Aging small Canada geese by neck plumage

Journal of Wildlife Management
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Abstract

The neck plumage method, a new technique for separating immature from adult Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in the hand, was evaluated by comparison with the notched tail feather and cloacal examination methods. Two (1.4 percent) of 141 geese examined were misaged, resulting in a 6 percent error in the immature-adult ratio obtained by the neck plumage method. The neck plumage method is a rapid aging method and reasonable accuracy (94 percent) can be obtained. It can also be used to differentiate immatures from adults on the ground at distances up to 175 yards, but was almost impossible to use when geese were in flight. As yet, the neck plumage method has only been tested on the subspecies (B. c. hutchinsii-parvipes complex) in the Tall-Grass Prairie population of small Canada geese.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Aging small Canada geese by neck plumage
Series title Journal of Wildlife Management
DOI 10.2307/3799675
Volume 33
Issue 1
Year Published 1969
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Description 3 p.
First page 212
Last page 214
Country United States
State South Dakota
Other Geospatial Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
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