Nordicana D41 / DOI : 10.5885/45570CE-2D00DCA728074FA7

Monitoring of Greater Snow Goose reproduction on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada

Gilles Gauthier, Marie-Christine Cadieux
Département de biologie & Centre d'études nordiques, Université Laval

Abstract

Nest searches are carried out on foot from our main field station since 1989 and from a secondary field camp inside the main goose colony since 1992. Nests are found during laying or incubation period by searches conducted over various areas in both sectors. At the main goose colony, systematic nest searches are conducted using two methods: (1) over an intensively-studied core area (ca 50 ha) located in the centre of the colony every year, and (2) since 1999, within a variable number of 1 and 2-ha plots randomly located throughout the colony. We also attempt to find the nests of as many neck-collared females as possible through intensive searches throughout the nesting colony. Nests are positioned with a GPS receiver and revisited twice or more to determine laying date, clutch size, hatching date and nesting success.

Data citation

Gauthier, G., Cadieux, M.-C. 2020. Monitoring of Greater Snow Goose reproduction on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, v. 1.1 (1989-2019). Nordicana D41, doi: 10.5885/45570CE-2D00DCA728074FA7.

Location map

Key references

Bêty, J. & G. Gauthier. 2001. Effects of nest visits on predators activity and predation rate in a snow goose colony. Journal of Field Ornithology 72:573-586 DOI: 10.1648/0273-8570-72.4.573.

Bêty, J., G. Gauthier & J.-F. Giroux. 2003. Body condition, migration and timing of reproduction in snow geese: a test of the condition-dependent model of optimal clutch size. American Naturalist 162:110-121 DOI: 10.1086/375680.

Bêty, J., G. Gauthier, E. Korpimäki & J.-F. Giroux. 2002. Shared predators and indirect trophic interactions: lemming cycles and arctic-nesting geese. Journal of Animal Ecology 71:88-98 DOI: 10.1046/j.0021-8790.2001.00581.x.

Bêty, J., G. Gauthier, J.-F. Giroux & E. Korpimäki. 2001. Are goose nesting success and lemming cycles linked? Interplay between nest density and predators. Oikos 93:388-400 DOI: .

Dickey M.-H., G. Gauthier, & M.-C. Cadieux. 2008. Climatic effects on the breeding phenology and reproductive success of an arctic-nesting goose species. Global Change Biology 14:1973-1985 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01622.x.

Doiron, M., G. Gauthier & E. Lévesque. 2015. Trophic mismatch and its effects on the growth of young in an Arctic herbivore. Global Change Biology 21:4364-4376 DOI: .

Gauthier, G., J. Bêty, J.-F. Giroux & L. Rochefort. 2004. Trophic interactions in a High Arctic Snow Goose colony. Integrative and Comparative Biology 44:119-129 DOI: 10.1093/icb/44.2.119.

Gauthier, G., J. Bêty, M.-C. Cadieux, P. Legagneux, M. Doiron, C. Chevallier, S. Lai, A. Tarroux & D. Berteaux. 2013. Long-term monitoring at multiple trophic levels suggests heterogeneity in responses to climate change in the Canadian Arctic tundra. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B – Biological Sciences 368:20120482 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0482.

Lecomte, N., G. Gauthier & J.-F. Giroux. 2008. Breeding dispersal in a heterogeneous landscape: the influence of habitat and nesting success in greater snow geese. Oecologia 155:33-41 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0860-6.

Lecomte, N., G. Gauthier, & J.-F. Giroux. 2009. A link between water availability and nesting success mediated by predator-prey interactions in the Arctic. Ecology 90:465-475 DOI: 10.1890/08-0215.1.

Lecomte, N., V. Careau, G. Gauthier & J.-F. Giroux. 2008. Predator behaviour and predation risk in the heterogeneous arctic environment. Journal of Animal Ecology 77:439-447 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01354.x.

