Every summer across southern Manitoba, a team of biologists, volunteers, and partner organizations come together for one of the most important wildlife monitoring efforts in the province: Canada goose banding. This long-standing program, running annually since 2009, provides critical insight into goose populations, migration, survival rates, and harvest trends.
🪶 How Goose Banding Works
Banding starts by getting the birds off water sources using kayaks and small airboats. Once geese are on land, the team slowly surrounds and herds them into a lattice-style corral equipped with decoys. Urban geese, familiar with humans, are generally easier to catch, while rural birds—less accustomed to human activity—are more cautious and difficult to corral.
Over the years, the team has honed this process into a smooth operation with the help of experienced partners, including the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Province of Manitoba. Each year, they band between 1,500 and 3,000 geese, with a goal of at least 400 adults annually to ensure strong data.
📊 Why Banding Matters
This project represents half of a larger scientific study. The other half? You. Hunters and others who report banded birds play a huge role in data collection. Whether it’s a hunter recovery or a recapture, each data point feeds into ongoing research to estimate survival rates and harvest pressure.
Currently, the team is aiming to increase harvest rates in southern Manitoba’s goose population to meet management goals. The target harvest rate is above 15%, but current numbers hover around 10% for adults. Tools like the special spring conservation season have been implemented to help reach these targets.
🛰️ Tech in the Field: Tracking Goose Migration
Beyond banding, the team uses GPS transmitters and light-level geolocators to monitor migration paths. These small, battery-powered, non-transmitting devices record light levels to help estimate location data with a 50 km margin of error. While not pinpoint accurate, these devices are useful for tracking migration patterns across regions.
This data was pivotal in shaping the spring conservation season. For instance, timing the season to avoid overlap with populations from northern Manitoba or Baffin Island—groups not targeted for increased harvest—helps focus conservation efforts appropriately.
🦠 Avian Influenza Monitoring
In response to ongoing concerns about highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the team is also swabbing geese during banding to monitor infection rates. These swabs, taken from both the beak and vent, are submitted for lab analysis. Precautions such as glove use, sanitizing equipment, and disinfecting boots and clothing are followed strictly between banding sites.
Spring pond sampling in Winnipeg revealed no high-path strains, although low-path strains—common in wild bird populations—were detected. This surveillance work will continue throughout the Arctic and during migration periods to better understand HPAI’s impacts.
📈 A Decade of Data and Counting
Since launching in 2009, the Manitoba goose banding program has amassed:
- 10,000+ birds banded
- 4,000+ recaptures
- Numerous hunter recoveries
These figures offer long-term insights into goose population health, movement, and harvest trends—critical for managing this abundant yet highly mobile species.
👣 Get Involved
This work is only possible with public participation and community support. Whether it’s through band recovery reporting or joining the Manitoba Wildlife Federation, your involvement helps fuel conservation science and protect the future of hunting and waterfowl in Manitoba.
📍 Learn more or become a member at: www.mwf.mb.ca
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UotynhQXmR4
