Resource Use and Behavior of Migrating Snow Geese

Abstract

Time-activity budgets for fall-migrating lesser snow geese (Anser caerulescens) were studied at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) during 1976-77. Temperature, wind speed and direction, time of day, seasonal period, and habitat type significantly affected time spent in various activities. Geese spent about 13% of each 24-hour day feeding, primarily on waste corn. Feeding was most intense in early morning and late afternoon. Differences in feeding activity among seasonal periods were evidently caused by changes in weather conditions, food availability, and goose population size. Less than half of an esti- mated 500 metric tons of corn required by the geese during fall was potentially available within refuge boundaries. Although ample corn was available within 8 km of the refuge, fall harvest and plowing caused large seasonal fluctuations in availability of waste corn.