Lepage, D., A. Desrochers & G. Gauthier. 1999. Seasonal decline of growth and fledging success in snow geese Anser caerulescens: an effect of date or parental quality? Journal of Avian Biology 30:72-78 DOI: 10.2307/3677245.

Lepage, D., G. Gauthier & A. Desrochers. 1998. Larger clutch size increases fledging success and offspring quality in a precocial species. Journal of Animal Ecology 67:210-216 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.1998.00182.x.

Lepage, D., G. Gauthier & A. Reed. 1996. Breeding site infidelity in greater snow goose: a consequence of constraints on laying dates? Canadian Journal of Zoology 74:1866-1875 DOI: 10.1139/z96-210.

Lepage, D., G. Gauthier & S. Menu. 2000. Reproductive consequences of egg-laying decisions in snow geese. Journal of Animal Ecology 69:414-427 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2000.00404.x.

Marmillot, V., G. Gauthier, M.-C. Cadieux & P. Legagneux. 2016. Plasticity in molt speed and timing in an arctic-nesting goose species. Journal of Avian Biology 47:650-658 DOI: 10.1111/jav.00982.

Reed, E.T., G. Gauthier & J.-F. Giroux. 2004. Effects of spring conditions on breeding propensity of greater snow goose females. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation 27:35-46

Reed, E.T., G. Gauthier & R. Pradel. 2005. Effects of neck bands on reproduction and survival of female greater snow geese. Journal of Wildlife Management 69:91-100 DOI: 10.2193/0022-541X(2005)069<0091:EONBOR>2.0.CO;2.

Tremblay, J.-P., G. Gauthier, D. Lepage & A. Desrochers. 1997. Factors affecting nesting success in greater snow geese: effects of habitat and association with snowy owls. Wilson Bulletin 109:449-461

van Oudenhove, L., G. Gauthier & J.-D. Lebreton. 2014. Year-round effects of climate on demographic parameters of an arctic nesting goose species. Journal of Animal Ecology 83:1322-1333 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12230.

Contributors

Reed, Austin (Service canadien de la faune, région de Québec)

Hughes, Robert John (Université Laval)

Tremblay, Jean-Pierre (Université Laval)

Lepage, Denis (Université Laval)

Menu, Stéphane (Université Laval)

Poussart, Catherine (Université Laval)

Bêty, Joël (Université Laval)

Reed, Eric (Université Laval)

Mainguy, Julien (Université Laval)

Otis, Pascale (Université Laval)

Calvert, Anna (Université Laval)

Lecomte, Nicolas (Université Laval)

Dickey, Marie-Hélène (Université Laval)

Juillet, Cédric (Université Laval)

Lefebvre, Josée (Service canadien de la faune, région de Québec)

Morrissette, Manon (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Graham-Sauvé, Maude (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Doiron, Madeleine (Université Laval)

Desnoyers, Meggie (Université Laval)

Souchay, Guillaume (Université Laval)

Chalifour, Émilie (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

Marmillot, Vincent (Université Laval)

Resendiz, Cynthia (Université Laval)

LeTourneux, Frédéric (Université Laval)

Juhasz, Claire-Cécile (Université de Moncton)

Acknowledgements

We thank Polar Knowledge Canada for funding the publication of this archive.

Polar Data Catalogue links (Metadata)

CCIN 710 - Long-term monitoring of breeding activity of Greater Snow Geese on Bylot Island, Nunavut

Status

Published

Version history

You can request for data from previous versions at nordicana@cen.ulaval.ca.

Version 1.1 (1989-2019) - Updated January 23, 2020

Version 1.0 (1989-2018) - Updated March 7, 2019

Measurement sites

	Site	Latitude	Longitude	Altitude (m)

More info	Vallée Qarlikturvik, Île Bylot, Nunavut / Qarlikturvik Valley, Bylot Island, Nunavut	73.15625	-79.97187	20
More info	Camp 2, Île Bylot, Nunavut / Camp 2, Bylot Island, Nunavut	72.88851	-79.90606	40