Brant Geese an indicator of wildlife sustainability in the Georgia Basin

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Breeding and wintering areas of the Black Brant

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Grey-bellied Brant

Grey-bellied Brant have lighter coloured breast and belly feathers and their neck collars are broken at the front and back. Black Brant have very dark breasts and bellies and their neck collars are broken at the back. In the photo the Brant on top is a Grey-bellied.

The Grey-bellied Brant population has declined in recent years. While most of these birds winter in Washington State (Brewer et al. 1999), a small but increasing number winter on the Fraser River delta. The proportion of Grey-bellied Brant in the Fraser River wintering population has increased from 3% in 1994-95 to 18% in 1999-2000 (Reed, CWS unpublished data). In 2003-2004, a sub-sample of the wintering flock indicated an average of 19% were Grey-bellied birds.

Overall recent declines in the number of wintering Grey-bellied Brant have raised concerns for the health of this stock. The Canadian Wildlife Service and Washington State agencies recently initiated a joint research project to: 1) determine the degree of genetic isolation of Grey-bellied Brant from other Brant Stocks, 2) identify the links between breeding, staging and wintering areas, and 3) describe habitat use patterns on the wintering grounds.

In late July 2002, CWS and Washington State personnel traveled to Melville Island to capture Brant. Tissue samples, photographs, weights and measurements were collected from both breeding and moulting birds for comparative studies. Birds were marked with stainless steel leg bands and plastic tarsus bands to generate return/resighting information. In addition, several breeding adults were marked with satellite transmitters and a larger number of moulting birds were marked with conventional VHF radios.

In recent years, satellite telemetry has proven to be a valuable method to uncover migration mysteries for a wide range of wildlife. Transmitters send signals via orbiting satellites back to earth, pinpointing the precise locations of marked individuals. You can view the locations of the satellite tagged birds as they move south in 2002 at http://www.washingtonbrant.org/tracking/tracking.html.

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References used in the Brant Indicator:

• Breault, A. (unpublish) 2005. Migratory Gamebird Populations in British Columbia: Surveys and Trends. March 2005. Environment Canada, Can. Wildl. Serv.,  Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta, BC.
• Brewer, R.A., F. Cooke, J.S. Sedinger and D.H. Ward. 1999. Black Brant management in Padilla Bay, washington -- results of an independent scientific peer review, (C.E. Grue compiler). Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
• Campbell, R.W., N.K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J.M. Cooper, G.W. Kaiser and M.C.E. McNall. 1990. The Birds of British Columbia. Volume 1 Nonpasserines, introduction, and loons through waterfowl. Royal British Columbia Museum in association with Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Victoria, BC.
• Hagmeier, K. 2002. Winter and spring migration ecology of Balck Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. MSc. Thesis. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC.
• Madsen, J., G. Cracknell and A.D. Fox (des). 1999. Goose populations of the Western Palaearctic. A review and status of distribution. Wetlands International Publ. No. 48. Wetlands International. Wageningen, The Netherlands, National Environmental Research Institute, Ronde, Denmark.
• Martin, T., E. Nygren, N.K. Dawe, and G. Jamieson. 1996. Effects of disturbances on spring staging Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) in the Parksville-Qualicum Beach area of south-east Vancouver Island, B.C. Unpublished Report, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region.
• Nygren, E.L. 1990. Population and habitat monitoring of Brant during spring migration in the Strait of Georgia. Unpublished Report, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region.
• Nygren, E.L. 1991. Population monitoring of Brant during spring migration in the Strait of Georgia, 1991. Unpublished Report, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region.
• Reed, E.T. 1997. Migration patterns and philopatry of the Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia. Technical Report Series No. 294, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region, Delta, BC.
• Reed, A., M.A. Davison and D.K. Kraege. 1989. Segregation of Brent Geese Branta bernicla wintering and staging in Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Wildfowl. 40:22-31.
• Sedinger, J.S., D. Ward, R.M. Anthony, D.V. Derksen, J.L. Lensink, K.S. Bollinger and N.K. Dawe. 1994. Management of Pacific Brant: population structure and conservation issues. Trans. 59th No. Am. Wildl. and Natur. resour. Conf. (1994).
• Shields, G.F. 1990. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA of Pacific Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans). Auk 107:620-623.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2004. Waterfowl population status, 2004. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. (see http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/reports/reports.html).
• Ward, D.H., E.A. Rexstad, J.S. Sedinger, M.S. Lindberg, N.K. Dawe. 1997. Seasonal and annual survival of adult Pacific Brant. J. Wildl. Manage. 61:773.781.

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