USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

   

Current Status:

Winter habitat of Aleutian Canada geese is primarily under private ownership and thus unprotected. Disease, especially avian cholera, and contaminants threaten the species as it becomes concentrated within limited areas. Some illegal hunting still occurs.

Achievements:

Geese that nest in the Semidi Islands, Alaska, have responded slowly but steadily to management (i.e., creating short winter grazing habibat) in California and protection from hunting in California and Oregon. Successful management efforts (e.g., control of arctic fox on breeding islands, transplanting geese to new nesting islands, and hunting closures) throughout the species' range resulted in its reclassification from endangered to threatened status in 1990. The population now numbers approximately 7,900 birds, according to the 1991/1992 winter estimate, exceeding the recovery plan goal for delisting. However, delisting has not occurred because objectives for establishing nesting populations in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and protecting wintering habitat have not been met.

The Oregon population now numbers approximately 126 birds, primarily as a result of protection from hunting on Tillamook County wintering grounds. The geese were monitored throughout the 1990/1991 and 1991/1992 winter seasons, and all aspects of habitat use were recorded.

Current Recovery Needs:

Conservation of the species' winter habitat is the primary recovery need. Monitoring of population size and movements, determining winter habitat requirements, and investigating competition with other Canada goose subspecies also are needed. Cooperative agreements between agency staff and private landowners need to be established to address increasing concern over crop depredations.

Partnerships

Bureau of Land Management: This Federal agency is managing migration habitat in south-coastal Oregon for multiple uses, including goose habitat.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: The Department maintains hunting closures for Aleutian Canada geese and manages winter habitat on State lands.

Recovery Plan Status:

Original plan approved 3/7/79; revised 9/30/91.