Elements of Nonrandomness in Mass-Captured Samples of Snow Geese

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Abstract
Studies of natural populations often utilize information on marked samples to draw inferences about the entire population. If these are to be valid, sampling must be random. In the study of a lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) nesting colony in [Manitoba, Canada] it was possible to obtain data enabling an examination of the randomness of samples drawn from the population. The independence of captures of individual birds, and the catchability of the different sexes and age classes are discussed. The biology of a species can seriously affect attempts to obtain random samples of a population. Snow goose populations are heterogenous assemblages of individuals differing in sex, age and breeding status. The catchability of individuals in different segments of the population is unequal or interrelated. It is difficult to obtain random samples of the entire population.

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