ABSTRACT CANADA GOOSE INVESTIGATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE W. K. KELLOGG BIRD SANCTUARY KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN by Ward JTIRudersdorf A study to determine seasonal movements, distribution, pOpulations, and economic status of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) utilizing the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary area was conducted under the direction of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife of Michigan State University. When average daily temperatures fell below 50 degrees fahrenheit in the autumn there was a rapid increase in numbers of birds. Aerial counts and ground counts could not be coordinated because of poor flying conditions and land feeding habits of Canada geese. In Spring, northward migrating Canada geese moved through lower Michigan from late March to mid April at the same time that the local birds were incubating eggs. Nesting surveys conducted in the area for two consecutive Springs, although having wide confidence limits, seem to be of value to show nesting trends. With increased use of these surveys the confidence intervals will be narrowed. With one exception all leg-band returns from the James Bay and Hudson Bay nesting area were from the west shore of James Bay. Ward J. Rudersdorf When comparing leg-band returns for the Seney Wildlife Refuge in Northern Michigan and the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in Southern Michigan, it was found that Canada geese using the different sanctu- aries had different wintering grounds, although overlapping. It was also shown that a larger percentage of Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in the five year period (1954-1958) wintered along the Atlantic coast than in the previous five years (1949—1953). An intensive trapping program was undertaken during the autumns of 1954 and 1955 in order to secure more data on continental and local movements of Canada geese using the area. During both years, handling Operations consisted of leg-banding, weighing, sexing, aging and examining for parasites. In the second year of study, neck-bands and paint were used in addition to aid in visual identification of Canada geese. Methods used to determine length of stOp-over by transient birds included paint on the feathers, leg-band returns from areas close to banding station, and marked birds shot at Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Station 35 miles to the west. The vulnerability quotient of Canada geese showed that while there is a difference in individual years, the totals for a 3-year study indicated no difference in vulnerability between adults and juveniles. By modifying a life table and a productivity table it was determined that 68 pairs of geese raised 74 goslings to the first hunting season. This method also revealed a mortality rate of goslings of 63.4 percent from time of hatching until fall migration. Examination of Canada geese during trapping Operations and hunting season disclosed a 50/50 sex ratio. Ward J. Rudersdorf Canada geese weighed at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary showed an average weight of 7 pounds while weights reported by hunters averaged 10 ounces heavier. Blood parasites found in Canada geese were Leucocytozoon, Micro- filaria and Haemoproteus. Ectoparasites collected from Canada geese were Ornithobius, Trinoton, Menogon and Anatacola. It was found that the average hunter Spent $74.64 per season on Canada goose hunting, that every goose shot cost $49.42, that hunters Spent 40.5 hours in the field hunting Canada geese, and that 24 shells were fired for each bird bagged. In most cases local farmers did not believe that Canada geese caused any crOp damage and in a few instances it was thought that a certain amount of grazing improved the winter wheat crOp.‘ A few farmers claimed that some damage resulted, but that the esthetic value of Canada geese in the area counterbalanced any damage they caused. CANADA GOOSE INVESTIGATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE w. K. KELLOGG BIRD SANCTUARY, KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN By ‘uJ Ward JTvHudersdorf A THESIS Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Fisheries and Wildlife 1962 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was made possible through a research assistantship from the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Of Michigan State Univer- sity. The writer wishes to eXpress his gratitude to Dr. Peter I. Tack, Head of the Department Oleisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University for his guidance, understanding and help in regard to this project. Appreciation is also expressed to Drs. Rollin H. Baker, Miles D. Pirnie, Gerald W. Prescott, Eugene W. Roelofs, and Eugene W. Whiteside. Acknowledgment is due Mr. R. D. Van Deusen, Biologist in Charge of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, for his help in furnishing equip- ment and for placing the facilities of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctu- ary at the author's dISposal. Appreciation is here eXpressed to the following members of the Michigan Conservation Department: 'Mr. Harry Ruhl, Head of the Game Division, and Mr. Herbert Miller, Water- fowl Specialist. These men allowed the author to use state waterfowl records and goose-trapping equipment. Last but not least, my thanks go to my wife, Molly, who has been my typist. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS IntrOductj-on I O O I O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O The Study Area and its history as a habitat for the canada goose O I O C O I O O O O O O O C O O O O C O O O O O 0 Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kinds of Geese of the Gull Lake Area . . . . . . . . . . Utilization of the area by Canada geese. . . . . . . . Local nesting and sanctuary Canada geese. . . . . . . . . . . Fall Flock . . . . . . . . . . .'. . . . . . . . . . . . Winter POpulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring Flock . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . Nesting on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. . . . . . . Nesting in 1955 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nesting in 1956 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Influence of environment on the develOpment of goslings. Nesting near the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. . . . . . The 1955 nesting census on the land surrounding the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . The 1956 nesting census On the land surrounding the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary . . . . . . . . Evaluation of the nesting surveys of 1955 & 1956.. Evaluation of nesting in the Mississippi Flyway and the United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transient Canada geese of the area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Migration in canada 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 Migration within Michigan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Migration south of Michigan. . . . . . . . . . . .-. . . Marking Methods and Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tr ap pi n8 0 O O O C C C O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 Types of trap used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . L . . Periods of trap Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . .‘ Handling Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neck-banding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Painted markings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leg-banding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii 13 19 20 22 25 31 31 32 34 35 36 41 49 53 57 64 64 64 66 66 67 70 73 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued Vital Statistics of pOpulation. . . . . . . Age structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . Sex ratio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . weights of Canada geese. . . . . . . . weights of transient geese. . . . Comparison of weights recorded at Parasites of Canada geese. . . . . . . External parasites. . . . . . . . Blood parasites . . . . . . . . . Economic aSpects of the Canada goose study. Hunter Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . Esthetic Value . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary of Opinions of local farmers . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Literature Cited. . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . iv the Bird Sanctuary with hunter survey weight W. KO Kellogg data. PAGE 81 81 84 84 84 87 89 89 91 95 95 99 99 102 110 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 10. 11. 12. 13. Canada goose peak fall and wintering pOpulations at Swan Creek-Fennville State Game Areas . . . . . . . . Spring exodus data for the Swan Creek-Fennville Game “ea. 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O Gosling production and goose kill data from 48 states (1959) O . . O . O C . C . . . . O C . O C . . Location and date of kill for 35 Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and killed in canada 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 O O I O 0 Reports of W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary-banded geese Shot in Mj-Chigan 1949 - 1953. O O O O O O O O O O C 0 Reports of W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary-banded geese shot MiChigan 1954‘1958O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Sight records of neck-banded live geese . . . . . . . Counts of paint-marked geese on Wintergreen Lake after November 11, 1955 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canada geese banded and retrapped the same fall . . . . . Canada geese trapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and shot in the vicinity the same fall. . . . . . . . . . Canada geese trapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in the fall and shot in the state-controlled game area of Swan Creek and Fennville hunting area. . . . . . . . . Number of adult and juvenile Canada geese trapped and banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and number reported killed at the end of each hunting season for the years 1950-51 and 1954 through 1956 . . . . . . . Productivity and life tables from leg-band returns on known'age geese O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O in PAGE 18 21 37 52 59 59 71 74 75 76 78 80 82 LIST OF TABLES — Continued PAGE 14. Sex ratio Of geese at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary from fall banding data, 1954 and 1955 . . . . . . . . . . . 85 15. Weights of geese by months. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .‘ 86 16. Weight gain and loss in migrating geese . . . . . . . . . . 88 17. Comparison of weights of trapped geese and geese shot by hunters 0 O O O O O O O O I O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 O 88 18. Formulas used to determine standard deviation, means with unequal variances, and variances Of two pOpulations showing a bias in the data obtained from hunters. . . . . . 90 19. Types of Mallophaga identified on 221 Canada geese. . . . . 92 20. Types of blood parasites found in 224 Canada geese. . .'. . 92 21. Types and cost of ammunition; gun gauges, and shells SXpended as determined from 1954 hunter survey. . . . . . . 98 22. Comparison Of expenditures between waterfowl hunters throughout the United States and goose hunters around the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 vi LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 10. ll. 12. l3. l4. Gull Lake and the surrounding area. . . . . . . . . . . The W. K. Kellogg prOperty and part of the Gull Lake S anc tuary O C O C O O O O O O O O I O O O O O O O O I 0 Aerial photograph of the W. K. Kellogg prOperty and surrounding area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Average weekly temperatures and goose pOpulations at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the fall of 1954. O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O I O C O O O O O O 0 Average weekly temperatures and goOse populations at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the fall of 1955. C O O O O O O O O O O C C O O O O O O O O O O O 0 Average weekly temperatures and goose pOpulations at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the fall Of 1956. C C O O O C O O O O O O O O O I O O 0 O O O O O O Nest 10cations on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary for 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1954 and 1955 . . . . . . . . . Water areas on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary where geese nested during the Spring of 1955. . . . . . . . Canada goose nest at base of tree . . . . . . . . . . . water areas on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary where geese nested during the Spring of 1956. . . . . . . . . Goose nest on Old muskrat house exposed to weather - a mortality factor for goslings . . . . . . . . . , . . Female goose nesting on artificial mound surrounded by natural vegetation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Estimated gosling production in United States . . . . . Data on production and kill for the 4 flyways of the United States in 1959 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii PAGE 15 15 15 23 24 26 27 30 30 38 40 LIST 15. 16. 17. l8. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. OF FIGURES - Continued Peak pOpulations of Canada geese at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. 0 O I O O O O O O O I O O O O O C O O Michigan's six major goose concentration areas. . . . . Canada goose kill in 48 states for fall 1959. . . . . . Seney band reports from eastern North America . . . . . W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary bands from eastern United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary band reports from eastern United States - 1949-53, and 1954-58 recorded January, 1960. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canadian band returns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Direct and indirect band returns for Michigan prior to 1956 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O I O O O 0 Band returns for Seney-banded geese . . . . . . . . . . W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary-banded geese reported 1949-1953 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary-banded geese reported 1954-1958 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary band reports from eastern United States prior to 1959 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drop type trap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . camon trap O O O O O O O O O I O O O O O O O O O O 0 Developmental stages in formation of rubber styrene neCk’bands O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O Identification techniques used on geese . . . . . . . . Histogram showing number and weights of Canada geese reported by hunters compared with the author's sample pOpulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii PAGE 42 44 45 47 48 50 51 54 56 58 60 61 65 65 68 72 90- LIST OF APPENDIX DevelOpment Of the Plastic Band Recoveries by Year. . Canada Goose Nesting Notes Sanctuary) . . . . . . . . Canada Goose Nesting Notes Sanctuary) . . . . . . . . Productivity-Kill Letter . Letters to Hunters . . . . Hunter Survey Field Record . APPENDICES NeCk‘band O O O O O O O ix PAGE‘ 113 116 123 134 144 146 150 INTRODUCTION The Canada goose, Branta canadensis (Linnaeus), the familiar wild goose Of the Mississippi Flyway, ranks as one Of Michigan's most pOp- ular game birds. Its migration flights in Spring and fall arouse the interest of many persons. The excitement of pursuing and possibly bagging the largest Species Of North American waterfowl which can be legally hunted attracts the Sportsman. Photographers seek Opportuni- ties to take pictures of this dignified bird. The ornithologist in- vestigates its behavior, and studies its movements with the hOpe of solving the mysteries of waterfowl migration. Not only to the ordin- ary Observer, but to the wildlife biologist as well, the Spectacular migration flights are shrouded with mystery! The sight of the V- shaped flight pattern, fortunately still common, may give the viewerk mingled feelings of awe and nostalgia for wilderness living. Increased knowledge of the biology of this Species in Michigan should help us maintain and perhaps increase its numbers in future years, since the geographic position of this state places it in a key position in the eastern part of the Mississippi Migratory Flyway. The present Study covers the initial phases of a prOposed long range Study of Canada geese at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. The ob- jectives were threefold: (1) TO study the seasonal distribution and movements of transient Canada geese in Michigan. (2) To study seasonal pOpulations of local-nesting and 2 transient Canada geese at and near the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. (3) To evaluate the economic status of the Canada goose to areas adjacent to the Sanctuary. The problems involved in studying a migratory Species such as the Canada goose are many. First is the difficulty of securing data on this Species from all parts of its farflung range. Second is the likelihood of seasonal and yearly changes in migration pattern as influenced by weather conditions, food supply, and availability of water. Nevertheless, it is difficult to understand why this stately bird with its high economic value and mysterious behavior has been the subject of so few intensive investigations, eSpecially on con- trolled eXperimental areas. Early studies Of Canada geese were confined to general observa- tions and taxonomic considerations; in recent years detailed reports on life