Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Breeding Range. (Fig 17). At the present time, the only truly feral breeding population occurs along the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in southwestern Williams County and northwestern McKenzie County. The presence of these birds in North Dakota was first noted about 1955 according to local farmers, and it is probable that they were derived from an expansion of breeding populations from upstream along the Yellowstone River in Montana. Locally, small numbers of introduced Canada Geese have become established on or near some of the national wildlife refuges including Arrowwood, Audubon, Lostwood, J. Clark Salyer, Slade, Sullys Hill, and Upper Souris and on the Woodworth Field Station of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The first successful introduction of breeding stock by man occurred on the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in 1940 (C. J. Henry).
Prior to 1900, natural breeding populations represented by the large subspecies known as the Giant Canada Goose (Branta canadensis maxima) apparently were distributed over the greater part of the state (Fig. 17). Because of hunting pressure, egg-collecting, habitat destruction, and other disturbances by European immigrants, these populations were rapidly reduced and finally extirpated during the early 1900's. Definite records of the original population during the breeding season are listed in chronological order as follows:
1800 - 1849 1800--On September 5 along the Red River south of the Tongue River [Pembina River], two small lakes were covered with geese and other waterfowl--reported by Alexander Henry (Reid and Gannon 1928).
1803--On April 30, trappers under Alexander Henry obtained a few goose eggs near the mouth of the Pembina River (Reid and Gannon 1928).
1805--Along the Missouri River on April 13, Captain Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition shot a goose on her nest and one egg was collected; on April 14, Captain Lewis saw many geese feeding in the prairies and noted several nests in trees (Burroughs 1961).
1833--On June 22, wild geese with their young were seen about three miles below "Goose Egg Lake, now called Cold Spring Lake" at the great bend or grand detour (Maximilian 1843). The area in question apparently was located between extreme northwestern McLean County and northern Dunn County.
1843--On June 5, goslings were seen on the Missouri River between Badger Creek [a few miles below Fort Rice] and the Heart River; on June 6, two large flocks were flying westward along the Missouri River near the mouth of the Heart River; on June 9, adults and young were seen near the mouth of the Little Missouri River; on June 10, a considerable number of adults with goslings were seen [apparently on the bend of the Missouri River near the site of New Town]; on June 12, many wild geese with young were seen on the Missouri River from a point about six miles below the mouth of Muddy River [Little Muddy Creek] to Fort Union (Audubon 1897). In late June, several geese unable to fly were observed on the Missouri River near Fort Union (McDermott 1951).
1850 - 1899 1861--On August 7, large flocks were seen on the Red River at Pembina; one goose that was shot measured 5 feet 3 inches from tip to tip of wings and weighed 10 or 11 pounds (White 1959).
1862--On June 3, wild geese were seen on the Missouri River within a distance of 30 miles below Fort Clark; on June 5, wild geese were seen "quite frequently, but in small flocks of half a dozen" on the Missouri River above Fort Berthold (White 1959). On July 12, a goose was shot along the east branch of the Maple River (White 1966); apparently, this location is in Cass County, near the site of the town of Colgate.
1863--On July 21, geese were observed at Lake Jessie in Griggs County (White 1966).
1866--On July 8, geese were killed in Kidder County about 12 miles north-northeast of the town site of Tuttle; on July 10, geese were killed about 8 miles east-southeast of the town site of McClusky in Sheridan County (White 1966).
1873--Hoffman (1877) reported that young birds had been found at the headwaters of Oak Creek [in Sioux County].
1874--During the summer, Canada Geese were abundant on small streams between the Missouri and Little Missouri Rivers, occurring in families of 10 to 14 individuals (Grinnell 1875). The area in question apparently was located within Slope, Stark, and Morton Counties.
1881--Throughout September, immense numbers were observed at Tort Berthold (Hoffman 1883).
1886--Up to 1886, Canada Geese were nesting in large numbers in the Bowesmont - Glasston area of Pembina County (Williams 1926).
1890--Set of eggs collected at Rock Lake in Towner County (Bishop egg collection catalog, Peabody Museum).
1890's--Mr. Joe Williams owned a flock of propagated Giant Canada Geese, that originated from the Lake Williams area in Kidder County (Strutz 1969).
1890's--Reported nesting commonly in Homer Township of Stutsman County by I. Carlson.
1890-1896--Common breeder in area within 40 miles of Cando (Judd 1917).
