Flock composition and foraging behavior of greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica)

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (12) ◽  
pp. 2410-2415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc Bélanger ◽  
Jean Bédard
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

We studied the foraging behavior of greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) staging in a Scirpus tidal marsh along the St. Lawrence Estuary in Quebec during fall 1985 and 1986 and spring 1986 and 1987. Among all foraging activities, grubbing (feeding on underground plant parts) ranked first (>50%), but important seasonal differences were observed. Geese spent less time grubbing and more time searching and grazing on newly emerging shoots in spring than in fall. Our study also revealed differences in the foraging behaviors of birds of differing social status. We found that juveniles spent more time searching for food than adults, particularly in fall. Males also spent more time alert than females, at least in fall. We also observed behavioral differences among adults of different social status (member of a family, paired bird, and unpaired bird). Solitary unpaired birds devoted less time grubbing and, consequently, more time searching for food, than paired birds in fall. Finally, paired and family-member adult birds adopted a similar foraging strategy, spending more time searching and grazing in spring than in fall.

Dynamics of fat and protein reserves during winter and spring migration in greater snow geese

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 2077-2087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Gauthier ◽  
Jean-François Giroux ◽  
Jean Bédard
Keyword(s):  
Spring Migration ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Protein Storage ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
St Lawrence River

We studied the dynamics of fat and protein reserves in greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) during winter and spring migration, and examined the influence of a recent expansion of their staging grounds and change in habitat use on fat and protein storage. We collected 63 geese during the winter of 1989–1990 at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware, 158 geese in spring 1989 and 1990 at Lake Saint-Pierre and Cap-Saint-Ignace along the St. Lawrence River in southern Quebec, and 17 geese at the end of the 1990 migration on By lot Island, N.W.T. In both sexes, protein reserves did not change in winter but fat declined from a peak in December to a low point in early March, just before spring migration. Geese collected 3 weeks later at Lake Saint-Pierre (800 km north) had considerably larger fat reserves (90% larger in females and 40% in males). Geese accumulated large fat reserves at both sites along the St. Lawrence River. Although geese staged for a shorter period at Lake Saint-Pierre (a recently used area), males stored as much fat as those staging at Cap-Saint-Ignace and females only slightly less. A small amount of protein was stored between late winter and the end of staging. Spring conditioning of geese along the St. Lawrence River seems to have improved over the past decade. We found weak evidence that larger females stored more fat. The cost of migrating from the St. Lawrence to Arctic nesting grounds (2900 km) is considerable, as half of the fat reserves accumulated in spring were used for the migration. There is no evidence of fat or protein storage between the St. Lawrence estuary and the Arctic nesting grounds.

scholarly journals Survival of Young Greater Snow Geese (Chen Caerulescens Atlantica) During Fall Migration

The Auk ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane Menu ◽  
Gilles Gauthier ◽  
Austin Reed
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Migratory Flight ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
Similar Survival

Abstract The many hazards that await birds along their migratory routes may negatively affect their survival, especially among newly fledged young. We estimated survival of young Greater Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) during fall migration from the High Arctic to temperate areas and examined factors affecting their survival over a five-year period, using two approaches. First, each year (1993–1997), we banded fledglings and adults in mid-August, just before their departure from Bylot Island in the High Arctic (Nunavut, Canada), and again at an important staging area 3,000 km to the south at the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (Québec, Canada) in October; recovery data from those two banding periods allowed estimation of survival during fall migration. Second, we visually determined brood size of neck-banded females before and after the main portion of the migratory flight, to estimate survival of young. The two approaches yielded similar survival estimates and showed the same interannual variation, thus suggesting that estimates were reliable. Mortality of young shortly after fledging and during the fall migration was high, compared with that of adults (monthly survival 0.662 in young vs. 0.989 in adults). However, mortality of young after migration was similar to that of adults (monthly survival 0.969 in young vs. 0.972 in adults). Migration survival of young varied considerably among annual cohorts (range of 0.119–0.707 over five years), and most of the mortality appeared to be natural. Survival was especially low in years when (1) temperatures at time of fledging and start of migration were low (i.e. near or below freezing), (2) mean body mass of goslings near fledging was low, or (3) mean fledging date was late. Our results suggest that migration survival of young is affected by a combination of several factors (climatic conditions, body mass, and fledging date) and that survival is reduced when one of those factors intervenes.