history and ecology have appeared. The most recent compre- hensive ecological study was published by Hanson and Smith (1950) on the results of their investigations of geese of the upper Mississippi Flyway. The following men have dealt with Special aSpects of research on the Canada goose: Delacour (1954), on classification; Hochbaum (1955) on migrations; Pirnie (1938, 1954) on restocking and feeding; Snyder (1957) on summering problems in Canada; Wing (1956) on natural history; and Wolfson (1955) on biological prOblems. Most recent studies on geese have appeared in Pittman-Robertson progress reports (unpublished). ‘ The author lived at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary from June, 1954 until June, 1956. Each fall Canada geese were trapped and leg- banded to obtain information on their movements and areas of kill. 3 While handling captured birds during trapping Operations, neck-bands were attached, blood samples were taken, ectOparasites were collected and paint was applied to the feathers. In addition the weight, age, and sex of each bird was determined. The fall studies also included work with hunters and local farmers to obtain information on the economic value of Canada geese. During the Spring nesting Studies were conducted on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and in the sur- rounding area. THE STUDY AREA AND ITS HISTORY AS A HABITAT FOR THE CANADA GOOSE Description The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, which is a part of a large tract given to Michigan State University by W. K. Kellogg of Battle Creek, is located on a glacial outwash plain (Leverett, 1924) in Kalamazoo County, Michigan (Figure l). The tOpography is undulating with Bellefontaine sandy loam and Fox loam soils predominating (Perkins and Tyson, 1926). . Originally the Kellogg prOperty was covered with oak-hickory vegetation (Durant, 1880), but was cleared largely for cultivation in the middle of the 19th century. The level tillable areas presently support grain crOps including corn, wheat, oats, and rye. The re- maining land is covered with remnant woods and pine plantations. A detailed description of the vegetation Of the area appears in Allen (1937) and Geis (1956). Numerous lakes characterize the area (Figure 1). These include Gull Lake covering 1900 acres with a depth of 128 feet, the largest of the area's pit lakes; Wintergreen Lake covering 40 acres with a depth of 22 feet, located on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary; as well as many smaller pit lakes, kettle holes and marshy areas. East of Gull Lake (a state-controlled sanctuary) are the 630 acres which comprise the W. K. Kellogg Station and include the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, the W. K. Kellogg Farm, and the W. K. Kellogg Figure 1. Location of W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in relation to tOpographical features in southwestern Michigan. ,5 l f T SCALE 1" TO MILE DUCK L \\\ w. K. KELLgG. S <0 ‘ . 4’. f v ER? 1 L, RGREEJV L. 4 Q8 q. AUGU STA v «’9 ' g '. \ F 4 -‘ 6 Gull Lake Biological Station (Figures 2 and 3). The Gull Lake Sanctuary and the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, whose boundaries meet, comprise a total land and water area Of approx- imately five square miles. These sanctuaries provide diversified habitat: included are crOp-lands, wooded areas, five ponds or marshes, the 40-acre Wintergreen Lake and Gull Lake. Bordering these sanc- tuaries in all directions are privately owned lands containing many Small bodies of water as Shown in Figure 1. History The privately owned W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and the Gull Lake Sanctuary (composed of the lake and an 80-rod strip of shoreline) were established by the State of Michigan in 1927. The original refuge started by W. K. Kellogg was 450 acres separated into two units: the Sanctuary prOper, cOnSisting of 80 acres Of land surround- ing Wintergreen Lake, and the Kellogg Farm. His plan was to develOp a waterfowl sanctuary patterned after that of Jack Miner in Ontario, Canada. For the first four years the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary was under the direction of G. H. Corsan, Sr. Michigan State University began its active management of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary on July 1, 1931, with Dr. Miles D. Pirnie in charge. It has since become a center of wildlife training and research as well as a place where the public may observe native waterfowl and other birds in a natural setting (Pirnie, 1943). The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary area has long been known as a resting place for migrating Canada geese (Gibbs, 1885). Since these Figure 2. The W. K. Kellogg Station (including the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary on which the study was conducted), the Gull Lake Sanctuary, and the surrounding territory. The Gull Lake Sanctuary includes Gull Lake and the land with- in 80 rods from the nearest shoreline. Note that the western boundary of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and part of the eastern boundary of the Gull Lake Sanctuary overlap. \\\\ Study years . . W. K. Kellogg z’rd If N Sanctuary 4 Scale ,2" to Mile Gull Lake Area where shooting rights were leased and hunting data collected on farms surrounding the W. K. Kellogg Farm and the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Gull Lake Sanctuary (includes Gull Lake and 80 rods of shoreline). Michigan State University Kellogg Station: 1. W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, 2. Farm, 3. Biological Station and Leased Land (1947 - 1957). Area outside Gull Lake Sanctuary, Kellogg Property and land used in Hunter Survey. Figure 3. Aerial photograph of the W. K. Kellogg prOperty showing forests, crOpland, and water in the area. For boundary< details see Figure 2, Page 7. Photograph courtesy of the Department of Geography at Michigan State University. 9 birds were strictly transients, approximately 40 pinioned geese were put on Wintergreen Lake from 1927 to 1929 to act as live decoys for wild birds, and to initiate nesting by Canada geese on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Dr. Pirnie reported four nests made by pinioned geese in 1932. Between 1935 and 1945, there was an average of eight or more nestings annually with a peak in 1937 when 17 nests were found on the Sanctuary and Farm. Nesting declined in the late 1940's. In 1953, Dr. Arthur Staebler, then Director of the Sanctuary, discovered only three nests. This report describes nesting successes in 1954 and 1955. The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is unique chiefly in that it pioneered in and demonstrated restocking possibilities (Pirnie, 1938) - an activity which is now a major program of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This type of program also was instituted by the Michigan Department of Conservation, who raised geese at the Mason Game Farm near Lansing. In 1937, the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary began providing geese to help develOp nesting in other parts of the state. Kinds of Geese of the Gull Lake Area The Canada goose, Branta canadensis interior Todd (1948), is the common Canada goose of the study area. The adult of this subSpecies is large with brownish gray body and black neck. The head, legs, and tail are black, while the lower and upper tail coverts, throat, and cheek patches are a contrasting whitish. Males and females have the same external appearance. Weights may range from 6 to 15 pounds depending upon age and physiEal stature. When in a standing position 10 with neck and head upright, the bird may reach three feet in height with wingSpread of about six feet. Other subSpecieS Of Branta canadensis which are reported to be found in the area are listed in the A. 0. U. Check List (1957) and Delacour (1954) and include: *Branta canadensis moffitti Aldrich 1946, B. 9. parvipes (Cassin) 1852, B, 2, taverneri Delacour 1951, 2.,2. canadensis (Linnaeus) 1758, and B. Q. hutchinsii (Richardson) 1832. Wood (1951) stated that a white-fronted goose, Anser albifrons albifrons Scopoli (1769) was first observed in southwestern Michigan in 1933 and at that time no white-fronted goose had been collected for a close examination. Therefore the authenticity Of any reports is questionable. Dr. Miles D. Pirnie, while director of the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, notified the Michigan Museum of Zoology (Wood, 1951) that a single American brant, Branta vernicla hrota (Mfiller) 1776 was Observed on Wintergreen Lake both in Spring and fall Of 1937. The blue goose, Chen caerulescens (Linnaeus) 1758, and the lesser snow goose, Chen hyperborea (Pallus) 1769, usually fly non-stOp over Michigan and are rarely shot by hunters. Utilization of the Area by Canada Geese Mest wild geese in Michigan during the hunting season are transients since they nest principally in the areas of Hudson Bay and James Bay, * Collectors' notes and collected Specimens are obtainable at the Univer- sity of Michigan's Museum of Zoology. 11 and pass through the state to wintering grounds which include southern Michigan to South Carolina and Louisiana (Hanson and Smith, 1950, and W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary banding records). The number of Canada geese wintering in southwestern Michigan varies from six to ten thousand yearly (communication from the Michigan Conservation Department). These Canada geese use the Kalamazoo River and Gull Lake in Kalamazoo County, the Fennville State Game Area, the Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Station, and Kalamazoo River in Allegan County, and the St. Joseph River in St. Joseph County. In Spring the Canada geese remain in southwestern Michigan well into April, gathering on Leidy Lake near Colon in St. Joseph County, the Fennville State Game Area and Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Sta- tion in Allegan County, and on many of the small lakes in Barry and Kalamazoo counties. It is uncertain whether Canada geese originally nested in south- western Michigan. Pirnie (1935, 1938) and Wood (1951) found no authentic records of wild Canada geese nesting in Michigan prior to the develOpment Of game farms and sanctuaries in the state. By 1940 Canada goose nesting was not uncommon in southwestern Michigan. Today nesting occurs around the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary on small ponds and marshes between the Kalamazoo River and the Crooked Lake region in Barry, Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties, with the largest concentration being in the Three Lakes area in Kalamazoo County. Scattered nestings have occurred as far north as Hastings, east to Marshall, west to Doster, and south to Climax and Vicksburg, (Pirnie, personal communication). The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Canada geese (pinioned, wing- clipped or free flying) and wild Canada geese feed on the abundant 12 algae and other aquatic plants of Wintergreen Lake; grassy areas along its shoreline also are used as feeding grounds. However, the wild Canada geese forage more in terrestrial areas than in aquatic areas and find their major food supply in the agricultural tracts adjacent to the Sanctuary. These feeding places include the crOp lands and pastures of the University Farm, where waterfowl are prOtected, and those Of privately owned prOperty where the birds are not protected from hunting. In Spring and fall Canada geese graze the pastures and newly seeded wheat fields; after the fall harvest they glean the stubble fields. LOCAL NESTING AND SANCTUARY CANADA GEESE The term "local nesters" refers to those wild Canada geese that reside on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary or in the surrounding parts of southwestern Michigan during the breeding season and which may or may not migrate south during the winter months. The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary geese are either pinioned, wing-clipped or free-flying, tame residents. As mentioned before, records at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Show that approximately 40 pinioned Canada geese were released on Wintergreen Lake from 1927 through 1929 to act as live decoys for wild birds and to initiate nesting on the Sanctuary. Since that time local nesting Canada geese have appeared on the W. K. Kellogg Bird -Sanctuary and seemingly provided stock that Spread to other places in Kalamazoo as well as in Barry and Calhoun counties - areas apparently previously unoccupied as nesting grounds by Canada geese. Fall Flock In fall it is not possible to separate transient Canada geese from local nesting and W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Canada geese be- cause of the intermingling of birds and the impossibility of marking all Canada geese in thS vicinity of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. In the early autumn of 1954 and 1955, before the hunting season, the number of W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Canada geese and local nesting 13 14 birds combined ranged in numbers from 75 to 250 daily depending on local flock movements to feeding grounds. While at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the month of September in 1954 and 1955, the author noted Canada geese (probably local nesters) moving into and out of the area on their morning and evening flights. These flights varied in Size - ranging from individual family groups to flocks containing 30 birds. These local movements continued until the beginning of the hunting season of each of these years at which time an influx of about 250 Canada geese (assumed to be of local origin) was noted at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. At this time (October) the local flock was joined by numerous tran- sients from northern breeding grounds, Figures 4, 5, and 6. Hanson and Smith (1950) State that early migrating Canada geese leave Hudson Bay and James Bay in early September and arrive at the Horseshoe Lake Refuge in Illinois the same month with the birds making few stOps en route. These early flights are not always Observed or reported in Michigan because the birds fly at high altitudes or at night and seem to skip our refuges. In the fall of 1955, with the hOpe of determining the total Canada goose pOpulation and its distribution in southwestern Michigan, aerial observations were tried. Flights were made over the south- western part of the state with a pilot, two trained observers to count geese, plus a photographer with a 400 millimeter focal length tele- photo lens tO photograph all flocks observed. These flights, which covered distances from 125 to 175 miles (airline) at altitudes of 300 to 500 feet, were coordinated with simultaneous ground-counts made by Observers stationed at the known gathering places for geese. 15 Figure 4. Average weekly temperatures compared with Canada goose pOpulations at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the fall Of 1954. Figure 5. Average weekly temperatures compared with Canada goose pOpulations at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the fall of 1955. Figure 6. Average weekly temperatures compared with Canada goose pOpulations at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the fall of 1956. Average weekly Average weekly Population Temperature 6000 ’ Fall 1954 _ — - - Temperature 80 5000 POpulation -70 4000 7 60 '50 2000' ‘30 “ ~ 20 1000 J 10 A ~J I r T September October November December 6000 ‘ Fall 1955 80 5000 ’ ""‘ Temperature 1 70 \ Population 60 4000 - l * 50 3000 .. 40 2000 9 30 4 20 1000 * 10 r ’7 I September October November December 6000 ’ . Fall 1956 4 80 - - - Temperature 5000 b Population 1 70 4000 - ' 6° ‘ 50 3000 L - 40 2000 ' ‘ 30 ' 20 1000 ’ q 10 I September IOctober November IDecember l6 Aerial counting proved impractical in terms of the value received. Some of the complications were: (1) Low visibility and stormy weather Often grounded flights so that regularity was impossible; (2) Extreme- ly windy days made low-level flights hazardous; (3) High, thick cloud cover prevented comparing photographs with visual counts. Locating and counting geese on the land areas proved to be dif- ficult. For example, a thorough coverage of the cornfields at the Fennville State Game Area was made by the flying Observers using field glasses to help in their Observations. NO geeSe were seen from the air; yet a check by the COOperating ground crew proved that when the plane went over, actually 3,000 geese were in the harvested cornfield.» The two-foot high corn stalks hid the geese. This incident suggests that aerial flights may be valuable chiefly when the birds are on Open water or in fields without high cover. The number of Canada geese within the boundary of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary remained high until the hunting season ended or until the formation of ice forced the geese to move to unfrozen waters or south Of Michigan. The pinioned W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary geese, free-flying local nesting Canada geese from the surrounding area and transients mingled freely on Wintergreen Lake without showing evidence Of territorialism. The movements of all free-flying geese seemed to follow the same general pattern of mass movements in and out of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. These movements depended on the phase of the moon and upon weather conditions. Most of the geese left the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary on moonlight nights to feed in the sur- rounding area, and returned to the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary at l7 daylight or shortly after. The geese seemed to remain on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary on nights when the moon was in a dark phase and left to feed in early morning or late afternoon, thus extending shooting activity over a longer period than during the moonlight nights. Stormy weather conditions caused the geese to be more active during the daylight hours - increasing the movements into and out Of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Winter POpulations Since the normal wintering range of Canada geese includes the southern part of Michigan, it is not possible in winter to separate local nesters from northern transients at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. 