Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis) W.C

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) W.C. Joe Johnson

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, OH (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II) © Joan Tisdale

especially on waterfowl refuges in the southern Few Michiganders can remember the 25 part of the state. This is a very small goose, September 1946 headlines in the Battle Creek weighing about 2kg (4 lbs.) Enquirer newspaper: “Hunters won’t have the Canadian Goose for prey when the hunting and has a voice that has been described as a season opens October 5.” The hunting season “cackle”. This left seven large-bodied was closed because biologists estimated that subspecies assigned to the Canada Goose there were less than 50,000 left in the entire (canadensis, interior, maxima, moffiti, parvipes, Mississippi Flyway. In the mid 2000s biologists fulva, occidentalis), of which the “Giant” estimated that there were 2.5 million in the Canada Goose (maxima), once thought to be flyway (Fronczak 2009). Conservation extinct, is the subspecies nesting in Michigan, programs worked for the Canada Goose. They and the subject of this account. have been restored or introduced in many areas and now can be found nesting in all Canadian Distribution Provinces and all 49 continental states During MBBA I the Canada Goose was (Mowbray et. al. 2002). observed in all 83 counties and confirmed nesting in 81 of them. In MBBA II, they were During MBBA I, twelve subspecies of Canada observed and confirmed nesting in all 83 Goose were recognized (Delacour 1956). But in counties. The new counties were Huron and 2004, primarily based on genetic studies, the Delta. Township observations increased American Ornithologists’ Union split five of the significantly between the two atlases, with 774 small-bodied, primarily tundra-nesting subspecies occupied during MBBA I and 1,121 during (hutchinsii, asiatica, leucopareia, taverneri, MBBA II, an increase of about 17%. minima) into a separate species, the Cackling Distribution throughout the state does not seem Goose (Banks et al. 2004), which is fairly common to have changed much, with over half of the in Michigan in late October, observations occurring in the SLP, a little over

25% in the NLP and about 20% in the UP. The If ice cover loss starts to occur earlier, then the distribution of lakes and ponds likely affect the Canada Goose will likely begin to nest earlier distribution of this species. A major change in like they do in Ohio and Indiana. nesting habitat has occurred since the 1970s when geese were thought to need a least a two Abundance and Population Trends hectare (five acre) wetland (Kaminski 1975). (Click to view trends from the BBS) This very adaptable species, tolerant of humans, A highly significant increase in the number of now occupies and nests on or near very small Canada Geese observed on Michigan BBS runoff ponds associated with industrial and surveys occurred between our two atlases, residential development. The high incidence of calculated to be a 7% annual increase. In the confirmed nesting in Wayne County is probably 1980s, about three birds per route were not because of major wetland restoration but the observed; by the mid 2000s, the number had development of storm water retention ponds. risen to 15 (Sauer et al. 2008). USFWS Region Golf courses with ponds and lots of green grass 3, the Great Lake States, had an annual increase attract lots of nesting geese. Many of 8%, increasing from four geese to 25 per urban/suburban areas are closed to hunting and route. In the 1990s, major growth was also act as refuges for geese. reported in atlas reports from Wisconsin (Craven 2006), Ohio (Peterjohn and Rice 1991) It was only a matter of time before Canada Indiana, (Keller and Castrale 1998) Ontario Geese became so common that human/goose (Hughes and Abraham 2007) and New York conflicts began to rise. Beginning in 1972, the (McGowan 2008). DNRE began trapping and relocating conflict geese. Many thousands have been relocated Michigan spring waterfowl survey estimates, throughout the state, and many thousands have based on observations from 22 stratified aerial been sent to Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, flight lines, indicated an average of 205,000 Mississippi and Oklahoma through 2008 (range 172,000 to 246,000) Canada Geese (MDNR unpl. data). between 2002 and 2008 (MDNR unpl. rep.). In Illinois they are considered a nuisance, in New Breeding Biology York a pest. Michigan uses the term There is no evidence that there have been any human/goose conflicts when problems occur. It changes in nest initiation, hatch and fledging is not that there are too many geese, but there is dates. This species begins nesting shortly after a distribution problem when so many occur in ice free conditions occur in late March, typically urban and suburban settings (MDNR unpl. rep. completes an average clutch of six eggs by early 2007). Hunting season structure (length and bag April which begin to hatch by early May. limits) have stabilized the Michigan population at around 200,000. Consistently since 1982, biologists have been able to capture for banding purposes, seven to Conservation Needs ten week old goslings and their flightless The current DNRE goal is to ensure the welfare parents between 10 June and 4 July every year. and sustainability of our Canada Goose resource. To help control the population size

© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) W.C. Joe Johnson and provide recreational opportunities, liberal Atlas of Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. Canada Goose hunting seasons and bag limits Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. have been in effect for several years. Waukesha, WI. Unfortunately hunting cannot be used to control Delacour, J. 1956. Waterfowl of the World, geese located in major metropolitan areas Volume 1. Country Life Limited. London. because of laws prohibiting the discharge of Fronczak, D. 2009. Waterfowl Harvest and firearms and other public safety issues. Population Survey Data. USFWS. Ft. Snelling, MN. In metropolitan areas during MBBA II, 4,000- Hughes, J.H. and K. Abraham. 2007. Canada 7,000 geese were rounded up during their Goose. In Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, flightless period in June each year for relocation G,G. Beck, D. Lepage and A. R. Couturier. to other areas in Michigan and the Midwest. 2007. Atlas of Breeding Birds of Ontario, This control method is very time consuming, 2001-2005. Bird Studies Canada, expensive, and suitable release sites are limited, Environment Canada, Ontario Field therefore it is not likely to be sustainable into Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural the future. A second control program started in Resources and Ontario Nature. Toronto. 1998 is the issuance of permits to citizens to Ontario. destroy nests and eggs. During MBBA II, Kaminski, R.M. 1975. Nesting Giant Canada 5,000-6,000 eggs were destroyed annually in the Geese in southeastern Lower Michigan. Metro Detroit area, Ann Arbor, Alpena, and M.S. thesis, East Lansing, Michigan State Sault St. Marie. If the eggs are removed after University. the 14th day of incubation, the vast majority of Keller,G.E. and J. S. Castrale. 1998. Canada the adult geese perform a molt migration into Goose. In Castrale, J.S., E.M. Hopkins, and northern Canada in late May – early June. C.E. Keller. 1998. Atlas of Breeding Birds of During the return flight in September, the geese Indiana. Indiana Department of Natural are subject to significantly more hunting Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, pressure and survival of the adults is lowered Nongame and Endangered Wildlife substantially (Luukkonen et. al. 2008) when Program. Indianapolis, IN. compared with adults that remained in Michigan Luukkonen, D.R., H. Prince and R. Mykut, and raised goslings. 2008. Movements of Molt Migrant Canada Geese from Southern Michigan. Journal of Literature Citations Wildlife Management 72(2): 449-462. Banks, R.C., C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, A.W. McGowan, K. 2008. Canada Goose. In Kratter, P.C. Rasmussen, J.V. Remsen Jr., McGowan, K.J. and K. Corwin (eds) 2008. J.D. Rising, and D.F. Stotz. 2004. Forty-fifth The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in New Supplement to the American Ornithologists’ York State. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, Union Check-list of North American Birds. NY. Auk 121: 985-995. Mowbray, T.B., C.R. Ely, J.S. Sedinger, and Craven. S. 2006. Canada Goose. In Cutright, R.E. Trost. 2002. Canada Goose (Branta N.J., B.R. Harriman, and R.W. Howe. 2006. canadensis). In The Birds of North America,

No.682. The Birds of North America, Inc. Philadelphia, PA. Peterjohn, B.G., and D.L. Rice. 1991. The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Columbus, OH. Sauer, J.R., J.E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2008. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966-2007. Version 5.15.2008. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Laurel,