scholarly journals Gosling Growth and Survival in Relation to Brood Movements in Greater Snow Geese (Chen Caerulescens Atlantica)

The Auk ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 1077-1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Mainguy ◽  
Gilles Gauthier ◽  
Jean-François Giroux ◽  
Joël Bêty
Keyword(s):  
Selective Advantage ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Movement Distance ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
Precocial Birds

Abstract Post-hatch brood movements to high-quality foraging sites are common in precocial birds but may entail costs for young. We assessed effects of overland movements of broods between the nesting and rearing areas in Greater Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) breeding on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, to determine whether these movements affected gosling survival and growth. We monitored 51 radiomarked females over five years to quantify movement distance, movement duration, and gosling survival. Gosling growth was compared over four years using a sample of web-tagged broods recaptured shortly before fledging among adults that (1) nested and reared their young in a dense colony, (2) left the colony and moved ≈30 km to reach the main brood-rearing area, or (3) nested and reared their young in the main brood-rearing area. Brood movements by radio-marked birds were highly variable (2.6-52.5 km, depending on rearing areas used) and fairly rapid (≤6 days after hatch for 72% of the females). Gosling survival was not related to distance moved between nesting and brood-rearing areas. However, gosling growth was influenced by areas used and whether or not they had to move to reach their brood-rearing area. Geese nesting at the main brood-rearing area generally reared heavier and larger goslings than those that moved ≈30 km from the main nesting colony to rear their brood at the main brood-rearing area. On the other hand, goslings leaving the nesting colony after hatch were heavier and larger than those that stayed there throughout brood rearing in one of two years. Although brood movements allow goslings access to high-quality habitats, they entail some costs. Thus, minimizing such movements through nest-site selection should provide a selective advantage by allowing goslings to maximize their growth. Croissance et Survie des Oisons en Relation avec les Déplacements des Familles chez Chen caerulescens atlantica

Habitat use and behaviour of Greater Snow Geese during movements from nesting to brood-rearing areas

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (8) ◽  
pp. 1096-1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mainguy ◽  
G. Gauthier ◽  
J.-F. Giroux ◽  
I. Duclos
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Brood Rearing ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Greater Snow Goose ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
Precocial Birds ◽  
Aerial Tracking

Many precocial birds make long-distance movements with their young after hatch to reach the best foraging sites. On Bylot Island, Nunavut, a large number of Greater Snow Goose ( Chen caerulescens atlantica L., 1758) families move 30 km from the main nesting colony (MNC) to reach the main brood-rearing area (MBR) soon after hatch. Geese moving from the MNC to the MBR generally rear lighter and smaller goslings than geese that avoid this movement by both nesting and rearing their brood at the MBR. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that use of low-quality habitats and an increase in the time spent walking at the expense of foraging during movements could explain the reduced growth of goslings in those families. We conducted visual observations to compare habitat use and selection as well as behaviour of geese during brood movements from the MNC to the MBR (i.e., at a transit area) with those of families that had already settled at the MBR. We also conducted aerial tracking to monitor habitat use of 16 radio-marked females during and after brood movements. Streams, wet polygons, and lakes, considered high-quality habitats in terms of feeding opportunities and predator refuges, were preferred, while upland, a low-quality habitat, was avoided at both the transit area and the MBR. However, broods were found in the upland habitat more often during movements than once settled on a rearing site. The behaviour of unmarked geese at the transit site did not differ from that of geese at the MBR. We suggest that reduced food intake in low-quality habitats during movements, but not the increase in time spent walking, may explain the reduction in growth observed at fledging in goslings moving from the MNC to the MBR.