'Although most of the geese move south of the state by early December, some remain on the Open waters of the more southerly counties throughout the entire winter. It has been estimated by the Michigan Conservation Department that in some years as many as 17,000 Canada geese may winter in the southern part of the state. Table 1 shows the average winter pOpulations in the Swan Creek-Fennville Game areas from the winter of 1954-55 through 1957-58. 0n the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, courtship activities among geese were first observed in winter (late February) when battles be- tween ganders commenced. Also in late February paired geese began detaching themselves from the waterfowl flock and walked about to in- vestigate nesting sites. This action started fully Six weeks before nesting began. In 1955, lacking a technique for identifying individual birds at a distance, it was not possible to determine whether the same two 18 Table 1. Goose pOpulations at the Swan Creek-Fennville Game areas. A. Highest number of geese in Swan Creek-Fennville State Game Areas in fall - 1954-1957. B. Winter pOpulations in Swan Creek-Fennville Game areas from the winter of 1954-55 through that of 1957-58. A 13. Date of Maximum Fall Numbers Approximate Size of Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Station Wintering Flock Date 1 Number of Geese Winter Number November 9, 1954 12,000 1954-55 6,000 November 25, 1955 15,000 1955-56 8,000 December 3, 1956 9,000 1956-57 6,000 November. 27, 1957 11,500 1957-58 6,500 sxsq: :sq: ps:smr:ss ssp11:sd s810s9 '13 &q psrusdmosoe qu:ns sq: ‘sIdmsxs 10; ‘9961 ‘LI [Ildv go uoouis:;s sq: uo °IIIdV prm :noqs need a ssqsssi uor:sIndOd u; dnptrnq puosss s ‘ssssS :usrsusi: Bur:Jedsp moxg KtqquJd Sur:1nss1 suitssp s SurnoIIog 'psqossx s; UOIJBIndOd BUIJdS sq: u; need :311; sq: usqm qsxsw s:sI 11:un sssssiour qumnu sq; 'sszs sq: u; Surzds u: s:ex:ussuos Kym ssssS 19001 pus Bur:9181m ooo‘oz o: 000‘01 mozg °pIsmq:Jou'Ksm Iraq: uo alsq: do:s ssszs 8u11s:urm ulsq:nos mOJ; s:usrsusz: go Squmnu 133191 KIBAISSBJSOJd uSqA qozsn K1188 10 Axeniqsg :0 :19d 1s::s{ sq: BUTJRP ssxs.filsn:suss p113 8801131 'H 'M sq: :s assaisur o: surfisq uor:stndod ssooS sq; qsotg BUTJdS °£sn prm Kq ps:srsossssrp smeosq s:ssu pIan o: psIIe; qorqm SJTBd x18 sq: strqm pales: 818M SunOA sq: qqum BuTan porxsd sq: :nqunOIq: qu:s80: psursmsx AIIngsssssns ps:ssu qOTqA SJTSJ °sqssm g o: 9 :noqs go porisd Su1:ssu-sid s11:us sq: Jo; lsq:s80: psursmSJ Kisnxqsg 3:91 u; paired :eq: ssssS {19 :sq: 9961 u; puno; sea :1 'ps1 sasm SpusquI stems; strqm qsstq 318M spusquI stem ‘ssus:srp s :s ssxss £g1:usp1 o; °uor:ssT;1:usp1 IsanArpuI :ususmasd s ssooS qsss BUIAIB an: :ss; oz go sous:srp e :s pas: sq o: anous 93121 913M sasqmnu pusquq 'pusquI sdfi: Ierosds s q:rm psqism ussq peq £19n:sues p113 SSOIISX 'x 'M sq: uo ssssS psuorurd {Is usqm Axsniqsg K1198 Kq pBAIOS KIIFTJJPd 99“ SlenplATPul 30 HOTJPUTJIJUBPI 3UPQSIP 3H3 ‘9961 uI °Su1m :gsI Surssrm s q:rm JspusS s sIdmsxs 10; SS - spJIq Bur&gr:uspr u: sprs Ktuo sq: 818M s:usms1nST;st IBanAJPUI snonsrdsuos smr: :sq: :V ';;O BUTJIBd 8ur:ssu-s1d qu: BUTan Ausdmoo Apes:s :dsq ssssS 61 ‘ssssS epeueo SuI:ssu Klen:sueg SugKIg-sslg pue psuogurd Jog s:e:rqeq Bur:ssu go £:sTJeA e seprAOJd Aien:sueg p113 BBOIIGX 'H “M sql Kien:oueg p113 BBOIIBH 'H 'M sq: uo Sug:ssN 'ssss8 sq: o: ssn mnmrxem go 81 ‘Sug:ooqs moxg ps:os:OId KIsges ‘sqeq usszBasgugn ‘JsAsAoq ‘uosess Bug:unq sq: BUIan 'ssssS pIIm sssq: Aq BUTldS ur s1::I[ :nq pszrtr:n SI ‘pspoom JO dss:s qu:gs suIIsioqs 831 go s8e:ussxsd 83191 e seq pue motteqs AIIeuor:dsoxs non.sT qaan ‘(Klvnnvues 9113 330113: “x 'n an: HI panBDOI) ans: ' ussIBJs:urM ‘&1:usnbssuog 'ssurtsioqs Kssezs SuIdOIS K1:us8 sAeq pue noIqus sJe suor:e1:ussuos ssooB sSJeI BuTAeq 91s:em :sow 'pssn spuod pue sser sq: 0: se sAI:ss1ss :som msss ssssS SuT:ssu IBDOI pue :usgsuez: sq: ‘Jo:seg BUIQJHJSIP e :Ou ST Sur:unq usqm ‘Suggds uI ':q31u sq: pusds £{:usnbs1g qu: sIqu ssqsxem pue ssqet Items sq: o: s:q311g BurusAs Aq psnOIIog ‘uoougs:ge s:eI o: Suruiom-pgm.moxg sporzsd Burpssg pue Sur:ss1 ‘s:q811g ssrslsxs Suguxom go :srsuos pue ‘JeInSsJ 919 ssr:rAr:se Ktrep JIsql °Sur:ss: pue Surpssg u; Attedrs -u11d psSeBus sqsoIg sq: q:IA ‘smr: srq: :e s:usgsue1: sq: Buome ggo Surzred go souspTAs 313311 9; sxsqg °(gg51 ‘1 qsien Kq :ssu suo u; ps:s1dmos sen uor:eqnsu1 :eq: smoqs 3 xrpusddv) ps:Iedsp sAeq s:usrs -ue1: uzsq:zou sq: go {Ie slogsq 838s Jgsq: Sug:eqnsur ps:sIdmos sAeq ssmr:smos pue Bur:ssu sxe ssssS Sug:ssu teoot sq: ‘esze sq: u; sxe SpJIq :usgsuel: sq: GIIHM °Ken se s:e[ se Bururemsl sqsoIg ps1s::ess nsg e q:rm ‘(z stqel) SABBI spxrq :usrsuez: sq: go :som IIJdV go pus sq: Kg 'sqsotg sq: u; ssssS sq: Bur:emr:ss JO Sur:unos pue K1en:sues p113 SBOIIsX 'H 'M sq: :ssu ssssS Jog sesxe uoT:eI:usouos umouq 119 o: SugAng Kq psATJsp sen Isqmnu sgql °esxe sq: uT ssssB ooo‘oz 313M OZ 21 Table 2. Spring exodus dates of Canada geese for Swan Creek-Fennville State Game areas. The dates indicate periods of mass move- ments to the north with large numbers of Canada geese leaving at that date. Records Obtained from Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Station. Estimated Year Dates of Mass Exodus Number of Geese Leaving 1954 April 20 - 22 8,000 1955 April 16 - 21 16,000 1956 April 10 - 27 20,000 1957 April 11 - 27 22,000 1958 April 18 - 23 13,000 22 varying from islets to grassy wooded lakeshore. Through the years, to encourage nesting, artificial islands were provided, feeding areas were planted, and shrubs were removed to keep the nest Sites Open. During the nesting period while the geese were incubating it was usual- ly difficult to determine to which category (pinioned or free-flying local nesters) they belonged. Locations Of geese nests at Wintergreen Lake in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, and 1955 are shown in Figure 7. It Should be noted that all nests were located on the western side of the lake in these five years. In a personal communication, Dr. Pirnie reported that this pattern of nesting was constant (1932 to 1948) except in 1937 when 2 of the 17 nests built that year were on the east shoreline. It is probable that the more Open western shore of the lake with its marshes and easy access to feeding areas attracted nesting geese while the shaded and hilly eastern shore did not. While making nesting studies in 1955 and 1956, the writer Observed that all nests were located on the western side of Wintergreen Lake, (Figures 7 and 8). This nesting pattern was similar to that reported by Pirnie for 1932 to 1948. Nesting'igfilgéé. Seven pairs of geese nested on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the Spring Of 1955. These utilized eight nest sites (one pair occupied two sites because it renested when the first nest was broken up). Five of these geese were free-flying and presumed to be local nesters while the remaining nine were pinioned W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary geese. A total Of 20 goslings was hatched from four nests, whereas eggs in the other nests never hatched. Of these 20 young, only 14 survived until the following October. 23 moownmd mmmfl was «mmH ea meoaumuoH mead Sam mama .oqu .mqu as maoaumuoH Smma .wan .Aan .oSmH .man as macaumooH sums zum3uocmm ouwm wonHmM .M .3 Osu so momsm Houmz fiom ® umoz I. ummz D .mmaH dam wcfiUsHocfi uOmmE 05H .m madman Uaom umo AmV Oxmq . ‘.V AHV coouwuoucwz Odom wave. 24 .Ocoa no: spam assumes app mnu OHH£3 mumoa ozu HHO OOHODSOO Samumfi OH Sufi£3 spam cumummz Onu umnu Ouoz .muooasc mo poumufipcfi mum meowumooa uwmz .mmmH mo weaken Ono wcwuso emumoc Ommow momamo ouoz3 %um3uocmm puwm wwOHHmM .M .3 o£u do moose umumz .m muswwm Owa cmouwuouafi3 vaom euuoz S 25 The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary provided the Opportunity for the study of nesting habits of geese under varying conditions. Nests II, V, VI, and VII (Figure 8) were adjacent to public paths where dis- turbance was maximum, and the nesting pairs received numerous hand-outs of food from the public. Nests I and III were located where there was sufficient brush to give a limited amount of privacy from the public. Nests IV and VIII, however, were completely isolated from human disturbance except for our inSpections (Figure 9). On the basis of a limited number of nests, it would seem that greater hatching success was obtained when the Canada geese nested in isolated areas. Descriptions of nest sites and of individual goose behavior during the nesting period are pre- sented in Appendix C. Nesting lg 1956. During the Spring of 1955, the nesting geese were disturbed by the author as little as possible whereas in 1956 the five nests under observation were disturbed considerably, even to the extent of removing eggs on several occasions. Ten eggs were taken from three of the nests to determine whether the removal would stimulate further laying and to see what effect egg removal had on the behavior of nesting geese. The five nests were examined 36 times (an average of about once in every four days for each nest). These disturbances seemed to have no adverse effect on the nesting. Egg; 1. This nest was located on the same island as Nest V of the previous year's Study, (Figure 10 and Appendix C). The geese began constructing this nest by gathering grass and leaves at least three days before the first egg was laid on April 10. When first Figure 9. 26 (Nest IV, 1955). Canada goose nest located in a secluded area on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. The position of the female goose indicates that of alarm. Photographed by R. D. Van Deusen. 27 .oeoa om: spam auoummo has one oases memos Ono Ham OOSHODSOO Oxma Ono mo spam assumes mnmume OLE .mumnESS he espoused“ mum meowu anOH umoz .ommH mo magnum onu wsHMSO omumoc Omomw voodoo muons museuocmm ouwm wwOHHoM .x .3 sea co moons noum3 .oH muswum .....wa comuwuouafi3 28 noticed about 4:30 P.M., this first egg was uncovered, although it lay on tOp of the nesting material. Probably it remained uncovered for the entire night during which time the temperature fell to 26 degrees Fahrenheit. This egg, marked by the writer, failed to hatch. In 3 of the 12 nests Studied during 1955 and 1956, the first egg (laid in the afternoon) was left without cover for the first night. Pos- sibly the inattention by the parent Of the first-eggs laid is one reason for the failure of one or more eggs in a clutch to hatch. A study of Nest I also showed that geese can tolerate loss of eggs. Three of the first four eggs laid in this nest were removed on April 15. Both parent birds attempted to prevent my removal of the eggs; even so, the female continued to lay until she had five more eggs and then started to incubate - having laid a total of eight eggs. ‘Ng§§.£l. This nest was on a muskrat house and contained six eggs. It was disturbed as little as possible because of the excit- ability of the parent birds. At any disturbance, the incubating bird would stand up and walk away leaving the eggs uncovered. About 3 P.M. on May 12 when distant thunder and lightning indicated an approaching electrical storm, the nest was checked to observe what effect this might have on the geese. The pair acted very nervous, but the female did not abandon the nest. She stood up while the writer was near, and at that time the interior of the nest could be observed through field glasses. The nest seemed normal on this day which was the ex- pected hatching date but no hatched eggs were seen, although some of the eggs may have been pipped~at that time. Heavy rain and hail, accompanied by thunder and lightning, occurred between 5:00 and 6:15 P.M. A light drizzle continued to fall after the main storm had 29 passed over. At 6:30 P.M. while both geese were feeding on shore, the nest was again examined. Of the six eggs, two were intact; one was partially pipped and contained a dead gosling; one was broken Open with a dead gosling part way out; and two had hatched although the goslings were dead (Figure 11). Here is an example of how a combina- tion of poor parental care and inclement weather resulted in the loss of an entire brood. Nest I I. This nest was situated on an artificial islet so well hidden by an adjacent stand of buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis (Figure 12), that the nest was not discovered until the female was already incubating her seven eggs. AbOut 8:30 A.M. on May 12, 1956, the pair took the six goslings which had hatched frOm the clutch Of seven the previous day to the Opposite Side of the pond -.30 feet away. The one unhatched egg remained in the nest in direct sunlight after the parent geese and the goslings had left. At 10 A.M., the writer noted that this remaining egg had hatched. As he approached the nest for closer examination, a parent bird returned and immediately took repossession Of the nest. The other parent bird and six goslings also returned. Although two goslings were lost in the next eight days, it is pOSSible that if the writer had not approached the nest that the parent birds would not have rescued the gosling. EEEEHLX- This nest was located on a man-made mound in a wooded area on the west Shore of Wintergreen Lake. Eggs were removed from it on two different occasions for reasons previously explained. One of the first three eggs laid was removed. Four days later when the female had laid two additional eggs, two more were removed. Appar- ently egg laying had stOpped by this time and incubation Started with Figure 11. Figure 12. 30 Nest II, 1956, on old muskrat house showing how weather may be a mortality factor on goslings or nesting. An electrical storm and time of hatching occurred Simul- taneously. The parent, apparently frightened by the storm, left the nest unprotected resulting in the loss of the young both hatched and unhatched from exposure and drowning. Photograph by W. J. Rudersdorf Nest III, 1956. Female goose on artificial nest mound surrounded by buttonbush. Visible eggs indicate dis- turbance of nest prior to time photograph was taken. Photograph by R. D. Van Deusen 31 a clutch of only two eggs. The three eggs taken from the nest were placed in an incubator, and develOped partially but did not hatch. This goose incubated the two eggs for 43 days, but they also failed to hatch. The pair remained in the vicinity guarding the nest for 12 days more, before abandoning the nest entirely. Influence of Environment on the DevelOpment of Goslings Most parent geese at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary brought their young to a mowed, grassy area on the west shoreline of Winter- green Lake soon after they hatched. The adults were ever alert when persons were present, but seldom were driven away from this area. The pair from Nest IV of the 1955 study stayed away from Open areas when rearing young, and remained in ponds containing brushy cover. This family grazed in unmowed areas which were closed to the public, but at any disturbance the goslings were rushed into hiding. These wary goslings grew more slowly in both size and feather develOp- ment than those of similar ages from Nests II, VI, and VIII of the same year. Young from the latter nests were less secretive and fed in Open grassy areas where grain supplemented the diet of native vegetation. The availability of the latter food may have been the reason for more rapid development of the goslings from Nests II, VI, and VIII. Nesting Near the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary The 1955 Nesting Census 23 Land Surroundigg the Sanctuary. In the Spring of 1955, a survey of the number of goose nests in 32 the territory surrounding the Sanctuary was initiated. Using the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary as the center, an area of township Size (36 square miles) was selected and included parts of the political townships of Prairieville, Barry, Richland, and Ross which were located in,Barry and Kalamazoo counties. This area was then subdivided into 576 forty-acre plots by employing existing section lines of the parts of the four political townships involved. By this means, a grid containing 24 squares on each Side was mapped. In order to obtain an unbiased sample of 40-acre plots to inSpect for goose nests, a table of random numbers was used in determining which plots were to be in- vestigated so that 10 percent of the total area would be covered and the data obtained could be treated statistically. Certain of the selected plots containing intensively cultivated fields, wooded hill- tops, and large bodies of water, such as Gull Lake obviously did not possess nesting habitat and were not surveyed. Once those selected plots which were thought to contain likely habitat for nesting were identified, permission to inSpect them for nesting geese was Obtained from every landowner or tenant. Field surveys were initiated so that they could be completed in the period from April 5 - 30. This time period began one week after nesting started on the Sanctuary and ending one week before nesting on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary ended. All plots examined were first viewed with field glasses from a distance in an effort to discover nesting pairs or goslings. When satisfied with distant Observations, the writer made closer examina- tion of each plot using a strip census; that is by crisscrossing