!II•I ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE TRANSPLANT FROM BULDIR ISLAND TO AGATTU ISLAND, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA I SUHMER 1984 I by I FREDRIC G. DEINES I Key Words: Aleutian Canada Geese I Aleutian ~slands Rat Island Group Buldir Island Near Island Group I Agattu Island Transplanted gees~ .. Endangered Species I Distribution I I Restrictions: Internal Document - Not for Publication I U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS UNIT I ALASKA MARITIME NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BOX 5251 NAS ADAK FPO SEATTLE, WA 98791-0009 I (ADAK, ALASKA) ARLIS Alaska Resources I :-:l Library & Information Services ,......c.o Anchorage, Alaska I ,......c.o SEPTEMBER 1, 1984 ~ 0 0 0 I LO LO,...... M I M AcgDisk l/Bul-Ag84 I I Executive Summary 1 I List of Expendit~~n Members 2 Acknowledg~ments 2 I Introduction 2 Methods and Materials 4 Capturing the Geese 4. .I Handling the Geese 5 I Results and Discussion 8 Recommendations 16 I Literature Cited 17 Appendix: Appendix A. 1984 Banding Schedules for Wild 18 I Aleutian Canada Geese Released on Agattu Island I. Appendix B. 1984 Incidental Weather, Bird, Mamal 23 and Plant Observations at Buldir I FIGURES: Figure 1: Map of Central and Western 5 I Aleutian Islands Figure 2: Backpack and Goose Cage Illustration 6 I Figure 3: 1984 Goose Release Site, Agattu Island 9 Figure 4: 1984 Goose Capture Sites, Buldir Island 12 I TABLES: Table 1: Goose Tubing Solution 6 I Table 2.: Results of Capture, Banding and Trans- 11 planting of Aleutian Canada Geese from I Buldir Island to Agattu Island, 1984 Table 3: Estimated Age of Goslings Capture 13 & 14 I After First Day and Color Banded Table 4: Geese Exhibiting Some Paralysis 15 at Time of Release ARLIS I Alaska Res:ources Library & Information Service~. I Anchorage, Alaska ~~- I Refereed publication DE'P.AR.'niE'm' OF 1'RE L'ITE.RIOR !'--' Non-refereed public:at:::!.Qn u.s. FISH AND WII.DI.IFE SERVICE 1-- Unpublished present:at:ion :o I · conference or Yorkshop SUMMARY OF PU13L~CATION OR REPORT 1-- .t• ."C:ctn''IVE administ::-at:::!.ve. re?or~ ·~ Internal O.ther (see re!!larks) DAI'E I !!!U: September 1,' 1984 Aleut~an canada 'Goos~ Transplant from Buldir Island to Agattu Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska -- Summer 1984 I.D • NO. I -- AI!TBOR(S) CI'!ATION Fredric G. Deines . I OBJ'ECTIVE Capture Aleutian Canada s.eese and transplant to Agattu Island to continue efforts toward reestablishing a nesting population on Agattu Island • I . I ~OD OF STUDY Geese were captured on Buldir Island by searching the up~er and lower·edge of the lowland tall plant association \'lhere tall plants 'offer cover and short plants offer succulent food. When the g~ese were captured,. they were sexed, aged and banded with a numbered colored 9lastic leg band and size 7B FNS leg band. ~"Vi thin 7 2 hours after capture I the birds were transported to. Agattu via the charter vessel "Vestfjord" and released at Goose Creek in Aga Cove, Agattu Island. I ~'t FINDINGS. A total of 92 geese were captured on Buldir. Of this number, four died in ti.1e capture or transplant efforts. The four birds that died represented a four percent I mortality factor for all the birds captured and transplanted. A total of 88 Aleutian Canada geese composed of 56 gos~ings and 32 adults were successfully transplanted and re- I leased on Agattu Island. CONCLUSIONS The capture and transplant of wild Aleutian Canada geese. from Buldir Island is I t:1e most efficient .method for reestablishing nesting populations of this sub-species on islands cleared of foxes where the geese historically nested (prior to the introduction of foxes near the turn of :the century). This was confirmed earlier this summer when 'three-- . I nests and one brood were found at Cape Sabak, Agattu Islahd. I fMANAG~ IMPLICATIONS Continuation of transplant efforts wil~ lead to reest~lishment of nesting populations of this endangered sub-species on Agattu and other islands and hope- I fully lead.to t:1e species' eventual removal from the endangered species.list. ...... I - I 'ADDITIONAL REMARKS -- .. I rtJ?DA'ZES OR SU'PER.SZDES I·.D. NO. ~ROGMM I .. I fFOR COPUS OF ?UBLICA'!ION OR REPORT CO NT.ACT I I 1 AI-64 I I Chris Ambroz - Biological Technician, AIU-AMNWR, Adak, AK Ellen Deines - Volunteer Biologist, AIU-AMNWR, Adak, AK I Fred Deines - Refuge Biologist, AIU-AMNWR,· Adak, AK Cathy Edgerton - Volunteer Biologist, AIU-AMNWR, Adak, AK Tom Edgerton- Outdoor Recreation Planner, AIU...:AMNWR, Adak, AK Mike Goos - ADC Assistant, WR/ADC, Bismarck, ND I Kim Hanson - Staff Assistant, WR/ADC, Grand Junction, CO Scott Hatch - Biologist, Research, Anchorage, AK Forrest Lee - Volunteer Biologist, Endangered Species, Anchorage, AK · I Mark Koepsel - Biological Technician, AIU-AMNWR, Adak, AK .I Special appreciation_must be extended to Volunteer Biologists and Biological Technicians for their assistance in the 1984 Aleutian I Canada goose capture, banding and transplant efforts. Their enthusiastic and professionai participation helped complete the efforts in a timely manner under difficult working conditions. -I Thanks must also be given to the nvestfjord" crew members for their assistance in our goose capture and transplan~ efforts. Consultation, advice and other assistance from Forrest Lee proved to be an invaluable asset during the transplant operation and I during the preparation of this report. Appreciation is also extended to Fred Zeillemaker, AIU Refuge Manager, for editing I this report. I The u. S. Fish .and Wildlife Service is· attempting. to reestablish the endangeied Aleutian Canada goose on selected historic nesting islands that have been rendered fox-free in the western portion I of the Aleutian Chain (Fig. 1). To accomplish this goal, hand~ reared birds were formerly transplanted to s~~~ islands in hopes that they would reestablish nesting populations. This was not successful as the birds had no knowledge of the migration route I to California wintering grounds and they subsequently perished. The next effort was to release a combination of hand-reared .birds and wild birds transplanted from Buldir Island. It was hoped I that the experienced w-ild adults transplanted from Buldir would . serve as nguides" for their goslings and the hand-reared ,birds transplanted with them. The young of the year would then return · I to the island on which they first became capable of flight and establish new breeding populations. This combination of hand­ reared and wild geese was used at Agattu in 1978, 1979, 1980 and I 1982. Although many of the wild goslings returned to the island of .their release, again there was little success with the hand~ reared birds. Therefore, the release of hand-reared birds was discontinued following the 1982 program. The 1983 and 1984 I transplants have been composed solely of wild birds captured at Buldir. I I 2 I· 1.· I I BERING SEA I -- + .I + + + I I .....-·~:·p /) I Fr..,,. I - ·+ I + PACIFIC OCEAN N + I ) I too I I Figure l. THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALEUTIAN ISLANDS I. (Circled .Islands are fox free) I I I 3 I.I The goal for the 1984 season was to capture and transplant 100 I geese from Buldir to Agattu. This was not possible, however, due to a shortened schedule caused by boat delays and some of the worse weather ever encountered during a transplant effort. Dur­ I ing the capture and transplant operations every effort was ·made to keep the family groups tog~ther, although this was not pos­ I sible in all cases. I Work was conducted on Buldir and Agattu Islands from 30 July to 5 August 1984. Not all personnel participated in the capture ef­ forts of wild Aleutian Canada geese on Buldir Island this season. Due to the bad weather, Scott Hatch, Forrest Lee and Mark Koepsel I were not able to go ashore to participate in the capture after they arrived off Buldir from Shemya. The geese captured on Buldir were eventually transported to Agattu ~ia the charter I vessel "Vestfjord''. Only one transplant was made on the last day of the project due to the bad weather and requced time schedule. Scott Hatch, Forrest Lee, Cathy and Tom Edgerton, Chris Ambroz and Kim Hanson participated in the one release on Agattu. Every I effort was made throughout the capture, banding and transplant operations to reduce stress caused by handling and increase the , I birds' chances for survival. I Most methods used while searching for geese were based on infor­ mation obtained during past work at Buldir. Byrd and Woolington (1978) indicated that most family groups could be found near the upper edge of the lowland tali plant association and the lower I edge of the tipland short plant association where tall plants offer cover and the short plants offer succulent forage. When searching'for g~ese, only one person usually walked in the short I plant community and the others walked at a slightly lower eleva­ tion in the tall plant community. Depending upon vegetation and topography, personnel usually walked abreast at about 5 to 15 m apart (Early and Henry 1979) • Most geese were encountered in the I tall plant community from near its upper edge to about 200 m down hill. A 1 m long by 1/2 m wide long handled dip net. was used to catch the geese. The net was most efficient when working in I fairly even terrain'with moderately short vegetation (Early and Henry 1979) • The net helped prevent injury to birds during capture. I Usually, when one goose was sighted others could be located in the same area.