The Lesser Snow Goose nests in colonies ranging from a few hundred to over a million birds in coastal and inland areas of the Arctic. There are 3 populations of Lesser Snow Geese that nest in or migrate through Canada: the Mid-continent population, the Western Arctic population, and the Wrangel Island population. The Mid-continent population of Lesser Snow Goose has increased dramatically from just under 2 million in the 1970s to over 12 million adults in the last decade. This population was designated as overabundant in 1999, and has since then been subjected to special measures to increase harvest in an attempt to control the population size and growth. The Western Arctic population has also increased significantly, from approximately 300,000 in the 1970’s to over 1.2 million in 2016. In 2014, the Western Arctic population was also designated as overabundant and special conservation measures to control the population were implemented in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. In recent years, the harvest of Lesser Snow Geese has increased slightly compared to harvest levels in the 1970s, although it appears to have stabilized in the last decade despite the implementation of special conservation measures. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Lesser Snow Goose populations have become so large since the 1970s that, in some areas, they are affecting the plant communities at staging areas and Arctic breeding grounds on which they and other species rely (Ankey 1996). These geese have the potential to alter Arctic habitats during spring and summer, cause crop depredation during fall and winter, and create potential dangers to other species and their habitats. Population increases are strongly believed to be tied to large-scale changes in land use, mainly involving the conversion of much of the North American landscape into agricultural crop land. Spillage from mechanized harvesting results in millions of bushels of waste grain lying on the ground, and geese are one group of birds that have greatly benefited from this superabundant food source. Harvest of Lesser Snow Goose increased following the implementation of special measures in 1999, but has recently stabilized (Alisauskas et al. 2011).
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.