each area on foot. Sometimes, if the writer was not satisfied with the results (for example, a lone goose on the water but no nest found), a 33 second check of the area was made at a later date. The data obtained for each plot were recorded on a questionnaire,(See Appendix D). The summary of findings for the plots for this survey is as follows: Number of plots 58 Number Of plots containing water 25 Number of goose nests on sampled areas 4 Number of goslings on sampled areas 9 Number of young per nest at time sample taken: Nest I 3 hatched, all died Nest II 4 hatched, l lived Nest III 3 hatched, 3 lived Nest IV 5 hatched, 5 lived Number of plots where goose hunting was allowed 26 Number of plots where crop damage was reported 6 From the sampling method used in 1955 to estimate the number of pairs of geese nesting in the 36 square-mile sample, the confidence limits for the number of nests in the area with a 10 percent sample would be from 0 to 80 under normal ecological conditions for goose nesting in southwestern Michigan with the most likely number of nests being 40. However, with supplementary information obtained in the course of the survey from the local residents and knowledge of the physiographic features of the land, this 40-nest total may be too high. For example, one of the plots was on a marsh shore of a Small lake, and contained the only two nests in the surrounding eight 40- acre plots. With a total of only four nests in the survey, one additional nest would enlarge the total number in the sample area by 10 or_a confidence limit of 20 nests. For this reason and because of the possibility of errors, a more extensive survey was planned for the following year. 34 The 1956 Nestigg Census 22 Land Surrounding the Sanctuary. Because Of the possibility that the area sampled in the previous survey was too small, a second survey was undertaken the following Spring. It was similar to the preceding one - the exception being in the size of the area sampled. The field work for this survey was done from April 10 - May 4, 1956. The 1955 survey had included an area the size of a township (36 square miles), while in 1956, the area sampled was equivalent to nine political townships (324 Square miles), again with the Sanctuary as the focal point. Because the center Of the study area was not in the center of a political township, the survey was conducted on an area composed~of parts of 15 townships. The random sampling method used in 1955 was again tried in 1956 to obtain data from 10 percent of an area of 520 forty-acre plots (20,800 acres). To make certain that samples would be obtained ran- domly throughout the 324 Square miles, 10 percent of each township- size area (36 Square miles) was examined. The field techniques of 1955 were followed again except that the great amount of driving time consumed in thoroughly examining the plots selected made impossible the questioning of landowners or tenants . Examination of 10 percent of the entire area resulted in discovery of four nesting pairs Of geese on the sample plots - a summary of which follows: . .Number of plots 520 Number of plots containing water 130 Number of goose nests on sampled areas 4 Number of goslings found on sampled areas 11 35 Number of young per nest: Nest I Five eggs that had been hatched were examined, but the goslings were never Observed Nest II Six eggs yielded 6 goslings Nest III Seven eggs yielded 6 goslings Nest IV Six eggs in nest; none hatched The 1956 study encompassed an area equal to the size of nine townships on which four nests were found. When figured statistically with a 98 percent confidence interval, the confidence limits would have been from 0 to 400, with the most likely number of nests being 200. This area included the cities of Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. The potential goose nesting sites were reduced because of the presence of these two urban areas and because the shorelines of small lakes just outside the city limits had been develOped as suburban housing projects. . A possibility for error occurred in this program due to the time element. The survey was started in the early part of the nesting period and continued throughout the nesting season with a possibility of nests being broken up and renesting occurring.“ Thus a pair of geese might have been counted twice. With so few nests present, a small error of this type might give an inaccurate count. Evaluation gfi the Nestigg Survgys 9; 1955 and 1956. These surveys were designed to secure information as to the number Of goose nestings in the area surrounding the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. The random sampling method was selected due to the Shortage of time and the lack of manpower. The data Obtained, al- though having wide confidence limits (0 to 400% seem to give the best 36 available information at the lowest eXpenditure of time. This method differs from the nesting census started in Idaho in 1952 and reported by Salter (1958, 1959). His nesting study was con- ducted on the major known nesting areas most of which are on islands in rivers or reservoirs and vary in Size from several hundred square yards to 50 or 60 acres. Each area was censused annually if possible by the same personnel. The Small islands were checked completely while on the larger ones, one man stayed within 5 to 25 feet of the water's edge while another Stayed inland another 10 to 50 feet. In comparing nesting habitat for Canada geese in Idaho and Michigan, land and water conditions must be considered when deter- mining census methods. Idaho with nesting concentrated mainly on islands in reservoirs of major rivers has found Special area censuses valuable for counting geese. In Michigan with extensive water areas (lakes, streams, and marshes) throughout the state, nesting is not as confined as in Idaho. Therefore, the random sampling method covering a large area was utilized by the author to determine the amount of goose nesting in this type of terrain. In each state the land condi- tions prescribed the method thought to be of greatest value, but until each method has been used over a period of years, and confidence limits narrowed, the number of nests cannot be ascertained with accuracy. Evaluation of Nesting in the Mississippi Flyway and the United States Twenty-nine out of 48 state conservation departments answered questions about goose nesting in 1959 (see Table 3 and Figure l3)._ Goose nesting developed by releases made by the conservation department Table 3. 37 Estimated nesting, number of goslings produced to flight stage, and number Of geese killed in the 48 states reporting during the 1959 season (kill record includes kills made in January and February 1960). The nesting data included in- formation as to whether the nesting was develOped by con- servation department releases or originated by natural wild stock. Information was obtained by correSpondence with 48 conservation departments. m State Nesting Natural DevelOped Goslings NO. Killed Ala. No 2000 Ariz. NO 400 Ark. No Few Cal. Yes X 8000 10000 C010. Yes X 400 15000 Conn. Yes X 150 50 Del. Yes X 250 4000 Fla. No 1500 Ga. No 300 Idaho Yes X 4000 17000 111. NO 55000 Ind. Yes X 50 1000 Iowa NO 2500 Kan. Yes X 30 5000 Ky. No 400 La. Yes X 25 600 Me. Yes X 10 900 Md. No ? Mass. No 1500 Mich. Yes X 1000 5000 MHnn Yes X 150 6000 Miss No ? Mo. Yes X 100 12000 MOnt Yes X 8000 5500 Nebr. Yes X 59 10000 Nev Yes X 1500 4000 N.H. Yes X 50 200 N.J. Yes X 300 600 N.M. No ,(But Planted) 1200 N.Y. Yes X 200 1000 N.C. No 25000 N.D. Yes X X 200 12000 Ohio Yes X 400 2000 Okla No ? Ore Yes X 8000 2000 Pa. Yes X X 750 1000 R.I. Yes X 200 8.0. No 200 S.D. Yes X X 25 15000 Tenn. No 800 Texas NO 14100 Utah Yes X 2750 9943 Vt. NO 200 Va. No ? wash. Yes X 10000 10000 W.Va. Yes X 4 10 Wis. Yes X 350 27500 Wyo. Yes X X 1200 1500 Totals 15 18 47998 284103 38 .mucoEuumdop cowum>uomsoo oumum DOOSOMMfio Ozu so OOOHOOOH mm amma cw poosooud wweflamow mo nooasc woumEHumO mew waaumowosfl moumum we Eouw muHOOOH wswsoSO amz .mH stamps 555?: no 952 "H mqfi Ou H mom Ou oom ... s ... -H a... s 2... OOOOOOMm m :fiHmOU mo nooasz . _ couscoum m :flHwoo , mo Monasz 009, 060000. a. . t ochO was on com 39 was reported by 14 states; 11 others noted that goose nesting develOped naturally without releases, with four others stating that both wild and released birds nested. Michigan is neither the goose production center the Hudson Bay region is nor does the southwestern part of the state produce as many geese (estimated at 500 to 1000 goslings raised annually) as does the Seney Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula (Jerald J. Wilson, personal communication). However, the production of Canada geese in southwestern Michigan is comparable to that in many areas of similar habitat in other parts of the Upper Mississippi Flyway. Reports received by questionnaire (summarized in Figure 13) from conservation departments in all other States, except Alaska and Hawaii, Show that, at least in 1959, production of Canada geese in Michigan was highest of any state within the Mississippi Flyway. Data collected for this report indicate that there are as many as 200 nests annually in an area of 324 Square miles which includes the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Figure 14 Shows that the Mississippi Flyway in 1959 produced only 1.8 percent of the number of geese killed in the flyway compared with a 64 percent production-kill ratio in the Pacific Flyway and a national average of 16 percent. All major nesting by the Canada goose, as reported by question- naire, occurs in the northern half of the Mississippi Flyway in which there is a dense human pOpulation. Of the 2,075 Canada geese produced to flight stage in this part of the flyway, Michigan with its large human pOpulation produced 1000 plus - or almost one-half the esti- mated flyway production. 40 .Owumu HHHM ucowuosooud umosmfin one am: SOHOSHOQOO ewes: umOHHmEm onu pew moons umumsnmmum umOHHmEm Onu Saws hpSham Oflmwomm.mnH "muoz .AoomH «0 Susannah new zumscmh mopSHOsH ouooou HHHxv common mmmH onu Mom mmmzham an Aofiumu M\mv OHumu HHflxuaowuospoud omumEHumm .SH musmae eo.q u .Hahmm sowuosooum HHHM mamuoa moumum pause: Nae u OHHhOmaOO sumo nuH3 OOcOOSOQOOHHOO 3n pmewmuoo mos :OHumEn0mcH .q canoe mom pouwsvou OH Hamump ma "muooEsc Hmuoemw msonm mHHHx you zmx O58 .cowmmm wswucsn coma mo noucws paw mmmfi mo Hamw can weaker Odo some cw OOHHHx smoom voodoo mo gonad: Osu mfizwsou wawumoapcw mouswwm sufiz museum we mo dmz .AH «Names vouuoaouss no #30535 n U 0mm ca 0: . A n omououg Sons 02: 08.2 3 89¢ "B 25.2 3 08.2 “E ooo.m~ oe ooo.ea I 46 the north-central area of the Mississippi Flyway in northern United States. This area includes the Federal Wildlife Refuge at Seney in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in southwestern Michigan (about 275 air miles to the southward, see Figure 16). When band returns are plotted for Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and the Seney Wildlife Refuge, two dis- tinct patterns emerge (Figures 18 and 19). Reports of Canada geese banded at Seney Show that birds using this area are from the Mississippi Flyway while Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary utilize either the Atlantic Flyway or the Mississippi Flyway during the winter season. The Seney returns (Figure 18) Show six birds killed north Of Michigan and 21 from the Upper Peninsula. This may be accounted for by the fact that most of the Canada geese banded at Seney were reared at that location (personal communication, Cordia Henry). Reports from south of Seney indicate that Canada geese banded at Seney move down both sides of Lake Michigan into Illinois and down the Mississippi River to southern Arkansas and central Mississippi. NO returns come from the Southeastern States. Figure 19 indicates that Canada geese banded at the Kellogg Sanctuary distribute themselves over a greater part of eastern North America than those banded at the Seney Refuge (Figure 18). Band re- turns on Canada geese marked at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary seem 'to indicate that on leaving Michigan the migrating birds fan out - their wintering grounds reaching from southern Illinois and Missouri to the westward to the coasts of Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina to the eastward. Figure 18. 47 Location of band recoveries from Canada geese banded at the Seney Wildlife Refuge. Banding records indicate continental routes used by Canada geese trapped at the Seney Wildlife Refuge. The banding and kill years were from 1936 to 1954. Recorded July 1954. __a‘. Records compiled July 1954 Seney Wildlife Experiment Station 48 Figure 19. Location of band recoveries from Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Banding records (1931 - 1957 included 1730 banded Canada geese) indicate con- tinental routes used by Canada geese trapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Data recorded June 1958. Records compiled December 1958 W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 49 Figure 20 shows the locations where 101 Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were taken in the five—year period from 1949 - 1953. Of this total, 78 were killed in Michigan, 20 else- where in the Mississippi Flyway, and three in the Atlantic Flyway. The figure also shows that in the years from 1954 - 1958, 244 kills of banded Canada geese were reported (181 from Michigan, 45 from the rest of the Mississippi Flyway and 18 from the Atlantic Flyway). The author realizes that the number of band returns is not large, but these data do Show that the number of Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary that are being killed in Michigan and the Atlantic Flyway may be increasing. Examination of the data for each 5-year period shows the percentage of kill of birds banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in the 1949-1953 interval has increased from 9 to 30.7 percent in the 1954-1958 period. Appendix B shows kill reports by years. Migration in Canada Band reports from Canada (Figure 21, and Table 4) show that a majority of the kills Of Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary are made in Spring and that most of these kills are reported from the west side of James Bay. During Spring (April and May), when interior marshes in the James Bay area are still frozen, migrating geese gather at the river mouths prior to neSting. Here some are shot or caught in muskrat traps by Indians and reported from these loca- tions (Figure 21). Few band returns are received from the muskeg country inland from James Bay and between the rivers which Hanson and Smith (1950) believe to be the chief nesting grounds Of Canada geese 50 Nn.om No.~H Nn.mm No.¢H Nw.~ No.a No.wm No.MH NH.N No.N Nm.m Nn.m «an coma No.m No.3 No.HH No.m Nm.o N~.o Nm.OH Nm.m N~.~ Nm.H No.~ NH.N eom «00H ozHQz 52 em .eem mm\ma\aa Noemm-mom oaemueo ee>am moses .3 em\ea\o3 mm\M\NH odemm-mom oseeuao 30sec eweaeueme .u em\NH\oH om\mN\NH Seeme-wme em\m~\e mm\HH\HH mmnaw-mom em\ea\m mm\HH\HH momee-mee em .eem mm\ma\33 emmee-mme em .uam mm\HH\HH oomee-mae mm .eem om\3m\oH emnne-meee oeemuco em>em 3emea< .e em .eem Hm\m~\oH mmaee-mme oeeeueo ee>am seereSea .m em .eem em\-\oH mamme-wome oaeeuao ee>em assessed .3 mm\~\m mm\m\aa ommmw-wom em\e\oH mm\eH\HH eammm-mome em\e\o3 mm\mH\HH oemee-mme Hm\HN\e om\mH\NH «nose-wmee Hm .eem om\e\~H mmoee-wme mn\N\m om\N\oH seeme-wee ~m\o3\oa om\HM\oH emnme-mmea oeeeuco gem Assam .o em .eem mm\eN\oH memme-wom« em .eem mm\e~\oH Nemme-mom« em\em\e om\am\oa NNNme-mae oeeeuco ee>em Sexeeeeseuu< .m e om\M\HH Somme-mmee oeeeso mesmeaaee e>ewe3 .< . oum uonm mmn< nouumq mean some med .3 a .e as: mean wwOHHmM .M .3 one um popcmn Omoow mwmcwo .wmmH mean oopuooou damn .Numsuoamm mm mo bump HHHJ was bump wcwosmn .me .SOHuOOOA .q OdomH Omoow momdmo mafieo>sh mm condom « mm\qN\NH mm\qH\NH Nm\m~\~H Nm\e-a\~3 em\h\o3 om Hash. em\HH\HH mm .eem hm\ea\m mm\e~\e em .uem em .eem mm .eem an .new Hm\mH\HH om\mH\NH om\o\NH om\mH\NH mm\oN\oH mm\HH\HH mm\H\NH Hm\m3\oH mm\N\HH Hm\m~\HH mm\m\~3 mn\M\~H me\mH\HH me\H\HH ONNoouwmq smooouwmqk «Nooonwmq Nwooonwmek momoonwmq mqmmmawom anommnwom oHNooummq ocqoouwme mMNooumm¢« commonwmqs wmmoonwaq woom¢uwm¢ mqwmowuaq Owumuso owumuno Owumueo owumuco Owumuao oHumuco Owumudo Owumuso oHumuao swam 03mg .0 muasou cHme .m Nuasoo xommm .o Nuance women .2 sons: Oxmq .2 wm wswmmeSQOM .M uo>wm Omooz .h um>fim meadooum .H 53 in the region. Thus, these Canadian band returns do not indicate nesting sites, ‘but do Show the general location Of the major summering area of the geese that were banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Examination Of data on ages of Canada geese gathered at time of banding at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and date of kill (Table 4) shows that one-third of the birds on which band returns were received were not sexually mature when Shot in Canada. Twelve were from 9 to 11 months old at time of kill. What percentage Of the birds classed as adults at time Of banding breed the following Spring cannot be determined. Many of the locations of kill are probably approximate since the person making the kill did not report directly to the Canadian Fish and Wildlife representative but to missionaries or to personnel of the Hudson Bay Company who relayed the information to the authorities. The letters in Figure 21 refer to positions reported to the writer by Dr. David Munro, ornithologist for the Canadian Fish and Wildlife Service in personal correSpondence. The route taken by migrating Canada geese from James Bay to Michigan has not been established. To date two band returns on W. K. Kellogg'Bird Sanctuary marked geese have been received from this area between; one from near Kapuskasing, Ontario, the other from near Cochrane, Ontario. It is possible that the geeSe fly non-stOp or that there are few hunters in this area. Migration Within Michigan Michigan counties in which Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary have been shot are shown in Figure 22. Also 55 included are the number of direct returns (recovery made the same migration period as banded) and indirect returns (recovery made during a migration period later than that in which the banding occurred) re- ported in each county. Direct returns are concentrated around the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and in Allegan and KalamaZoo counties. Figure 23 shows the number and location of kills of Canada geese banded at the Seney Wildlife Refuge in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In. comparing the two figures, band reports seem to indicate that birds from each of these areas take different migration routes through Michigan. The geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary prior to 1956 and later reported killed in the state were taken mainly in an area from Saginaw Bay in the northeast to the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary area in the southwest. Lack of band recoveries from the Upper Peninsula priOr to 1956 indicates that few if any geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were shot in that region. A move- ment Of geese from west to east across the state of Michigan has been reported to the author, but this information is not confirmed by band returns. James Meores at the Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Station, in Allegan County recovered bands from 18 birds in 1951 that had been banded in Ontario at the Jack Miner Refuge (1 in 1941, 4 in 1947, 2 'in 1948, 7 in 1949, and 2 in 1951). These geese had all been banded on previous migration periods, yet in an unpublished report (1951) 'Moores stated his belief that these birds moved from Canadian nesting grounds to the Miner refuge and then westward to southwestern Michigan. This idea may have validity, but as yet no Canada geese banded at Miner's have either been trapped or shOt in southwestern Michigan 56 Figure 23. Map of Michigan showing goose band returns on Canada geese banded at the Seney Wildlife Refuge from 1939 to 1955. Recorded Sept. 1956. Personal communication from David McGlauchlin, Refuge Biologist. Seney National Wildlife Refuge Banding Data YEAR NUMBER BANDED 1939 18 1940 92 1941 129 1942 119 1943 16 1944 72 1945 16 ' 1946 82 1947 20 1948 39 1949 34 1950 47 1951 67 1952 39 1953 102 1954 105 1955 168 Total 1165 MICHIGAN SENEY WILDLIFE REFUGE P / Kill years 1939 - 1955 Total banded KM 1939 - 55 (1141) 2 Total kill 1. \KP1939 - 55 (81) o . 57 during the same fall they were banded. Canada geese that were banded at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge and killed elsewhere in Michigan indicate a movement Of geese chiefly southward along the western side of the state or through Wisconsin. Even in recent years, Canada geese from Seney have not been reported from the Saginaw Bay area, thus indicating that the birds from this area move in a southerly or southwesterly direction rather than an easterly direction. Locations Of kills of Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were tabulated for 5-year periods (1949-1953 and 1954- 1958). Figure 24 and Table 5 Show goose kills for 1949-1953 were reported mainly from southwestern Michigan. Only two bands were re- ported from outside this area. For the next 5-year period (1954-1958) and as shown in Figure 25 and Table 6, most of the banded birds also were killed in southwestern Michigan although compared with the first 5-year period, the distribution of the kill is more scattered. Migration South Of Michigan Band returns Of direct and indirect recoveries shown in Figure 26 61nd Appendix B indicate that for at least 81 out of the 1760 Canada figeese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary prior to 1959 the ' O rnajor movement is almost directly south Of the Sanctuary over the Illlinois-Indiana border to the Ohio River; from there the birds seem tit) fan out both eastward and westward. Some of them moved into £3(authern Illinois and Missouri, while others went into Kentucky, Tennessee, the Alabama-Georgia border or farther eastward. Band re- t turns show that the dates of kills for these states are in the months 58 Figure 24. During the five year period from 1949 to 1953,904 Canada geese were banded and 79 were killed in Michigan. The map Shows location of kill. Recorded January 1960. W. K. KELLOGG BIRD SANCTUARY DATA MICHIGAN Kill years 1949- 1953 Total banded 1949 - 53 (904) Total kill 1949 - 53 (78) Table 5. Table 6. 59 Total number of W, K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary banded Canada geese reported killed in State Of Michigan for five year period (1949 - 1953). During this time 904 Canada geese were banded while 78 were reported killed in Michigan. Recorded January 1960. Total number of W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary banded Canada geese reported killed in State Of Michigan for five year period (1954 - 1958). During this time 714 Canada geese were banded while 181 were reported killed in Michigan. Recorded January 1960. County 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 Total Allegan 3 6 4 2 15 Barry 8 4 3 5 20 Bay 1 l Calhoun 1 1 Kalamazoo l 8 7 4 19 39 Leelanau l 1 Van Buren l 1 Total 1 20 18 ll 28 78 County 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 Total Allegan 8 24 9 15 7 63 Barry 5 3 7 l 16 Calhoun 4 3 1 8 Kalamazoo 27 29 14 7 5 82 Cass l Clare 1 l Tuscola l l Livingston 1 l Schoolcraft l 1 St. Joseph 2 2 4 Oakland 1 1 2 Marquette 1 l Total 41 65 36 22 17 181 60 Figure 25. Map of Michigan showing where Canada geese banded at the ° W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were killed (1954 - 1958), (714 banded and 181 killed in five year period). Recorded January 1960. MICHIGAN W. K. KELLOGG BIRD.SANCTUARY DATA Kill years 1954-l958 Total banded 1954 - 58 (714) Total kill , 1954 - 58 (181) Figure 26. 61 Map of eastern United States showing position of direct and indirect band returns. Of the 1760 geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary only 81 returns have been reported outside the state of MHchigan by March 1959, (8 direct and 73 indirect reports). With so few direct re- turns, regular routes cannot be determined, but combined. with the indirect returns, wintering areas for geese trapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary can be located. State Alabama Arkansas Georgia Illinois Indiana Kentucky Maryland Missouri North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Virginia Wisconsin >>>UOU~1> ** Eow>w>uow>gwmuow>moow X- >>UOW>O$ HA B County Limestone Morgan Randolph Tallapoosa Phillips Troup Kankakee Edwards Williamson Union Alexander Stark St. Joseph Marion Grant Sullivan Knox Posey Mead Callaway Ballard Garrard Talbot Dorchester Cape Girardeau Scott Mississippi Anson Montgomery Union Lucas Sandusky Huron Franklin Crawford Florence Davidson Harden Prince Surry Greensville Green Lake Jefferson **Indicates direct returns (3 direct, 8 indirect) 1 Number Killed r—a HHHHHHHl—IHHNHHHHwHa—IHNHNHHNHHHI—IHNONOOI—INHHt—IHJ-‘H CD ...: Total = INDIRECT RETURNS DIRECT RETURNS STATE DATE BANDED RECOVERED Illinois B. 10/55 - 11/55 Indiana ‘ C. 11/54 - 12/54 North Carolina A. 10/53 - 11/53 10/54' - 12/54 10/54 - 12/54 B. 10/54 - 10/54 Tennessee A. 11/51 - 12/51 Virginia B. 11/55 - 11/55 62 of November, December, and January with most of the birds being killed in November. Some of the birds from the Michigan area evidently winter, according to Hanson and Smith (1950), along the Atlantic coast and on the Piedmont plains of Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina. The lack of a substantial number of band returns between Michigan and Virginia leaves us without knowledge of exact migration paths. The following possible routes to the coastal states are suggested by the patterns of band returns, by personal communication with K. E. Bednarik and E. D. Handley of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and by consulting Handley (1959), but none should be considered totally correct: 1. Eastward from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary to Lake Erie, then following the lake shore to Pennsylvania and over the mountains to the headwaters of the SuSquehanna or Potomac Rivers, and then on to the wintering areas in Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina. 2. Southeastward from the W. K. Kellogg Sanctuary into Ohio, crossing the state from northwest to south-central and southeast. Geese following this route appear to "fan out" and move to the southeast states mentioned above, while others move south to Alabama and Georgia. 3. Southward from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary to Tennessee, then east from the Hiwassee Island Refuge, and over the mountains to the wintering areas noted above. Most transient Canada geese that were banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary probably nest in the Hudson Bay region, as described by Hanson and Smith (1950). At some time during the southward migra- tion some of them turn east. Thirty-two percent of all out-of-state band-returns of Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary are from the southeastern states. This indicates considerable move- ment between the Mississippi and the Atlantic Flyways in Spite of the 63 fairly rigid migratory patterns within these flyways as described by Lincoln (1935). A Specific example of the movement between the Atlantic Coast and western Michigan is the instance of a Canada goose banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary with legband number 498-45742 (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) on November 30, 1951. This bird was observed at the Caddy Goose Refuge in North Carolina on January 26, 1955, where its legband number was recorded by Dr. George Saunders. It was shot near Bay City, Michigan on October 10, 1956. MARKING METHODS AND RESULTS The live-trapping, marking for later identification and releasing of Canada geese at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary was initiated first by Dr. Miles D. Pirnie in 1931. Since 1948, the program has been continued by Arthur Staebler and Roswell D. Van Deusen; the latter was assisted by the writer in 1954 and 1955. The following discussions concern work done in the latter years. Trapping Types 2E Trap Used. Two types of traps were used to catch Canada geese for banding. The first was the drOp-door trap shown in Figure 27. The second was the cannon-projected net trap (Figure 28), developed and described by Dill and Thornberry (1950). The chief advantage of this latter type of trap is its mobility. In 1954 and 1955, the number Of Canada geese captured in the two types of trap was about equal. During the trapping Operations, Canada geese on Wintergreen Lake showed a similar reaction to each kind of trap. When the doors on the drOp-door trap were closed, the noise made by the captured Canada geese trying to escape caused the untrapped birds on the lake to fly. These free birds did not leave the lake area, but circled overhead for a few minutes before returning to the lake. The noise made by the cannons and by the trapped Canada geese when the cannon-projected net 64 Figure 27. Figure 28. 65 Drop-door type trap with five captured geese. The ears of corn in foreground were used as bait. Photograph by R. D. Van Deusen. Cannon-projected net trap set before snow Storm produced good results as shown by number of captured geese. Photograph by R. D. Van Deusen. 66 trap was used caused the same sort of movement by the untrapped birds on the lake. After both methods of capturing Canada geese had been used a few times, the Canada geese on the lake had become accustomed to the noise of the trapping Operations and did not leave the water when the traps were Sprung. Periods p; Trap Operation. Trapping on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary has coincided with the concentrations of migrating—Canada geese in October, November and December. From January to October, the Canada goose pOpulation at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary varies from 60 to 100 most of which have previously been leg-banded. All young birds hatched on the Sanctuary in the Spring of 1955 were captured and leg—banded that summer. To be utilized to the best advantage, trapping apparatus should not be set until preferred areas for feeding and loafing by the Canada geese are known. These areas are usually lakeshores, pastures, har- vested cornfields, and fields of winter wheat, rye, or barley. Ear corn used as bait was placed directly in front on the cannon net trap or inside the drOp-door traps with "leads" of shelled corn. Sometimes traps were Sprung by the birds on three successive days, érnd occasionally twice the same day. At other times Canada geese zrvoided the baited areas for a period of days. Ifiindling Operations. A total of 558 Canada geese (163 in the fall of 1954 and 395 if! the fall of 1955) was trapped, examined, marked for later identifi- Ca tion and released . 67 After being trapped the geese were tranSported in holding boxes to a Sheltered banding room. The age and sex of trapped geese was determined by the cloacal method described by Hanson (1949) and Kort- right (1953). Birds were classified as juveniles or first year immatures if the tail feathers had notched tips, if the male had a short penis, or the female had a closed Opening to the oviduct. The Older birds (15 months or Older) were identified by fully develOped tail feathers, and by a larger penis in males, or in females by the conSpicuous Opening of the oviduct on the left cloacal wall. During the falls of 1954 and 1955, 542 of the Canada geese cap- tured were weighed. The 1954 catch was examined for MalIOphaga, and blood samples were collected for a check Of possible blood parasites. Finally, before the trapped birds were released, they received leg-bands and some were neck-banded and/or painted with white markings. These operations are related below. Neck-banding A neck-band develOped by Roswell D. Van Deusen and the writer was placed on all of the 395 Canada geese captured during the fall of 1955. The materials used in this type Of neck-band and the directions for making it are found in Appendix A. Figure 29 shows the steps used in forming the band. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service had first permitted limited use of this marking method at the Swan Lake Refuge in Missouri and at the Delta Wildlife Experiment Station in Canada. Early neck- bands had not proved satisfactory because the type of material used in making them did not have lasting qualities. The locking device Figure 29. 68 DevelOpmental stages in formation of rubber styrene neck-bands and including finished band in shape it will be when on goose. 1. Ruler showing diameter size of formed neck-band. 2. Light blue neck-band with India ink numbers, and contrasting black band as it would look on goose. 3. Neck-band and tape showing how band is locked in place. 4. Six inch long strip of rubber styrene. 5. One and one-fourth inch pipe with neck-band held in ,place by rubber bands and gauze wrappings. 6. Pipe covered with bands and wrapped with gauze ready for heat treatment. Photograph by R. D. Van Deusen. \ 69 (a metal snap fastener) rusted and disintegrated on the plastic " Also, on some material, resulting in the loss of the "collars. occasions the geese were able to tear Off the bands. The Utah Depart- ment of Fish and Game used this same neck-band for geese both in 1957 and 1958 and reports that after banding 538 geese, the collars seem to have had no lasting adverse effects on the birds. This information concurs with the writer's Observations. The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary neck—bands, numbered with black paint and pre-molded to the approximate diameter of a goose's neck, need only to be secured in place and locked by pressure-sensitive Scotch tape. These neck-bands utilized the color combination of blue and black assigned to the Sanctuary by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The primary advantage of neck-bands is that they are easily seen and aid in identifying marked birds without catching or killing them. Although no birds were banded in Spring at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, the few visual reports of movements of our neck- banded geese seem to indicate that some geese do not consistently follow the same migratory routes in both Spring and fall. This seems to substantiate partly the finding of Hanson and Smith (1950) who state that recoveries Of Canada geese banded at the Jack Miner Sanctuary in Ontario indicate that most of those geese follow a more westerly route north in Spring than they do in migrating southward to their wintering grounds in fall. For example, one neck-banded Canada goose from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary was observed by the writer at the Miner Sanctuary in March 1956 - the Spring after it was marked. On the same trip it was 70 learned from Manly Miner that seven geese with the blue and black W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary neck-bands had been seen in the area the previous week. These observations and reports indicate that birds from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary follow a less circuitous migra- tional pattern northward than that prOposed earlier by Hanson and Smith (1950). Three geese, that were neck-banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary on October 27, 1955, were Sighted together 36 days later at the Gaddy Goose Refuge in North Carolina - 600 miles from the place of banding, (Table 7). How long they were in North Carolina before being observed and by what route they traveled are not known. Be- cause these three birds were trapped together, and were still together in the refuge a month later, they may have been a family group since they included an adult male, adult female, and immature male. Painted Markings The backs and necks Of 395 trapped Canada geese were painted white during the fall of 1955 in order to aid in the identification Of the birds at a distance (Figure 30). This color was assigned for this special use by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. All Canada geese received a 2-inch marking of white paint on the upper neck. From October 15 to November 12, a second group numbering 225 had the lower back, side, and part of the secondary flight feathers painted. The Oil base paint used disappeared after a week. Conse- quently, on October 21 an aluminum paint which showed white was tried and proved satisfactory. Periodic checks for paint-marked Canada geese on Wintergreen Lake 71 Table 7. In fall of 1955, 395 Canada geese were neck-banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Observations were made of 14 live Canada geese in the next three years at four different locations. Data recorded in 1959. Neckband Date Date Number Banded Observed Where Observed 85 10/27/55 12/2/55 Gaddy Goose Refuge, Ansonville, N. C. 94 10/27/55 12/2/55 ‘ " " " ", " " 95_ 10/27/55 12/2/55 " " ," ” " " 184 11/11/55 3/19/56 Horseshoe Lake, Illinois March Jack Miner's, Kingsville, Ontario 1956 (7 birds Observed feeding) November Jack Miner's, Kingsville, Ontario 1956 (l bird observed) November W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 1958 (2 birds ObserVed on Wintergreen Lake) 72 Figure 30. Identification techniques used on geese: white painted bands on neck and back, light blue neck-band with 1/2 inch black stripe in middle with identification numbers, also the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service leg-band. Photograph by E. McLean. 