1893--Collection of a set of eggs in Kidder County [near the present site of Slade National Wildlife Refuge] northwest of Streeter (Strutz 1969).
1895--Several nests found in vicinity of Devils Lake and Sweetwater Lake (Bryant 1895a), and a nest with eggs reported in Nelson County by Alfred Eastgate.
1896--Nest with eggs collected on Ellingsars Lake by Edwin S. Bryant (Reed 1904).
1897--Nests with eggs found in Devils Lake region (Rolfe 1898a) and in Pierce County (Knight 1908).
1898--Five sets of eggs collected about 50 miles west of Minnewaukan (Rolfe 1899b).
1899--Nest with eggs recorded about 50 miles west of Minnewaukan (Rolfe 1900b).
1900 - 1926 1900--Abbott (1916) was attacked by a pair of geese when he attempted to capture the goslings [apparently in Benson-Pierce County areal.
1901--One unhatched egg was found in the remains of a nest from which old and young had long departed - in Steele County (Bent 1903).
1905--Nesting on Chase Lake in Stutsman County (Bennett 1926).
1906--Nesting on Stump Lake in Nelson County (Dutcher 1906).
1908--According to Alfred Eastgate, 14 young Canada Geese were raised on islands of Stump Lake in Nelson County (Bowdish 1909).
1909--A few geese breeding along Missouri River near Washburn; formerly more common in this area (V. Bailey).
1910--Three pairs nesting at Obrien Lake in Burleigh County (Saugstad 1947).
1911--Nest with eggs at Chase Lake in Stutsman County (H. H. McCumber), and nest with eggs at Stump Lake in Nelson County (A. Eastgate).
Early 1900's--Nesting commonly in the Chicago Lake and Lake Louise area of Stutsman County, and one brood was captured there about 1910 - as reported by Hugh Marston (Hansen 1971).
1912--Nest found at Stump Lake in Nelson County (F. M. Dille).
1912-1915--Several young captured in Kidder County by Ernest and Joe Williams (Hansen 1971).
1914--Nesting at Chase Lake in Stutsman County (H. H. McCumber).
1915--Three nests with eggs at Stump Lake in Nelson County (A. Eastgate); a brood of four young geese was seen on Chase Lake in Stutsman County by L. C. Pettibone and Cohn Rhodes, and a brood of five young was recorded on Lake Isabel in Kidder County by H. H. Sheldon.
1915- 1920--According to Dr. S. R. Melzer of Woodworth, Canada Geese were nesting at Sink Lake in Kidder County (about 2-1/2: miles southwest of the town of Lake Williams), at Chase Lake in Stutsman County, and on a marsh about 4 miles north of Woodworth.
1916--One goose with young observed at Chase Lake in Stutsman County (Bennett 1926).
1920--On August 12, a family of five was seen on Devils Lake (Wood 1923).
1923--Still nesting at Sweetwater Lake in Ramsey County (Wood 1923).
1926--According to L. C. Pettibone, a few still breed in the vicinity of Dawson in Kidder County (Hanson 1965).
Breeding Habitat. The original wild breeding population of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis maxima) was usually represented by scattered pairs that occurred on the larger sloughs and on islands of large lakes. Locally, breeding populations were more concentrated. On May 2, 1898, three nests with eggs were found about 50 miles west of Minnewaukan within a strip of marsh, 20 yards wide and one-quarter of a mile long, that was located along a small stream at the bottom of a coulee (Rolfe 1899b).
Nesting (of the original population of Branta canadensis maxima). Breeding season: Early April to mid-August; peak, mid-April to late June. Extreme egg dates (27 nests): April 13 [1805] in Dunn County (Burroughs 1961) to June 14 [1911] in Nelson County (A. Eastgate). Extreme dates of dependent young (8 broods): June 3 [1901] in Nelson county (Bent 1902) to August 12 [1920] in Ramsey County (Wood 1923).
Bryant (1895a) described the nesting sites in the vicinity of Devils Lake and Sweetwater Lake as follows: "They choose various situations for their nests; the low, sandy islands and mud flats of Devils Lake are favorite sites. Around Sweetwater Lake they more commonly nest in marshes, and sometimes deposit their eggs in slight depressions in the prairie, far from water. One nest that we discovered yesterday was placed in a heap of decayed vegetation."
Indicated clutch size of original breeding population (16 nests): 5 to 10 eggs; mean, 6.4 eggs.
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| Figure 17. Breeding Range of Canada Goose. |
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/bbofnd/species/1720.htm
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