Literature type: Scientific
Journal: Wildfowl
Volume: 74 , Pages: 53-68
Language:
English
Full reference: Solovyeva, D., Rozenfeld, s., Barykina, D., Kirtaev, G., Danilova, V., Meng, F., Cao, L., Lei, G. & Zeng, Q. 2024. Estimated size of the Eastern population of the Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus revealed from aerial surveys of key moulting sites. Wildfowl 74: 53-68
Keywords: aerial survey, moulting period, newly-discovered site, population estimate, eastern populatio, China
Abstract:
The Eastern population of the Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus (EPLWFG) breeds and moults in Russia and the majority winter in China. Intensive surveys of lakes in the Yangtze River floodplain and in Japan estimated the EPLWFG at 6,600 individuals in 2020 compared to 14,000–19,000 in 2016. Waterfowl are easier to count when concentrated in relatively small areas at key times of the year, and the non-breeding and failed breeding elements of the EPLWFG (an estimated 87% of the population) concentrate at remote moulting sites from early July to mid-August during remigial moult. Locations of GPS-tagged EPLWFG (non-breeding birds and failed breeders), which moulted between 25 June and 17 August, recorded during an earlier study, were plotted on maps of the key moulting region, along the San-Yuryakh and Kyuanekhtyakh Rivers which flow into Omulyakhskaya Bay. An aerial survey undertaken in July 2021 aimed to cover as many locations of the tracked individuals as possible, together with Svyatoy Nos Cape and the New Siberian Islands (where the species was also thought to moult), to count the numbers of geese moulting in these areas. Moulting sites on the delta of the Lena River were also surveyed from the air during the EPLWFG moulting periods in 2019 and 2020. Goose groups were photographed and digitally tagged to GPS coordinates, generating a database which included a date/time stamp to the nearest second, coordinates to the nearest 0.000001 degree, and a picture ID. Photographs were processed using Adobe Photoshop V 21.1.3 software. From detection rates in the survey area, we were able to assess the extent of similar habitat elsewhere in the EPLWFG moulting range, to obtain an estimate of the potential total population size. Moulting EPLWFG were found on Bolshoy Lyakhovaskiy Island in the New Siberian Islands, a new site discovered during this study. A total of 9,373 EPLWFG was counted in moulting flocks at all known and newly discovered moulting sites. The extrapolated estimate for the number of non-breeding and failed breeding birds, on taking the expanded area of suitable habitat into account, was of potentially 24,060 geese. Considering that c. 10% of EPLWFG are successful breeders (i.e. remain on their breeding sites and do not join the moulting flocks), we propose that the overall population size could be as high as 26,733 individuals, excluding offspring of the year.
Literature type: Book
Language:
Swedish
(In Swedish)
Full reference: Ryd, Y. 2007. Ren och Varg. Samer berättar. [Reindeer and wolves. Sami tells.] , Bokförlaget Natur och Kultur, Stockholm. 265pp.
Keywords: moulting, dogs, catching, Sweden, extinction, summer, behaviour, occurrence
Literature type: Scientific
Journal: Bird Conservation International
Volume: 13 , Pages: 213-226.
DOI: 10.1017/S0959270903003174
Language:
English
External Link:
Full reference: Aarvak, T. & Øien, I.J. 2003. Moult and autumn migration of non-breeding Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus mapped by satellite telemetry. Bird Conservation International 13: 213-226. https://www.dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0959270903003174
Keywords: migration
Abstract:
In this study we demonstrate that non-breeding adult Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus from the Fennoscandian breeding population may undertake long-distance moult migration eastwards. Of three individuals equipped with satellite transmitters at a spring staging site in northern Norway, two migrated to moulting sites in the area of Kolgujev Island and Kanin Peninsula, while the third headed towards the Taimyr Peninsula, all in northern Russia. The first leg of the moult migration route for non-breeders was between Finnmark, Norway and the Kanin Peninsula area in north-western Russia, a similar route to that taken on autumn migration by Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Geese that had bred successfully. After the moulting period, one of the individuals followed a south-western route to Poland and Germany, where it spent the first part of the winter. The satellite signals from the other two geese ceased abruptly in early autumn, indicating that the birds may have been illegally shot in Russia. Locating new moulting and migration stopover sites is of crucial importance for the conservation of the critically endangered Fennoscandian subpopulation of this species.
Literature type: Rep.article
Language:
English
Full reference: Strøm, H., Gavrilo, M.V. & Goryaev, J. 2001. Field survey at the Lesser White-fronted Goose moulting area on Kolguev Island, north-west Russia, August 2000. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 2000. WWF Finland Report 13 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF Rapportserie Report No 1-2001: pp. 26-29.
Keywords: Annual report, monitoring
Literature type: Rep.article
Language:
English
Full reference: Syroechkovski Jr., E.E. 2000. New breeding and moulting areas of Lesser White-fronted Goose revealed in Indigirka, Yakutia. , In: Tolvanen, P., Øien, I.J. & Ruokolainen, K. (eds.). Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project. Annual report 1999. WWF Finland Report 12 & Norwegian Ornithological Society, NOF rapportserie Report No 1-2000: pp. 39-40.
Keywords: conservation, monitoring, Fennoscandian annual
Literature type: Proceedings
Language:
English
Full reference: Isakov, Y.A. 1971. The Caspian Sea as a wildfowl breeding, moulting and wintering area. , Pp. 67-80. In: Carp, E. (ed.). International conference on the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl. Ramsar, Iran, jan.30-feb.3. 303pp.
Keywords: status
Literature type: Scientific
Journal: Wildfowl
Volume: 19 , Pages: 5-24.
Language:
English
Full reference: Salomonsen F. 1968. The moult migration. Wildfowl 19: 5-24.
Keywords: Scandinavia, Siberia
Literature type: Book
Language:
English
Full reference: Lloyd, L. 1867. The game birds and wild fowl of Sweden and Norway with an account of the seals and salt-watwer fishes of those countries. , Frederick Warne and co, London. 599pp.
Keywords: Scandinavia, capture, hunting, hunt, catching, Finland, Lapland, moulting, moult, Gellivara, Karesuando, Sulitelma, snares
Literature type: Book
Language:
English
Full reference: Lloyd, L. 1854. Scandinavian Adventures, during a residence of upwards of twenty years. , Vol.II. Richard Bentley, London. 512pp.
Keywords: Scandinavia, capture, hunting, hunt, catching, Sweden, Norway, Lapland, steel-trap, skjut-ko, moulting, moult
Number of results: 9