[obol] Fwd: Aleutian Cackling Geese from Roy Lowe

[Range Bayer]

Aleutian cackling geese were first rediscovered on Buldir Island and their
recovery to now more than 100,000 birds is due to that subpopulation.
Small subpopulations were also discovered nesting on Chagulak Island in
the Island for Four Mountains and on Kaliktagik Island in the Semidi
Islands.  The latter two subpopulations remain small.  The migration route
of all of the birds is not well known.  Birds are seen flying along the
Aleutian Chain and past the peninsula, but are not seen again until they
reach to coast of Washington and Oregon.  It is believed that they fly non
stop over the Gulf of Alaska, but that route and distance is unknown.
Satellite transmitters have not been placed on Aleutian cackling geese.

The Semidi subpopulation indeed only winters in the Pacific City / Woods
area in Tillamook County.  In 1992 we discovered that the Semidi birds had
begun to nest on Anowik Island as well, but it is only several hundred
meters from Kaliktagik.  It did tend to indicate that perhaps little
Kaliktagik Island has reached capacity to support nesting geese.  Also of
interest was the fact that in 1991 we captured two family groups of geese
on Kaliktagik Island and all the gooslings of both families had deformed
heads and bills.  None of those marked birds ever appeared in Tillamook
County.  The Semidi population increased from around 60-70 birds to around
140-150 birds and their populations has been at that level for a number of
years.  Censusing them is now very difficult to impossible because
hundreds of birds from the western Aleutians (Buldir etc)  have joined
them Pacific City to winter making it impossible to get an accurate
census.  In 2005, we conducted an aerial survey in the Semidi Islands
using USCG a helicopter prior to nesting and we came up with about 140
birds.  The Semidi birds appear to leave the Semidi Islands by the end of
August as reported by seabird researchers.  They do not begin appearing in
Pacific City until mid-October so we assume that they may go to the Alaska
Peninsula, but there is no documentation of that.

Goose hunting will be allowed in Tillamook County this year for the first
time in ~25 years due to the thousands of Aleutian cackling geese now
found throughout the county.  Hunting will not be permitted west of
Highway 101 at Nestucca Bay to protect the Semidi birds and to allow
Nestucca Bay NWR serve as sanctuary for all of the geese.

Roy Lowe

Roy W. Lowe, Project Leader
Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex
2127 SE Marine Science Drive
Newport, Oregon 97365-5258
541-867-4550          541-867-4551 Fax
541-270-1864 Cell   Roy_Lowe at fws.gov
http://oregoncoast.fws.gov