Estimating above- and below-ground macrophyte production in Scirpus tidal marshes

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Giroux ◽  
Jean Bédard
Keyword(s):  
Standing Crop ◽  
Belowground Biomass ◽  
Tidal Marshes ◽  
Optimal Size ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Peak Standing Crop ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
The Difference ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Different methods to estimate primary production of Scirpus marshes of the St. Lawrence estuary were compared. Quadrats 25 × 25 cm and cores 10 cm in diameter were found to be the optimal size to sample above- and below-ground standing crops, respectively. Ash content for different plant parts of various species was measured to obtain more accurate estimates of organic matter. A series of allometric equations relating stem height and mass were developed to estimate aerial standing crop from permanent nondestructively sampled plots. This method, however, overestimated standing crop compared with the destructive (harvest) method. The relationship between the above- and below-ground standing crop was also determined for the dominant species and used to predict belowground biomass without destructive sampling. Finally, the Smalley method provided the best estimates of net annual above- and below-ground production when losses attributed to decomposition were not considered. For less intensive studies, however, the methods based on peak standing crop and on the difference between maximum and minimum biomass would yield good approximations of above- and below-ground production.

Fat reserves and condition indices in greater snow geese

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Gauthier ◽  
J. Bédard
Keyword(s):  
Subcutaneous Fat ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Condition Index ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Ether Extraction ◽  
Total Fat ◽  
Condition Indices ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

We evaluate several external condition indices as predictors of total fat reserves (TFR) in greater snow geese. In 1979 and 1980, we collected 373 adult geese during their spring staging halt along the St. Lawrence estuary, Québec, and determined their fat content by ether extraction. Body weight (BW) alone and BW divided by various morphometric measurements are relatively poor predictors of TFR (maximum r2 = 0.56). The thickness of subcutaneous fat (measured externally with an adiposimeter) combined with BW is the best predictor of TFR (R2 = 0.65). This condition index can be useful in predicting the average condition of living geese, provided a reasonable sample size is available. We also examined some internal condition indices. Of these, the dry weight of abdominal fat is the easiest to apply and one of the most reliable (r2 = 0.86).

scholarly journals Are Abdominal Profiles Useful to Assess Body Condition of Spring Staging Greater Snow Geese?

The Condor ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (3) ◽  
pp. 694-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthieu Féret ◽  
Joël Bêty ◽  
Gilles Gauthier ◽  
Jean-François Giroux ◽  
Gérald Picard
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Abdominal Fat ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Profile Score ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
The Individual

AbstractAbdominal profile indices were developed to evaluate body condition in birds without capturing or handling them. We assessed the reliability of abdominal profile indices in predicting condition of spring staging Greater Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica). We first calibrated profile scores assigned to females against two direct measures of nutrient stores, abdominal fat and body mass corrected for body size. Abdominal profile indices were linearly and significantly related to both abdominal fat and body mass but the variance was high for individuals assigned to the same profile score (R2 = 0.08 and R2 = 0.09, respectively, n = 230). On average, an increase of one profile score corresponded to an increase of 100 g in body mass. Abdominal profiles were better predictors of average abdominal fat and body mass of birds assigned to the same profile category. To assess the usefulness of abdominal profiles in the field, we also examined if the technique could detect the negative effect of a spring hunt on nutrient storage by staging geese, an effect previously detected with internal measures of nutrient reserves. We monitored seasonal changes in abdominal profile indices of staging geese in years without (1997 and 1998) and with the spring hunt (1999 and 2000). In two out of three regions, abdominal profiles revealed that condition increased at a higher rate in nonhunting than in hunting years. The lack of a negative effect of hunting in the other region was likely due to variability among observers in abdominal profile scoring. We conclude that abdominal profile indices can be useful to assess body condition of spring staging Greater Snow Geese although the technique has serious limitations at the individual level, especially without proper training of observers.¿Son los Perfiles Abdominales Útiles para Determinar la Condición Corporal de Chen caerulescens atlantica durante Escalas Migratorias de Primavera?Resumen. Los índices de perfil abdominal fueron desarrollados para evaluar la condición corporal de las aves sin tener que capturarlas o manipularlas. En este estudio examinamos la confiabilidad de dichos índices para predecir la condición corporal de gansos Chen caerulescens atlantica durante la época de escalas migratorias de primavera. Inicialmente, calibramos los puntajes de los perfiles asignados a un grupo de hembras con respecto a dos medidas directas de reservas nutritivas, la grasa abdominal y la masa corregida por el tamaño corporal. Los índices de perfil abdominal estuvieron lineal y significativamente relacionados con la grasa abdominal y la masa corporal (R2 = 0.08 y R2 = 0.09, respectivamente, n = 230), pero la varianza entre individuos asignados al mismo puntaje del perfil fue alta. En promedio, un incremento de un punto en el perfil correspondió a un incremento de 100 g en la masa corporal. Los perfiles abdominales predijeron de mejor manera los promedios de grasa abdominal y masa corporal de aves asignadas a la misma categoría del perfil. Para evaluar la utilidad de los perfiles abdominales en el campo, también examinamos si la técnica podía detectar el efecto negativo de la cacería de primavera sobre el almacenamiento de nutrientes en gansos que estaban haciendo escalas migratorias, un efecto previamente detectado por medio de medidas internas de las reservas nutritivas. Monitoreamos los cambios estacionales en los índices de perfil abdominal de gansos en años que estuvieron (1997 y 1998) y no estuvieron (1999 y 2000) expuestos a cacería en la primavera. En dos de las tres regiones, los perfiles abdominales indicaron que la condición corporal se incrementó a una tasa mayor en los años sin cacería. La ausencia de un efecto negativo de la cacería en la otra región probablemente fue debida a la variabilidad entre distintos observadores al establecer los valores del perfil abdominal. Concluimos que los índices de perfil abdominal pueden ser útiles para evaluar la condición corporal de estos gansos durante la época de escalas migratorias, pero la técnica tiene limitaciones serias a nivel individual, especialmente cuando los observadores no han sido entrenados adecuadamente.

