Breeding ground affiliation and movements of greater white-fronted geese staging in northwestern Texas

摘要

Data from neck-band observations were used to determine breeding-ground affiliation, period of use, and winter movement patterns of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis) observed in the Winchester Lakes region of northwestern Texas. Over 1,265 observations of nearly 800 individual neck-banded geese (3.2% of all neck-banded white-fronted geese in North America) were recorded in the region from 1988 through 1996. More than 4,200 observations of these individuals were recorded throughout North America. Observations peaked in November and February, indicating that the Winchester Lakes region is a migratory staging area for white-fronted geese. Only 6% of the birds in this region remained throughout the winter. Most birds staging in the Winchester Lakes region wintered in the rice prairies of coastal Texas and interior Mexico. Eighty-eight percent of the neck-banded geese were from the western portion of the midcontinent population of greater white-fronted geese, primarily representing Interior-Northwest Alaska, Yukon, and Anderson River breeding populations. These breeding populations are characterized by declining trends in population size and survival rates. The status (e.g., population trends, productivity, survival) of these breeding populations must be considered when managing birds in the Winchester Lakes region.