Temporal and spatial distribution of interior Alaska white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis)

Abstract

To address the question if white-fronted geese molting in Interior Alaska could be temporally and spatially delineated from the rest of the mid-continent white-fronted goose population, I (1) determined interannual variation in temporal and spatial distribution of geese from Interior Alaska during fall and winter, (2) contrasted temporal and spatial distribution of Interior Alaska geese with Arctic Slope (Alaska) geese, and (3) contrasted migration timing of Interior Alaska geese with Canadian Arctic geese on fall staging areas in prairie Canada. Migration of Interior Alaska geese occurred synchronously and earlier than migration of Arctic Slope geese between Alaska and fall staging grounds in prairie Canada, but was individually highly variable further south on wintering grounds. Spatial distribution of Interior Alaska geese hardly varied between years on fall staging grounds but varied on wintering grounds. Spatial distribution of Interior Alaska geese and Arctic Slope geese differed mostly on fall staging grounds in prairie Canada. Interior Alaska geese staged longer in the study area in prairie Canada than Canadian arctic geese because they arrived earlier and left at the same time. I conclude that delineation of Interior Alaska white-fronted geese is possible on fall staging grounds in prairie Canada, but not on wintering grounds.