Gallivanting Goslings: Post-Hatch Movement Ecology and Behavior of Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) on the Yukon – Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

Abstract

The emperor goose (Anser canagicus) is a marine species of goose endemic to the Bering Sea region that has been close to or below objectives since the 1960s and are a culturally important species to indigenous communities along their range. Most research on emperor goose breeding ecology was conducted over 20 years ago on the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta in western Alaska, the region where 90% of the species breeds and climate change is predicted to have significant effects in the future. It is less clear how climate change will affect emperor goose reproduction, and ultimately their population dynamics. Therefore, in this study, our objective was to provide a baseline information about emperor goose brood rearing movements and resource use in their core breeding range in the sub-Arctic. We attached GPS backpack transmitters to females that successfully nested (n =13) and monitored them throughout the brood rearing period in 2022 and 2023. In Chapter II, we used movement data to analyze the natal dispersal, home range size and resource selection of brood rearing emperor geese. In Chapter III, we observed emperor geese on different habitat types that were known to be used during brood rearing to determine if behaviors differed based on different substrates. The studies herein will help fill knowledge gaps on emperor goose reproductive ecology and better understand how the species may respond in the face of environmental change.