73 Ilealqsed to estimate the length Of time individual Canada geese were staying on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. When counts were made on November 29, for example, it was found that of the 157 Canada ggeaeesse marked as the first group (banding completed on November 12) 61 ()1: 139 percent were still on the lake 17 days later (Table 8). This nneatzlnod of determining length of Stay at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary [szrcsxred less useful when cold weather, which started on November 30th, caused white frost to form on the backs of the geese in early morning 11(311138 and hindered the counts. Leg-banding Leg-banding of trapped Canada geese at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary was begun by Dr. Miles D. Pirnie in 1931 and has been con- tliqnued through the years. The author assisted in marking all 558 <3anada geese live-trapped in 1954 and 1955 with leg-bands provided by ‘the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some Canada geese that were live-trapped, banded and released 61$ early as mid-October at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were re- 1Irapped as late as mid-December. Table 9 shows records for 12 such lbirds and that an average of 21.7 days elapsed between the times of «original capture and final recapture, thus suggesting that the birds Inay stay at least three weeks at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. During the hunting season, much shooting is concentrated on farms bordering or adjacent to the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Table 10 shows that 25 percent of the 395 Canada geese banded on the W: K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during the fall of 1955 were killed within a radius of 25 miles of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and with an 74 Table 8. Counts Of paint marked geese on Wintergreen Lake after November 11, 1955. Beginning on November 12, 1955, back marking was discontinued and rump marking began. *On December 2, and 4, 1955, cold weather caused frost to form on the backs of the geese in early morning. This was the only time of day when counts of birds using the Sanctuary could be made with any degree of accuracy. The frost made it impossible to determine whether the anterior or posterior part of the goose was painted, though paint on the neck was visible. Birds Birds Total Number With With Of Marked Number of Geese on Front Rear Birds on the the Lake at Time Date Marking Marking Lake of Counts 11/12/55 56 13 69 3,000 11/20/55 49 24 73 3,125 11/24/55 56 27 83 3,000 11/28/55 65 21 86 1,150 11/29/55 61 19 80 1,100 12/2/55. * _- * 48 350 1214/55 * * . 53 910 75 Table 9. Canada geese trapped, banded, and later retrapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary indicating the minimum time birds remained at the Sanctuary in 1955. Band Date Trapped Date Of Number of Days Number and Banded Latest Banding Intervening 508-65216 10/16/55 12/15/55 30 508-65244 10/27/55 12/6/55 40 508-65247 10/27/55 12/15/55 49 508-65251 10/27/55 11/11/55 15 508-65507 11/7/55 11/11/55 4 508-89505 11/8/55 12/6/55 28 508-89527 11/8/55 12/6/55 28 508-89602 11/18/55 12/6/55 18 508-89611 11(19/55 12/15/55 26 508-89616 12/2/55 12/15/55 13‘ 508-89696 12/2/55 12/6/55 4. 508-89697 12/2/55 12/8/55 6 E; 'g%% = 21.7 (the average number of days between trappings) 76 Table 10. Canada geese trapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary the fall of 1955 and shot in the vicinity the same fall. fl ._—7 A Number of Days Between Band Date Date Banding and Number Banded Shot Shooting Where and How Shot 508-65166 7/22/55 11/10/55 111 Found dead on Sanctuary presumably of gun shot wounds 508-65170 8/16/55 ll/14/55 90 " " H H 508-65184 10/15/55 11/2/55 18 " " ." " 508-65209 10/16/55 11/28/55 43 Shot Kalamazoo County 508-65213 10/16/55 11/23/55 38 ." " H 508-65217 10/16/55 11/23/55 38 Found dead on Sanctuary presumably Of gun shot wounds SOB-65221 10/22/55 11/23/55 32 Shot Kalamazoo County 508-65232 10/26/55 10/30/55 5 " " H 508-65234 10/26/55 10/30/55 5 " " H 508-65236 10/26/55 11/?/55 2 n n n 508-65237 10/26/55 10/30/55 5 " " " 508-65246 10/27/55 11/1/55 5 u u n 508-65248 10/27/55 10/30/55 3 . u n n 508-65264 10/27/55 11/10/55 14 Shot Barry County 508-65268 11/1/55 ll/?/55 ? Shot Kalamazoo County 508-65275 11/1/55 11/7/55 6 " " " 508-65277 11/1/55 11/6/55 5 Shot Calhoun County 508-65294 11/3/55 11/13/55 10 Shot Kalamazoo County 508-89507 11/8/55 11/29/55 21 " " H 508-89514 11/8/55 11/29/55 21. " " H 508-89564 11/16/55 11/18/55 2 " H u 508-89579 11/17/55 11/17-21/55 2 u u " 508-89598 11/17/55 11/17-21/55 ? H n u . 508-89623 11/21/55 12/14/55 23 Found dead on Sanctuary presumably of gun shot wounds 508-89703 12/3/55 12/9/55 6 Shot Kalamazoo County 14.8 days without including July and August bandings 21.6 days including July and August bandings 77 average time lapse of 14.8 days between banding and killing for 19 geese. The state-controlled Swan Creek Wildlife EXperiment Station and the Fennville State Game Area are located 35 miles northwest of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Table 11 Shows that an average of 20.6 days elapsed between the time of the banding Of birds at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and the killing of the birds at these two shooting areas. Returns of leg-bands (see Tables 9, 10, and 11) and subsequent identification of paint-marked birds Show that Canada geese remain for some time in southwestern Michigan during fall migration. The data available do not Show maximum stay, but only that certain Canada geese did remain in southwestern Michigan for at least two to three weeks until they were recaptured or killed. The ratio of vulnerability to Shooting of juveniles (young of the year) to adults banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary was deter- mined by using the formula which was suggested by Frank C. Bellrose (Hanson and Smith, 1950). Number of band recoveries from juveniles Number of Juveniles banded before end of hunting season Vulnerability quotient V = Number of band recoveries from adults Number of adults banded before end Of hunting season \ Table 11. 78 Canada geese trapped and banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in the fall of 1955 and shot in the state- controlled game area of Swan Creek and the Fennville hunting areas 35 miles to the northwest. Date Banded Band at the Kellogg Date Number of Days Between Number Bird Sanctuary Shot Banding and Death 508-65181 10/13/55 ll/7/55 25 508-65187 10/15/55 11/27/55 43 508-65197 10/15/55 ll/l/55 17 508-65198 10/15/55 11/16/55 32 508-65218 10/16/55 11/16/55 31 508-65227 10/26/55 11/26/55 31 508-65249 10/27/55 ll/26/55 30 508-65257 10/27/55 11/18/55 22 508-65260 10/27/55 11/2/55 6 508-65289 ll/l/55 11/6/55 5 508-65504 11/7/55 11/20/55 14 508-65516 11/8/55 11/21/55 13 508—65518 11/8/55 11/17/55 9 508-65523 11/8/55 11/19/55 11 3;; Total Number of Days 289 Total Number of Birds 14 Average Days Between Banding and Death 20.6 79 The adult-juvenile data from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in Table 12 for the years 1950, 1954, and 1955 were used in figuring . vulnerability quotient. The data from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary (see Table 12) show that while there are differences in individual years, the totals for three year period Show no difference in vulner- ability. Because Of many unevaluated factors it is impossible to determine the reason for yearly differences. 80 Table 12. Number of adult* and juvenile Canada geese trapped and banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and number reported killed at end of each hunting season for the years 1950-51 and 1954 through 1956. 7"9 months or older although not sexually mature until two years of age. Number of Canada Number of Canada Geese Killed Geese Banded by end of Hunting Season Season Adults Juveniles Totals Adults Juveniles Totals 1950-51 169 182 351 ll 8 19 1954-55 74 89 163 7 12 19 1955-56 251 144 395 29 19 48 Total 493 415 909 47 39 86 VITAL STATISTICS OF POPULATION Data on age structure, sex ratio, weights, and parasites of Canada geese in southwestern Michigan were compiled and analyzed by the writer. The number Of Canada geese used in this part of Study was small compared to the number Of these birds utilizing the area, but it was believed that the information would be helpful toward a better understanding of Canada geese in the Mississippi Flyway. Records from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary provided data to use in determining the survival and age Structure of Canada geese using the area. Data on sex and weights of Canada geese trapped in the fall were obtained during the banding Operations; at the same time ectOparasites and blood samples were collected. During inSpection of hunters' kills the sex of Canada geese shot was determined and whenever possible parasites were collected; weights of these Canada geese were reported by the hunters later in a postal survey. Age Structure Table 13 was devised by using a productivity table modified from Hickey (1952), and a life table modified from Deevey (1947). It is based upon data obtained from 74 Canada geese of known age banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary from 1931 to 1942. If the total 81 82 .quH : Hmmfi mumoz aw oopcmo omomw memcmo co zumauocmm nhwm wwofifioz .M .3 moo mo mosooou mewocmn Eoum emuOOHHOO one? memo omOSH .Omomw meuczocx co museums ecmnzwmfi Eoum moHQMu OMHH new Nufl>fluoseoum .MH OHQMH oo.H H H o.ooH H H NH 1 HH om.H m N 0.0m H N HH 1 OH om.N m N o o N OH 1 a No.N w m m.mm H m a a w oq.N NH 8 o.oq N m w u N NMH A HH.N mH N m.qo q o N u o Hm.N om HH w.om q NH 0 u m mo.N we wH mwmq OH mN m I q Nd.N mN NN w.mN w Hm q I m om.N mHH oq ¢.mm NH wq m u N Nw.N moH em 0.0N NH oo N u H «MH mH.m ©MN No m.wH qH ¢N H u o x owe 50mm x owe H + x new x H + x poop meson qN mo mumoz pow wchHmEou some HOW memo cmoBOOL pom x mowm ncsow so uso oHomHHm>m CH ow< owHH mo OO>HH on On O>HHm wepHn coozumo poem omoow mouHo wooden auwcoH meuo>< wchHmEou mo umoEsz wcH>HH UMHQ mo umnEsz mumozuoan use meme mo Hoofisz NuHHmuuoE xH x x x N xH x x x II“ 0 ..I. I"? x H_w H H + 3H xH x U x E—4 83 number of geese (271) in column 1x is considered a typical flock, and if this is an adequate sample, certain inferences can be drawn as to age structure and survival of the Canada geese of Southwestern Mi eh igan. LeOpold (1948), and Hanson and Smith (1950), stated that Canada geese are sexually mature at two years Of age. Assuming this, the first two age-groups in Column lX (134 geese or 49.5 percent of the flock) are non-breeders. The 10 remaining age-groups comprising 50.5 percent of the flock (137 geese or 68 pairs, assuming a 50/50 sex ratio) can be regarded as sexually mature or as breeders. Thus in any normal flock, approximately a 50/50 ratio of breeders to non breeders could be expected. Hence, in the sample flock shown in Table 13, the 68 pairs of breeding birds would raise age-group O -— 1 (74 goslings) from hatching to their first fall. At time of migration, 1.09 goslings (approximately six months old) coUld then be e>oz mmoo. HOH owes. m.ow ma Nae mmoo. m.om em Nmm .600 x .mno x .axm .mno meEmm x .axm .mno mHmz euaoz N N ucmo N ucou Hmuoa pom pom Ill I 86 .mmma mam ammfi ca xdmsuocmm spam wonHmM .M .3 mzu um AmsucoE znv vwammuu mmmww mpmcmo mo muawflmz .mH mHLwH .mnH H.n u mUHHn HHm Ho .HB .>< . . I k . . .2: as .I. m HHm Ho .>oz ISH 3E .3. .MMM M.WH mMM Wm use” .MM .mnH q.m u RV HHm Ho .>oz How .u3 .>< t .mnH m.© u H» HHm Ho .Hoo HoH .HB .>< oww Ho msucoE m Hm>o u < QSOHw ow< .mnH 0.0 n RV HHm Ho .uoo HOH .uB .>< owm Ho msucoE @ Hops: u H QSOHw mw< mm mm OH H 4 ...HM 0H a ... mm. N.w % < mm N.w % < mm 0H m H cm H: a H om H.m «V H mH H.m Mu H mH mmoH HonEmooo mmoH HonEoooQ Nwm mmH mm .HH a < «MI mg a < a New m < mIH. wé a. < 3 OH % 4 am Tm .m < 3 me a H OH me a H R me a H mm 8.0 N H 3 H6 w H 2 as w. H R mmoH é «mmH HoHEo>oz mmmH HonEo>oz qmmH HoQEo>oz HOH mm mm NH a < H: «H m < mm as a < wIH. o.m .\ < mq H.m % < om w.© up .< mm He H H «m as a - H HH 0.0 a H S H.o Ks H mm N.o % H 0H H.© to H Hm mmoH % qmmH Hohouoo mmoH Honouoo qmmH Honouoo .mnH xom ow< pommmHH nucoz .mnH xom ow< poaamuH Sucoz .mnH xmm mw< UoddeH Lucoz CH ommmo 6cm CH mmoou paw CH mmmoo paw .u3 .>< Ho .02 Hmmw .u3 .>< .oz Hmow .u3 .>< Ho .02 How» .mHmHOH m£ucoz he mmmmo mpmcmu Ho muanmz '1 87 The weights seem to vary with time of year and sex as well as with the variations of individual families or the year in which the weights were recorded. As the fall of 1955 progressed, all Canada geese gained weight with the exception of the females between the months of October and November. In 1955, a weight loss for adult females at the nearby Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Station was also reported by Friley (1960). The average weight of birds reported by Friley from hunter kills was almost a pound heavier than those recorded for trapped birds at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Weights of Canada geese trapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary coincided with the weights re- corded by Elder (1946), at Horseshoe Lake, Illinois. The average weight of all male Canada geese was slightly over 7 pounds; the average for females was slightly under 7 pounds; the over-all average was 7.092 pounds. From October to December all classes of Canada geese showed weight gains (Table 16). The average gain in weight was .5 pound during the trapping seasons of 1954 and 1955. Comparison of Weights Recorded at the W, K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary with Hunter Survey Weight Data. During the fall of 1954, a postal survey of hunters was conducted by the writer in which two of the questions (Questionnaire Form-in Appendix F) asked of the hunters were as follows: 1. How many Canada geese did you shoot during the fall of 1954? 2. If weighed, how much did each Canada goose you shot weigh? Weight figures received were compared with those obtained during the trapping and banding Operations (Table 17). Sex and age 88 Table 16. Weight gain or loss in migrating Canada geese trapped during autumn of 1954 and 1955, differences determined by sex and age. Table 17. Comparison of weights of trapped geese and geese shot by hunters in the fall of 1955. Weight Gain for Geese During Weight Gain or Loss in Geese Fall Migration, 1954 During Fall Migration, 1955 Month Age and Sex Age and Sex dn/Inmn Q/Inmn 87Adu1t g/Adult 871mm. 9/Imm. évAdult Q/Adult 325- + 379 +.274 +1.094 +1.28l +.427 -.175 +.474 -.240 NOV- +.461 +.778 +.624 +.445 Dec. Average Weight Gain Per Goose During the Fall Migration .484 pound or .5 pounds Gain During Fall Season. Weights of Geese Trapped Weights of Geese Shot by Hunters Year Number Average Year Number Average Weighed Weighed Weight Weighed Weighed Weight 1954 , 163 6 lbs. 14 oz. 1954 90 7 lbs. 12 oz. 1955 £11 7 lbs. 3 OZ. "' _: --- J‘ 580 7 lbs. 2 oz. 90 7 lbs. 12 oz." *10 oz. more than trapped weight ‘ a, 89 classification were eliminated in the table since information on age and sex of a Canada goose could not be expected from the hunters. The' results of this postal survey showed that the average weight of Canada geese reported by hunters was 10 ounces more than the average weight of birds obtained during the trapping and banding season. Table 18 shows that the average weights of Canada geese reported by hunters were higher than those recorded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. If all individual Canada geese were sampled from the same pOpulation, a bias factor must have been introduced. By examining the reports received from the hunters, it was noted that the Canada goose weights were usually reported in terms of even pounds or nearest half-pound, Figure 31, (74 weights reported were labeled as even pounds or half-pound weights - l6 weights were reported with the number of ounces given. Table 18 and Figure 31 indicate that the bias is that many hunters reported the weights of Canada geese shot by them to the next highest pound or half-pound weight. Parasites of Canada Geese External Parasites A collection of parasites of Canada geese was made during banding operations and bag checks in the field. Each bird handled was checked for lice on 3 areas - rump, wing, and tail. Parasite Specimens were preserved and labeled as to area of body from which collected. A total of 1,259 lice were collected for examination from 221 Canada geese, of which 126 were live-trapped birds. 