TABLE 1. Numbers of Canada geese observed during aerial censuses in the 



Wintering Period 



Section 



Billings to Huntley 

 Huntley to Worden 

 Worden to Pompeys Pillar 

 Pompeys Pillar to Custer 

 Custer to Bighorn 

 Bighorn to Hysham 

 Hysham to Sanders 

 Sanders to Forsyth 

 Forsyth to Rosebud 

 Rosebud to Hathaway 

 Hathaway to Miles City 

 Miles City to Kinsey 

 Kinsey to Zero 

 Zero to Powder River 

 Powder River to Terry 

 Terry to Fallon 

 Fallon to Gl endive 

 Gl endive to Intake 

 Intake to Savage 

 Savage to Sidney 

 Sidney to Fairview 



CONVERSIONS: 1 goose/km = 1.61 geese/mi 



NOTE: Five flights from departure of fall migrants until arrival of 

 spring migrants. 



a All flights 



b Tr = fewer than .5 geese 



Geese present in the study area during the winter appeared to be giant 

 Canada geese (s. a. maxima) or Great Basin Canada geese {b. c. moffitti), 

 the two largest subspecies (Hanson 1965). According to Lefebvre and 

 Raveling (1967), the smaller subspecies cannot survive winters in such 

 climates. It is possible that wintering geese were resident breeders, 

 especially in the Bighorn-to-Hysham section of the river. Even on 

 January 7, 1976, when the maximum temperature for the day at the FAA office 

 at Miles City was -23° C (-9° F), an aerial census conducted in this section 

 produced observations of 70 geese. One goose observed near Hysham in 

 February 1976 (appendix D) had been banded in that area the previous summer, 

 indicating that at least some of the geese wintering in that area may be 

 resident birds. 



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