Colonies and Numbers of Ross' Geese and Lesser Snow Geese in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary

The Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary in the central Canadian Arctic is the breeding ground for most of the world's population of Ross' Geese, one of the least numerous species of geese in North America. Lesser Snow Geese, among the most abundant of geese, nest mainly in the eastern and western Canadian Arctic but also nest in association with Ross' Geese in the central Canadian Arctic. This report presents the results of a survey conducted in June using aerial photography to determine the numbers and geographical distribution of the two species of geese nesting in the sanctuary in 1982 and 1988. The results are related to earlier records and to the summer habitat of the geese and their southern distribution.