The Ross’s Goose breeds mainly in the Queen Maud Gulf Region in the central Canadian Arctic, but its numbers are increasing along the western coast of Hudson Bay, and on Southampton and Baffin islands. The species' wintering range has also expanded eastward from historical wintering areas in California. Considered a rare species in the early part of the last century, Ross’s Goose has shown increasing numbers since the 1960s, and is among the fastest growing populations of Arctic-nesting geese in recent years. These geese have a very high survival and low harvest rates, which have been helping to sustain rapid population increases. The Ross’s Goose was declared overabundant in the Mid-continent region of the United States in 1999 and in western Canada in 2014. Lincoln estimates of population size averaged almost 1.9 million adults from 2012-2016. Hunting does not represent a threat to this species, although the harvest of the Ross’s Goose in Canada and the United States increased slowly from the 1960s to the 1980s, and then more rapidly through the 1990s. The Ross' Goose is above the highest acceptable level relative to its national population goal. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Increasing numbers of Ross’s Geese have contributed to alteration of their breeding and staging areas through foraging and nest-building activities (Alisauskas et al. 2006; Alisauskas et al. 2012). In Canada, the Ross’s Goose was designated as “overabundant” in June 2014. Harvest were liberalized and special conservation seasons were established in the spring of 2015. In the United States, special conservation measures have been in place for Ross’s Geese since 1999.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.