Skagit Valley / Wrangel Island Snow Goose

Original provider:
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Dataset credits:
Data provider: WA Dept of Fish & Wildlife Waterfowl; Originating data center: Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool (STAT); Project sponsor or sponsor description: Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

Abstract:
The Northern Puget Sound (NPS) wintering population of lesser snow geese occurs in the Skagit and Fraser Deltas along the western border between the United States and Canada. This population of snow geese have traditionally used very discrete estuary and agricultural habitats associated with Skagit and Port Susan Bays.<br><br>The breeding grounds of this population are on Wrangel Island, Russia. Because Wrangel Island snow geese represent the last major snow goose population breeding in Asia, and the primary Russian goose population that winters in North America, it is a high priority for the Pacific Flyway and the subject of long standing international cooperative management and conservation. Data collected since the early 1970s on Wrangel Island indicates that the population has grown in abundance, become younger, and changed its behavior relative to traditional habitat and resources. These population changes have become more apparent since the early 1990s and appear to be in response to warmer spring conditions, earlier snowmelt, and changes in the predator community on Wrangel Island. Some of these changes are also evident in the NPS wintering population where the total overwintering population size has increased.<br><br>The objectives of this project are to examine the current relationship of the NPS population to other Pacific flyway use areas. This will include documentation of migration routes, phenology, staging areas, and stopover locations throughout the flyway. Particular questions that we hope to answer include: <br> - When do geese depart and return to NPS during spring and fall migration?<br> - Where are important flyway use areas during migration?<br> - When and how long do geese use areas along migration routes?<br> - Document inter and/or intra-year interchange among NPS and other wintering areas.<br> - Do some geese that use NPS move to other locations within the flyway during the same winter or among different years?<br> - If NPS geese are moving to other locations, what is the timing of emigration and potential return to NPS?<br><br>The transmitters are programed to transmit for three years.<br><br><strong>Acknowledgments:</strong><br>WDFW Biologist Roozen and Technicians Anderson, Deyo, and Otto were instrumental in the successful snow goose captures - without their untiring efforts and perseverance through poor weather conditions, deployment of the full sample of transmitters would not have been possible. We are especially grateful to Dr. Scott Ford of <a href=http://alaskabirddoc.com/>Avian Specialty Veterinary Services</a> for his expertise and exceptional work with the transmitter implant procedures, and to WDFW Technician Deyo and Vet-Tech Yana Podobedova who assisted Dr. Ford with many of the procedures. We are also indebted to WDFW Waterfowl Section Manager Kraege for his support for this project; it is because of his efforts that project was able to take flight. We are grateful to the WDFW staff at the Skagit Wildlife Area for their continued support during our capture efforts. We would like to thank M. Axelson for caring for one of the geese that was unable to fly immediately after the capture - this goose quickly recovered and was able to take flight. Vasiliy Baranyuk provided flock sighting information which assisted us in determining where to focus capture efforts. We are also extremely grateful to the many landowners who were gracious in granting access to their lands.<br><br><strong>Project PI's-</strong><br><a href=mailto:[e-mail]>Joe Evenson</a> - WDFW Waterfowl Survey and Sea Duck Specialist<br><a href=mailto:[e-mail]>Chris Danilson</a> - WDFW District Biologist

原始提供方：华盛顿州鱼类与野生动物局（Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife）

数据集说明：
数据提供方：华盛顿州鱼类与野生动物局水禽项目；原始数据中心：卫星追踪与分析工具（Satellite Tracking and Analysis Tool, STAT）；项目资助方：华盛顿州鱼类与野生动物局

摘要：
北部普吉特湾（Northern Puget Sound, NPS）越冬小雪雁种群栖息于美加边境西侧的斯卡吉特三角洲与弗雷泽三角洲。该雪雁种群传统上依赖与斯卡吉特湾和波森湾相关的特定河口与农业生境。

该种群的繁殖地位于俄罗斯弗兰格尔岛（Wrangel Island）。由于弗兰格尔岛雪雁是亚洲现存规模最大的雪雁繁殖种群，同时也是在北美越冬的主要俄罗斯雁类种群，因此它是太平洋迁徙路线（Pacific Flyway）的重点保护对象，也是长期国际合作管理与保护的研究主题。自1970年代初起在弗兰格尔岛收集的监测数据显示，该种群数量持续增长、年龄结构愈发年轻化，且其针对传统生境与资源的行为模式发生了改变。这些种群变化自1990年代初以来愈发显著，推测与春季气温升高、融雪提前以及弗兰格尔岛捕食者群落的变化有关。此类种群变化在北部普吉特湾越冬种群中也有所体现，该种群的总越冬个体数量已有所增加。

本项目的目标是探究北部普吉特湾种群与太平洋迁徙路线其他区域的当前关联，具体内容包括记录整个迁徙路线上的迁徙路径、物候、集结地与中途停留点。我们希望解答的具体问题包括：
- 雪雁在春季和秋季迁徙期间，何时离开与返回北部普吉特湾越冬地？
- 迁徙期间的重要迁徙路线利用区域有哪些？
- 雪雁在迁徙路线沿线的区域停留的时机与时长如何？
- 记录北部普吉特湾种群与其他越冬区域之间的年际和/或年内个体交换情况。
- 使用北部普吉特湾越冬地的部分雪雁，是否会在同一越冬季内或不同年份间迁徙至迁徙路线内的其他区域？
- 若北部普吉特湾的雪雁迁徙至其他区域，其迁出时间以及返回北部普吉特湾的潜在时机是什么？

追踪发射器被设置为持续传输三年。

**致谢：**
华盛顿州鱼类与野生动物局的生物学家鲁岑（Roozen）与技术员安德森、德约、奥托在成功捕获雪雁的工作中发挥了关键作用——若非他们在恶劣天气下不懈的努力与坚持，无法完成全部发射器的部署工作。我们特别感谢阿拉斯加鸟类兽医服务中心（Avian Specialty Veterinary Services，<a href="http://alaskabirddoc.com/">http://alaskabirddoc.com/</a>）的斯科特·福特博士，他在发射器植入手术中展现了精湛的专业技术与出色的工作能力，同时感谢协助福特博士完成多项手术的WDFW技术员德约与兽医技术人员亚娜·波多贝多娃。我们也由衷感谢WDFW水禽部门主管克雷格（Kraege）对本项目的支持，正是得益于他的努力，项目才得以顺利启动。我们感谢斯卡吉特野生动物区域的WDFW工作人员在捕获工作期间提供的持续支持。我们还要感谢M.阿克塞尔森，他照料了一只捕获后暂时无法飞行的雪雁——这只雪雁很快恢复并得以放飞。瓦西里·巴兰尤克提供了雁群观测信息，帮助我们确定了捕获工作的重点区域。我们也万分感谢众多慷慨准许我们进入其土地的土地所有者。

**项目负责人：**
乔·埃文森（Joe Evenson）——WDFW水禽调查与海鸭专家，联系方式：<a href="mailto:[e-mail]">[e-mail]</a>
克里斯·丹尼尔森（Chris Danilson）——WDFW区域生物学家，联系方式：<a href="mailto:[e-mail]">[e-mail]</a>