0f the other 95 birds that were shot in the area surrounding. the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and examined during the hunter checks, 90 Table 18. Formulas used to determine standard deviation, means with unequal variances, and variances of two pOpulations showing a bias in the data obtained from hunters. Figure 31. Histogram showing number and weights of Canada geese reported by hunters compared with the author's sample pOpulation. The bias appears to have been introduced by the hunters' tendency to report Canada goose weights to the next highest pound weight. WMWZCZ UIISIZL‘QHL-qz N 3? x2 s2 s Fall 1954 Author weighed 163 108.17 oz. 1,960,661 324.14 18.0 Fall 1955 Author weighed 417 115.76 oz. 5,686,646 236.07 15.3 Totals 1954 & 1955 580 113.64 oz. 7,647,307 ' 273.63 16.5 Fall 1954 Hunter reported weights 90 126.67 oz. 1,505,301 671.51 25.9 Formulas used were obtained from Dixon & Massey, 1951 2 x2 _ (X)2 S = N = variance N - l (321 - 22) 't = -—-‘ = Means with unequal variances 2 2 (s1 / N1) - (s2 / N2) 2 2 . . F :31 / $2 = Variance-ratio of 2 pOpulations 1953 W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary records 163 goose wts—————— 1953 Hunter reported weights 90 goose wts . - -\\ / 1‘» "/x . even loz 202.302 402 502 602 7oz 802 902 1002 1102 1202 1302 1402 1502 pounds Number of ounces above even pounds \ 91 46 were infested. The fact that so many of the dead birds did not contain Ma110phaga may possibly be eXplained by the time lapse between the death of the bird and the time of checking it for Mallophaga - often a matter of hours. In addition the hunters were often in too great a hurry to permit the thorough examination of their kills. Most of the crippled and sick geese examined had large numbers of lice. Four genera of Ma110phaga were identified from the birds examined. Ornithobius, Trinoton, and Menopon are found on the rump, wing, and tail (see Table 19). The six Specimens of Anatacola that were found occurred on the ventral side of the wings, suggesting that the para- site is area-Specific. The identification of Specimens was made possible from bulletins by Clay and Hopkins (1950, 1951, and 1954). After the Mallophaga were identified, a collection was sent to the British Museum of Natural History to be examined by Dr. Clay. A letter from her verified the generic identifications. Blood Parasites. Blood smears were made from all Canada geese that were live- trapped as well as from all birds examined during the hunter checks throughout the falls of 1954 and 1955. Additional blood smears were taken in February of 1956. For each bird examined, the age and sex. were noted. Blood was obtained by removing a small patch of wing lining from the ventral side of one wing directly below the upper arm and exposing the artery just below the surface of the skin. This artery was pierced by either a needle or lance tip to allow a small amount of blood to escape. Slides were made during the day and stained that same evening to be examined at a later date. Table 20 92 Table 19. Types of Mallophaga identified on 221 Canada geese. Table 20. Types of blood parasites found in 224 Canada geese. Number of Lice Number of Lice found in Specific Area Genus Identified Rump Wing Breast Ornithobius Sp. 1229 570 ‘ 606 50 Trinoton Sp. 18 8 6 4 Menopon Sp. 9 2 6 l Anatacola Sp. 6 0 6 0 Number Birds Infected With Geese Number of Blood Parasites Slides - Sex Age Examined Leucocytozoon HaemOproteuS Microfilaria Male I 40 10 25.0% 0 .0% l 2.5% Female I 37 8 21.6% 0 .0% 2 4.5% Male A 88 11 12.5% 2 2.2% 1 1.1% Female. A 58 6 10.4% 0 .0% l 1.1% Unknown A l 1 100.0% 0 .0% 0 .0% Total 224 36 16.1% 2 .89% 5 2.2% * Blood parasites were identified by Dr. David Clark of the Michigan State University Department of Microbiology and Public Health. SSFE‘FW’ mm WI PM 93 shows the types of blood parasites found on the Canada geese examined. At the present date there is only one article with direct refer- ence to the types of blood parasites of the Canada goose, or which mentions the damage that these parasites may inflict on the birds (Hanson and Levine, 1953). Leucocytozoon simondi was found to be parasitic on certain leucocytes in 353 Canada geese examined at the Horseshoe Lake Game Refuge in 1950. Wickware (1915) and O'Roke (1934) have observed that a Species of Leucocytozoon is pathogenic in ducks. Fallis, Davies, and Vickers (1951) working in Canada with infected ducks, correlated the mortality if E rate in ducks with the abundance of black flies, Simulium venustum, which they found to be the alternate host for that Leucocytozoon. When the black fly was most abundant in Canada (June and July), the mortality rate of ducklings was greatest. ' Chernin (1952) working in northern Michigan noticed that the in- fections of blood parasites in ducks was the greatest in late July and August, and concluded that if young ducks were exposed to the Leucocytozoon in the early summer months, they could establish a natural immunity, thus preventing death cauSed by the parasite late in the summer. Since Canada geese are known to carry Leucocytozoon, and these parasites are known to cause mortality in ducks, there is a possi- bility that there may be some effect on Canada geese. The genus Haemoproteus seems rare in Canada geese and was found in only 2 of the 224 slides examined (Table 20). Whether this organism is detrimental to the birds is unknown. Microfilaria are assumed to do no damage to the birds. Anderson 94 (1956) determined that one of the intermediate hosts was of the sucking fly family(Simulidae), and that the parasite, although it may be irritating, does not actually cause the death of a bird. ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE CANADA GOOSE STUDY Hunter Survey A survey was undertaken in the fall of 1954, to determine the economic importance of Canada geese to local hunters. This survey was conducted on privately-owned land bordering the north, east, and south boundaries of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary (see Figure 2). This land, used for farming in summer, is leased to hunters during the season. Some of the farmers build blinds of straw bales or tree branches. Sometimes the hunters themselves build blinds when leasing land for the season or else they Stand behind trees or crouch in the weeds or shrubs as do the hunters that pay by the day. The greatest number of hunters visited lands closest to the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary with most of the hunting occurring within one mile of the Sanctuary. Except in stormy weather, the Canada geese habitually left or returned to the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in early morning or late afternoon. Consequently, the hunters were concentrated at these times and could be checked easily. Two hundred and six hunters who were hunting Canada geese on prOperties at or near the boundaries of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were questioned by the writer as to their willingness to cooperate individually in a hunter survey that would continue through- out the entire season. One hundred and thirty of these c00perated during the entire program. 95 96 Two daily rounds of between 8 and 10 miles each were made by the writer throughout the hunting hours - one in early morning, the other in late afternoon. Aside from determining the success and economics of the hunts, these served to help foster better hunter-biologist re- lations, to permit the collection of ectOparasites and blood smears, and to make possible the aging and sexing of birds shot. The morning trip started about one—half hour before Shooting and lasted until approximately 9:30 A. M. The afternoon trip began about 3:30 P. M. and took until about one-half hour after sunset. The information to be sought at the end of the season was ex- plained by the writer during his first interview with each hunter. A form was given each hunter on which he could record essential infor- mation (Appendix G). It included Spaces for the hunter to fill in the date(s) and hours hunted, the number of geese Shot each trip, the number of geese crippled each trip, and the number of Shells used each day. At the end of the hunting season, a two-page letter (Appendix F) ‘was sent to all hunters who had indicated willingness to c00perate. ‘The data from this questionnaire based on reports of 130 shooters are shown below: Hunting Trips: Total number of trips made to goose hunting area in hunters' own cars 1,292 Average number of car trips made by each hunter during season 10' Total mileage by hunters on goose hunting trips 38,282 Average mileage per hunter (round trip) 29-1/2 97 Total number of hours Spent hunting geese 5,254 Average number of hours per hunter 40-1/2 Number of geese reported crippled 163 Number of geese killed and recovered 199 Costs 33 Listed: . Cost of gasoline - @ $.32 per gallon - averaging 15 miles per gallon by all hunters during season $816.00 Average cost of gasoline per hunter per season $6.28 Total cost of hunting equipment pur- chased in 1954 for goose hunting only (minus shell cost) $6,094.82 Average cost of hunting equipment per hunter not including shells $46.88 Total cost of hunting permits (paid) to private land owners $2,198.18 Average cost of hunting rights per hunter ' $16.90 Total amount Spent by each hunter for shells (computed from Table 21) $5.57 Total cost of goose hunting (1954 season) not including loss of salary while hunting or esthetic value received: Total expenditure by 130 hunters $9,833.94 Average amount Spent by a hunter $75.64 Expenditure per goose bagged $49.42 Expenditure per pound of goose live weight $7.06 The information obtained from the hunters in this area has been grwauped in Table 22 to fit the categories of those used in the National Sturvey of Fishing and Hunting 1955, compiled at the request of the U} S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (Circular 44, 1956). Comparison of Table 21. Table 22. 98 Types and cost of ammunition, gun gauges, and shells eXpended by goose hunters on land near W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary as determined from 1954 hunter survey. Comparison between exgenditures of waterfowl hunters in the United States (19 5) and goose hunters around the W..I§. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary (1954). '7 A v' .f 7‘71.- '7‘ '7 \ Number of Number of Average number Gauge of hunters using Shells Cost of of shells gun used type gun expended Shells per hunter 12 gauge magnum 41 2027 $332.43 49.4 12 gauge, 2 and 3/4 magnum 23 428 66.77 18.6 12 gauge regular 66 1924 277.06 29.2 16 gauge regular 9 279 37.95 31.0 -20 gauge regular ' 3 76 8.97 25.3 10 gauge regular 2 7 1.09 3.5 Waterfowl Hunters in United States Goose Hunters around Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Expenditure Item in 1955 during 1954 season Hunting Equipment $19.83 $52.44 ZFood 2,43 --- ILodgingv .78 --- CDranSportation 6.07 6.28 Iricenses & Leases 3.25 16.90 Dogs 6.18 --- Other Expenditures 21 . 24 ..-- Total 59.78 75.63 99 figures in Table 22 Show that the expenses of the average waterfowl hunter in the United States may be $15.85 less per season than that of a goose hunter in the area of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. \ Esthetic Value Since beauty is an abstract concept, it is not customarily given a monetary value; but it must be taken into consideration when apprais- ing the value of the Canada goose in southwestern Michigan. Many peOple who carry firearms in the field claim a successful trip if they are able to observe wildlife - even though out of gun range. A large percentage of the men checked in the hunter survey were in this category. It is difficult to determine economic value without considering the esthetic values involved in the cost of obtaining the visual benefits. The beauty of the Canada goose gives pleasure to thousands <>f people who do not hunt but who drive to the area of the W. K. IQellogg Bird Sanctuary to observe Canada geese. Schools have financed tlua tranSportation of thousands of children to better acquaint them twith nature. Although most of such equipment is not purchased ex- clJJsively for wildlife purposes, film, cameras, field glasses, wildlife fcxad, and books contributed to a more purposeful enjoyment on many eruzursions. These observers and photographers did not consider their eyqpenditures wasted, but as something contributing to future enjoyment irl the form of memories, Slides, or motion pictures of geese. | Summary of Opinions of Local Farmers Farmers contacted during the nesting surveys of 1955 and 1956 were ‘ " ' '— V. 100 asked their opinions on the amount of crop damage caused by Canada geese and the trend in the numbers of these birds utilizing the area. It is understood that these questions resulted in answers that were individual Opinions based on observations, recollections, or reports of the local residents. The general concensus among farmers who had lived in the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary area for over 20 years was that the migrating goose flocks which linger in the area for a few weeks during Spring and fall migrations increased in size until about 1942 at which time the population became relatively stable with slight yearly fluctuations. W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary records Show a gradual climb until a peak was reached in 1946 - the fall in which no goose hunting was allowed in the Mississippi Flyway. Any change in land utilization due to crOp rotation may cause a shift in the direction of daily flights of geese, thus determining the numbers a farmer will see on his own or on his neighbor's land. For example, in the fall of 1953, the W. K. Kellogg Farm which con- trols the land on three sides of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, had a corn field northwest of Wintergreen Lake that was utilized by geese for daily feeding. The following year this field was planted to clover, while a field south of Wintergreen Lake contained corn. 'This crOp rotation resulted in the almost complete absence in 1954 of gyeese on a field that had been used by them almost daily in 1953; tflneir daily flights shifted to a new field in a different direction. These shifts to other areas could result in the conclusion by .farnmrs that there are either less'or more geese than they have cflgserved in previous years, without realizing that the birds have 101 shifted to a more suitable feeding area. During the nesting survey there were discussions as to whether the Canada geese caused any crOp damage. Although in a few instances farmers thought Canada geese had caused a limited amount of damage, in most cases they liked having them on their prOperty. Other farmers believed that the wheat crOp was improved by Canada goose grazing. Whether this resulted from Canada goose droppings or whether grazing by the Canada geese caused increased vigor of the plants because of stooling was not determined. The grazing by wild Canada geese on dormant winter wheat as tested experimentally by Pirnie (1954) Seems to cause little or no reduction in-yie1ds. Because Canada geese are seemingly reluctant to enter fields of standing corn, little loss of that crop occurred prior to harvest or when left standing all winter. However, when the corn picker has gone through, and the tall stalks cut off or flattened, the Canada geese may be attracted. SUMMARY 1. In order to gain a better understanding of the Canada goose in southwestern Michigan, this study was instigated on September 25, 1954. These investigations were made using the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary of Michigan State University as the major Study area. 2. The Canada goose Branta canadensis interior Todd, 1948 constitutes the main subSpecies of Canada geese found on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Five other subSpecies have been reported in the area. 3. Literature does not indicate that Canada goose nesting occurred in southwestern Michigan prior to the establishment of a nesting flock at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. It is believed that the nesting in Barry, Calhoun, and Kalamazoo counties has resulted from the off- Spring of nesting geese on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. 4. Daily records of temperatures and numbers of geese on the W. K- Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were kept in the autumns of 1954, 1955, and 1956. It was found that when the average weekly temperature dropped below 500 F., there was a rapid increase in the number of Canada geese on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. 5. Ground counts coordinated with aerial counts and photographs were used during the fall of 1955 as a means of obtaining information on concentrations and distributions. The aerial work was not successful in southwestern Michigan because of poor flying conditions and 102 103 because birds in fields (although reported to the aerial Spotters by ground observers) frequently were not seen by those making the aerial counts. 6. Courtship activities among Canada geese on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were first observed in late February while ice covered the lake. Canada geese which paired (even if they did not nest) remained together for the entire pre—nesting period of about 6 to 8 weeks. 