Effects of goose grazing on the quality of Scirpus americanus rhizomes

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Bélanger ◽  
J.-F. Giroux ◽  
J. Bédard
Keyword(s):  
Standing Crop ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Scirpus Americanus ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
Nutritional Constituents ◽  
St Lawrence River

We investigated whether repeated intensive grazing of rhizomes of three-square bulrush (Scirpus americanus) by greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens atlantica) staging in a tidal brackish marsh along the St. Lawrence River in Québec can induce changes in the nutritional value and structural characteristics of the rhizomes. We compared rhizomes growing on heavily used sites with those growing in ungrazed sites (exclosures) for 3 years. The belowground standing crop of S. americanus was greater in ungrazed than in grazed plots, but no difference was observed in the nutritional constituents (nitrogen and fiber) of rhizomes between the two types of plot. Moreover, S. americanus did not increase the deposition of phenolics (chemical defense) in its rhizomes following grazing. Our results lead us to conclude that goose grubbing decreases quantity without affecting quality of S. americanus rhizomes.

Incubation behaviour of greater snow geese in relation to weather conditions

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 671-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Poussart ◽  
Gilles Gauthier ◽  
Jacques Larochelle
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Chen Caerulescens ◽  
Nest Attentiveness ◽  
Snow Geese ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Incubation Behaviour ◽  
Chen Caerulescens Atlantica ◽  
Goose Species

Based on allometric considerations, goose species with larger body masses should spend more time on their nest during incubation than smaller ones. We documented hourly and daily variations in incubation behaviour of large goose species nesting in the Arctic, the greater snow goose (Chen caerulescens atlantica), and examined the effect of weather conditions on recess frequency and duration. Incubation behaviour was inferred from variations in temperature recorded by adding artificial eggs to clutches. Mean nest attentiveness during the incubation period was 91.4%, indicating that it can be relatively low even for a large goose. Females took 5–6 recesses/day, which lasted for an average of 22.7 min each. Variability in incubation behaviour over time was greater within females than among females. Recesses were more frequent, and of longer duration, in the afternoon than at night. Females were also less attentive to their nest as incubation progressed, a consequence of both an increase in recess frequency and duration, except in the days before hatching, when nest attentiveness rose abruptly. The relatively low nest attendance of incubating greater snow geese may be a consequence of the opportunity to feed close to the nest during recesses. Weather parameters influenced movements away from the nests in 11 of the 12 females monitored. Females took more recesses when wind velocity was low and, to a lesser extent, when air temperature and solar radiation were high, but the response was quite variable among females. Although females seem to adjust their behaviour in order to limit egg cooling, variations in risk of predation according to time of day may also influence incubation patterns.

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