A Breeding-Ground Survey of EPP Canada Geese in Northern Manitoba

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Abstract
Aerial surveys flown in northern Manitoba during 1971-1977 were used to determine indexes of spring breeding populations and distributions of Eastern Prairie Population (EPP) Canada geese (B. canadensis). Precision within .+-. 20% of the survey results (P = 0.05) was achieved using stratified random sampling and optimum allocation procedures. Variability among observers was negligible. Comparisons between counts made from fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters indicated that breeding-pair estimates should be multiplied by about 1.4 to adjust for birds not seen. Distribution of nesting geese strongly favored the coastal areas bordering Hudson Bay. A section of tundra habitat comprising less than 8% of the 154,600/km2 survey area contained 44-67% of the total breeding pairs during the first 4 yr. Average annual nest densities in lowland habitat near the Hudson Bay coast ranged from 0.17-0.32 pairs/km2; more interior areas seldom exceeded 0.12 pairs/km2.

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