7. Northward migrating Canada geese use southwestern Michigan as a gathering area in the Spring migration with peak concentrations ‘ '11:.I.~ _. occurring on about March 25 and again on about April 19. Transient Canada geese are still in Michigan at the time when local Canada geese are starting to lay their eggs. 8. Nesting observations on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in 1955 and 1956 disclosed a variety of habitat used as nesting Sites. During this study all nesting geese on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were znarked for visual identification, and future studies may Show whether each pair is consistent in its choice of nesting habitat. 9. Nesting surveys for the territory surrounding the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary were undertaken during the Springs of 1955 and 1956. Thirty—six square miles were sampled in 1955, and 325 square miles in 1956. The data were evaluated with a 98 percent confidence interval in both years and with only four nests being found each year, con- fidence limits ranged from 0 to 400. Idaho used a complete nesting count for several years. Its conservation department now believes that accurate nesting trends are shown by survey methods. The author \ 104 believes that Michigan and other midwest states with extensive lakes and marshes will find the sampling method better and cheaper than Special area check ups used in the dry western terrain. 10. Michigan has six major areas where migrating Canada geese concen- trate: (1) The Seney National Wildlife Refuge, (2) The Leelanau- Benzie counties area, (3) The Saginaw Bay area, (4) The Oakland- Livingston-Jackson counties, (5) The Kalamazoo River Bottoms area and (6) The St. Joseph River and Leidy lake area. 11. From 1941-1945 the estimated mean bag was 19,355 Canada geese killed in the Mississippi Flyway with Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana ranking first, second, and third in numbers killed. The 1959 reports Show 114,800 geese killed in this flyway with Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri being the leaders. The kill in Illinois for that season was 55,000 geese. ‘ 12. Leg-band returns from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and. Seney Wildlife Refuge Show different winter movements for Canada geese banded at each station.- Returns from Seney-banded Canada geese Show a movement through Illinois and western Indiana to the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers then south along the Mississippi River. Band returns for Canada geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary indicate a scattered wintering south of Michigan. Some move to the Horseshoe Lake area in Illinois and to neighboring land in Missouri and Kentucky. Others travel farther south, wintering in (entucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia while a third group winters 3n the Piedmont plains of Maryland, Virginia, and North and South Carolina . 105 13. From 1949 to 1953 the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary received 103 band returns. During this five year period, only three reports were received from the east coast. The five year period (1954-1958) re— vealed that 18 of the 250 birds bagged were shot in the Atlantic Flyway. Though the number of reports is small, this increased kill in the southeast may Show a shift in wintering areas. ‘14. Examination of the leg-banding records showed that most of the Canadian leg-band recoveries occur in the Spring and chiefly along the west shoreline and tributary rivers of James Bay. Time of year, age of Canada geese killed, and location of kill point to this area as the Spring gathering place of Canada geese prior to moving to the actual nesting sites. 15. When plotted and compared, kill reports of leg-banded geese from the Seney National Wildlife Refuge and those from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary seem to indicate two southward migration routes through Michigan. The Canada geeSe banded at Seney travel south along the coast of Lake Michigan to the western part of the state while most of the kill reports from the geese banded at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary are from southwestern Michigan counties. 16. An intensive trapping program was undertaken during the autumns of 1954 and 1955 in order to secure more data on continental and local Inovements of Canada geese using the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. IDuring both years, handling Operations consisted of leg-banding, ‘weighing, sexing, aging, (determining whether they were first year ‘birds or Older), examining for ectOparasites, and obtaining blood sanmdes to examine for parasites. In the second year of the study, 106 Neck-bands and paint were used in addition to aid visual identification of Canada geese. 17. The neck-bands used in this study were made Of a combination of rubber styrene and pressure-sensitive Scotch tape. The material proved durable and did not seem to interfere with the Canada geese in any way. Observations of neck-banded Canada geese made~the Spring, following the banding at the Jack Miner Sanctuary by Manly Miner and the author indicate that geese do not always return north in the Spring by the same route taken south in the -fall. 18. One of the methods used to estimate the length of stOpover at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary by migrating Canada geese was by painting different parts of the bodies of geese on different dates. Many of the painted Canada geese were observed at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary 17 days after the end of the first marking period (November 12, 1955). On November 29, 1955, observations were discon- tinued because low temperatures caused frost to form on the backs of geese and obscured the paint. There was also, the possibility that many of the Canada geese were resident and not transient Canada geese on this date which could result in inaccurate information. 19. ‘ Leg-bands were used to help determine the period of time geese 'emained in the vicinity of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary during he ‘fall migration. Of the 395 geese banded in the fall of 1955, 12 are retrapped. The time lapse between trapping and retrapping ranged :0m 4 to 49 days with an average of 21.7 days between the original 1d final trapping date. Fourteen of the leg-banded geese were shot lat. same fall in the state—controlled Fennville State Game Area and 107 the Swan Creek Wildlife Experiment Station 35 miles from the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, averaging 20.6 days from banding date to kill date. It was taken into consideration that the Canada geese were probably in the area days before the first trapping and remained some time after they were retrapped. 20. The vulnerability quotient of Canada geese trapped at the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary showed that while there are differences in' individual years, the totals for 3 year period Show no difference in vulnerability. NO reasonable eXplanation has been found to eXplain 'JLWJ‘dIfr ten-x “1.4.311. 7' n u .‘ ~. - . the difference unless it is in the small sample size. S 21. lbrnwdifying a life table develOped by Deevey (1947) and a pro- ductivity table develOped by Hickey (1952), it was determined that 68 pairs of Canada geese raised 74 goslings to the first hunting season or 1.09 goslings per pair. If an average of 3 goslings per nest is hatched, this nethod Showed a mortality rate in goslings of 63.4 percent from time of hatching until time of fall migration. 22. Examination of Canada geese during trapping season Showed a 50/50 male to female sex ratio. 23. All Canada geese trapped on the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary in 1954 and 1955 were weighed, and the records, showed that there was a 'eight: increase Of 1/2 pound per Canada goOse from October through ecernber. Throughout the autumns, the average weight for female anada geese was slightly under 7 pounds and for males slightly over pounds with the overall average being 7.092 pounds. During the anting season, hunters were asked to weigh the Canada geese they had 108 shot and report the weight. They reported average weights of ten ounces more than those weighed during our banding Operations. This weight difference seemed to be caused by hunters reporting Canada goose weights to the next highest pound and not to the nearest ounce. 24. Blood samples were removed from 224 geese and examined for para- sites. The results showed 16.1 percent contained Leucogytozoon, 2.2 percent contained Microfilaria, and .89 percent contained Haemoproteus. (Blood parasites collected by the author were identified by Dr. David Clark, Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Michigan State University). 25. A total of 1,259 lice were collected from Canada geese trapped during banding Operations and from Canada geese killed by hunters. It was found that the Canada geese were hosts to four genera of the suborder Mallophaga: Ornithobius, Trinoton, Menopon, and Anatacola. 26. A hunter survey was conducted to determine the amount of money eXpended by goose hunters in the area of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. The tabulation of this survey showed that the average hunter Spent $74.64 per season on Canada goose hunting, that every Canada goose shot cost $49.42, that hunters Spent 40-1/2 hours in the field hunting Canada geese, and that 24 shells were fired for each Canada goose bagged. The average cost to waterfowl hunters in the United States may be $15.85 less per season than the average amount Spent by Canada goose hunters in the area of the W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. 27. Local farmers were questioned as to their Opinions of crOp 109 damage by Canada geese. In most cases they did not believe damage occurred and in a few instances it was thought that a certain amount of grazing by Canada geese actually improved the winter wheat crop. A few farmers claimed that some damage resulted, but that the esthetic value of Canada geese in the area counterbalanced any damage they caused. LITERATURE CITED Allen, D. L. 1937. Ecological Studies on the Vertebrate Fauna of a SOD-Acre Farm in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Ph.D. Thesis, Michigan‘State Coll. American Ornithologists' Union. 1957. Check-List of North American Birds. 5th ed. The Lord Baltimore Press. 691 pp. Anderson, R. 1956. "The Life Cycle and Seasonal Transmission of Ornithofilaria fallissensis anderson, a Parasite of Domestic and Wild Ducks," Can. Jour. of 2001. 34:485—525. Chernin, E. 1952. "The Epizootiology of Leucocytozoon simondi infections in Domestic Ducks in Northern Michigan." Am. Jour. of Hygiene. 56:39-57. Clay, T., and G. Hopkins. 1950. The Early History of Mallophaga. Part I, Bulletin of the Brit. Mus. of Entomology, London. 1:3, 223-272. Clay, T., and G. Hopkins. 1951. The Early History of Ma110phaga. Part II, Bulletin of the Brit. Mus. of Entomology, London. 2:1, 3-37. Clay, T., and G. HOpkins. 1954. The Early History of Ma110phaga. Part III, Bulletin of the Brit. Mus. of Entomology, London. 3:6, 223-266. Delacour, J. T. .1954. The Waterfowl of the World. London: Country Life Press. 208 pp. Deevey, E. S. 1947. "Life Tables for Natural Populations of Animals,” Quart. Rev. Biol., 22:283-314. Dill, H. and W. Thornberry. 1950. "Cannon Net Trap for Waterfowl," Jour. Wildl. Mgt. 14:2, 132-137. IDixon, W. and F. Massey. 1951. Introduction to Statistical Analysis. lst Ed., New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company. 370 pp. Durant, S. W. 1880. History Of Kalamazoo County. Philadelphia: Everts and Abbott. 552 pp. Elder, W. 1946. ”Age and Sex Criteria and Weights of Canada Geese," Jour. Wildl. Mgt. 10:93-111. 110 111 Fallis, A., D. Davies, and M. Vickers. 1951. "Life History of Leucogytozoon simondi mathis and leger in Natural Experimental Infections and Blood Changes Produced in the Avian Host." Can. Jour. 2001. 29:305-328. Friley, C. 1960. "The Canada Geese of Michigan's Swan Creek Highbanks, 1953-1957," Jour. Wildl. Mgt. 24(11):97-99. Geis, A. D. 1956. A Population Study of the Cottontail Rabbit in Southern Michigan. Ph.D. Thesis, Michigan State University. Gibbs, M. 1885. "A Catalog Of the Birds of Kalamazoo County, Michigan," Part IX, Ornithology and Oology, p. 65. Handley, Delmar E. 1958. Waterfowl Band Recoveries for Ohio 1939 - 1956. P/R Project W-70-R. Tech. Bul. 3. Ohio Dept. of Nat. Res.,Division of Wildlife. Hanson, H. 1949. "Methods of Determining Age of Canada Geese and Other Waterfowl," Jour. Wildl. Mgt. 13(2):177-183. Hanson, H. and N. Levine. 1953. "Blood Parasites of the Canada Goose," Jour. Wildl. Mgt. l7(2):185-196. Hanson, H. and R. Smith. 1950. Geese of the Mississippi Flyway with Special Reference to the Illinois Flock. Bull. 111. Nat. Hist. Surv.» 25:67-210. Hickey, J. 1952. Survival Studies of Banded Birds. Spec. Sci. Reports: Wildlife NO. 15. U. S. Dep't. of Int. Fish and Wildlife Serv. Washington: U. S. Gov't Printing Office. p. 86. Hochbaum, H. 1955. Travels and Traditions of Waterfowl. Minneapolis: Univ. Of Minn. Press. 301 pp. Kortright, F. 1953. The Ducks, Geese and Swans Of North America. Harrisburg: The Stackpole Co., and Washington: The Wildlife Management Institute. 476 pp. Leopold, A. 1948. Game Management. New York: Charles Scribner and Son. 481 pp. Leverett, F. 1924. Map of the Surface Formations of the Southern Peninsula Of Michigan. Mich. Geol. Div. and State Dep't. of Agr. Lincoln, F. 1935. The Migration of American Birds. New York: Doubleday, Doran, and Company. 189 pp. Moores, James. 1951. Fall Migration Study and Related Projects of Michigan Geese in the Fennville State Game and Swan Creek Wildlife .Experiment Station Areas”, Unpublished Report, 10 pp. O'Roke, E. 1934. ”A Malaria-like Disease of Ducks." Univ. of Mich. School of For. and Cons. Bull. 4:44. 112 Perkins, S. O. and J. Tyson. 1926. Soil Survey Of Kalamazoo County, Michigan. U. 627-662. Pirnie, M. 1935. 5. Dept. Agr. Bur. Soils, Field operations 1922: Michigan Waterfowl Management. Michigan Dept. Of Cons. Lansing, Michigan:, Franklin DeKleine Co. 328 pp. Pirnie, M. 1938. "Restocking of the Canada Goose Successful.in Southwestern Michigan." Trans. Amer. Wildl. Conf. 3:624-627. Pirnie, M. 1943. 21(1):13-15. Pirnie, M. 1954. "The W. K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary." Turtox News. ! "The Grazing of Dormant Winter Wheat by Wild Geese.l Quart. Bull. of Mich. Agric. Exp. Sta. Michigan State Univ. 37:95-104. Salter, R. 1958. ”Canada Goose Nesting Studies in Idaho." Idaho Wildlife Review. 2(2):5-6. ' Salter, R. 1959. 10(2):5-6. Snyder, L. 1957. "Goose Nesting Studies.” Idaho Wildlife Review. Arctic Birds of Canada. Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Press. 301 pp. United States Department of the Interior. 1956. National Survey of Fishing and Hunting. Circular 44. Wickware, A. 1915. "Is Leucogytozoon anatis the Cause of a New Disease in Ducks?" Parasitology. 8:17-21. Williams, C. O. and W. H. Marshall. 1938. “Evaluation of Nesting Cover for Waterfowl on Bear River Refuge." Trans. N. Amer. Wildl. Conf. 3:640-646. Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin. 1958. Wildlife Research Notes. 23:3, 10-11. \ Wing, L. 1956. Natural History of Birds. New York: Ronald Press. 539 pp. Wolfson, A. 1955. of I11. Press. Recent Studies in Avian Biology. Urbana: Univ. 479 pp. 'Wood, N. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. Mus. of 2001. Univ. of Mich. Misc. Publ. No. 75. Ann Arbor: Univ. of Mich. Press. 559 pp. APPENDIX A Development of Plastic Neck-band 114 Neck-band Construction DevelOped by Ward J. Rudersdorf and Roswell D. Van Deusen The recent trend in the use of plastics has produced a combina- tion of rubber and styrene that is cheap, workable, has lasting qualities, and is made in colors. This plastic (commercially known as "Boltron") was Obtained in various thicknesses and colors. One- inch pressure-sensitive Scotch tape can be used if color combinations on individual bands are needed. This tape comes in a variety of colors, seems to be as durable as the plastic material, and also acts as a locking device to insure against loss of the band. Plastic material .31 of an inch thick can be Obtained in flat sheets that are easily cut with kitchen shears. Strips are cut 1.5 inches wide to meet the Specifications of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and 6 inches long which is the length that will fit geese without any possibility of their choking. Using these measure- ‘ments, a 1-1/4 inch galvanized pipe may be used to mold the overlapping spring-type neck-band. The plastic material is wrapped around the pipe and individually held in place by rubber bands until closely 'woven strips of cloth can be wrapped around the entire batch. The pipes with the plastic wrapped around them and securely in place should then be heated in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 Ininutes, (Figure 29). In a single Operation a large number of bands can be made quickly and cheaply. This process forms a neck-band with an interior diameter of 1-1/2 inches which will ride freely on the neck of the goose, yet cannot be slipped over the head. India ink was used to write 1/2 inch 115 high numbers on each band. Boltron has rigidity, but does not become brittle with age or cold weather. These bands have no metal snap fasteners to pull out or rust off. To insure permanency, these numbers were covered with a protective coating of clear plastic. APPENDIX B Band Recoveries by Years 117 m¢\NHImq\HH N om\HHIom\oH H ZozIom\~H 118 t, NmmH mozIms\HH mm\NHIHn\HH mm\HImm\HH nm\HHIom\HH mm\HHIas\HH mm\HHInn\HH mn\~Imm\oH mn\HHImm\oH mm\oHIom\oH nm\oHIes\oH mmHNHImm\oH HHHHHIsHHHH mn\HHIHm\~H z