Selection of Pathways to Foraging Sites in Crop Fields by Flightless Canada geese

Abstract

Geese, especially when they are flightless, can cause significant crop damage. We determined the effects of shoreline characteristics on foraging site selection by flightless Canada geese (Branta canadensis) in South Dakota. Distance from edge of crop field to wetland and visual obstruction by vegetation were important determinants of pathway selection by geese. Geese used crop fields for foraging that were closer to water than unused fields. Geese accessed those fields along pathways with less visual obstruction by vegetation than unused pathways. Our data suggest that this distance of crops to wetlands is the most important shoreline characteristic determining where flightless geese cause crop damage.

Keywords

• branta canadensis
• crop damage
• distance
• forage
• geese
• human–wildlife conflicts
• molt
• predation risk
• south dakota
• visual obstruction