Aging small Canada geese by neck plumage
Journal of Wildlife Management
By: K.F. Higgins and L.J. Schoonover
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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.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Aging small Canada geese by neck plumage |
| Series title | Journal of Wildlife Management |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 1969 |
| Language | English |
| Contributing office(s) | Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 3 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Journal of Wildlife Management |
| First page | 212 |
| Last page | 214 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |