. In recent years, growing numbers of these small geese have been wintering in Oregon's Willamette Valley along with Aleutian, cackling, Vancouver, and dusky Canada geese. Although reliable population estimates for lesser and Taverner's Canada geese are presently unavailable in the Pacific Flyway, both subspecies are believed to be stable or increasing.
The much larger dusky Canada goose, weighing from eight to 10 pounds, is named for its dark body plumage, varying among individuals from chestnut to chocolate brown. Among the most threatened waterfowl in North America, the entire dusky Canada goose population nests in the Copper River Delta of southeastern Alaska and winters in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon.
Their numbers plummeted following the cataclysmic Alaska earthquake of 1964, which caused massive uplifting throughout the Copper River Delta, decreasing the wetland acreage and changing the plant community. This has made nesting adults and goslings more vulnerable to predators, further reducing the productivity of the population.
During January 2000, the USFWS surveyed 15,459 dusky Canadas in the Willamette Valley, a 15 percent increase from 1999. Last spring, record low numbers of breeding dusky Canadas were surveyed on the Copper River Delta. However, gosling production in the area appeared to be well above average, possibly resulting in an increased fall flight.
Resident Canadas: Boom or Bust? Depending on your point of view, North America's surging resident Canada goose populations are either a blessing or a nuisance. To waterfowlers in many parts of the nation, these large and abundant geese, many of which are the product of giant Canada goose restoration efforts, have provided a wealth of additional hunting opportunities. Resident Canadas have become especially important in areas where migratory Canada goose populations have declined, such as in the Atlantic Flyway and in the lower Mississippi Flyway.
On the downside, resident Canadas have become a serious problem in suburban areas, where hordes of the big birds foul grassy areas, pollute municipal water sources, and aggressively defend their nests. By intermingling with migratory flocks on staging and wintering areas, resident Canada geese also complicate efforts to survey and manage other goose populations. In addition, ever increasing numbers of nonbreeding resident Canadas, which fly hundreds of miles north of their home ranges to molt, may compete with migratory geese for limited food resources on northern breeding areas.
In 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service surveyed more than 2.5 million resident and giant Canada geese in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. As these prolific birds continue to multiply, the management of resident Canada goose populations is sure to be one of the most challenging waterfowl management issues of the next decade.
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The largely nonmigratory Vancouver Canada goose closely resembles the dusky subspecies, except it is slightly larger and darker in color. They nest along the rugged coast of southern Alaska, British Columbia, and the Queen Charlotte Islands and winter in coastal areas near their breeding grounds. However, an unknown number of these geese venture south to spend the winter in Washington and Oregon. Although accurate population estimates are difficult to determine, Vancouver Canada goose numbers appear to be either stable or increasing.
The Pacific Flyway also supports a large population of western Canada geese, managed as the Pacific Population. These large geese nest and winter west of the Rocky Mountains from central British Columbia to California and Nevada. Breeding success among this population varies throughout their vast range, depending on local habitat conditions. While total estimates are unavailable, this population is quite healthy overall, and western Canada geese are rapidly expanding their range in many areas of the flyway.
A favorite of waterfowlers and other wild bird enthusiasts, the Canada goose is the most plentiful and well known of North America's geese. With many populations at record highs, there has never been a better time to hunt and observe these wily and majestic birds. However, certain Canada goose subspecies and populations face an uncertain future. Clearly, continued wise management and habitat conservation work will be required to help build and maintain the continent's rich Canada goose resources.
