Geese collars?

[photographmemories]

Goose collars

Anyone finding some geese with colored collars? I took this picture a couple weeks ago at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. There are several colors along with many different numbers this year. I guess I could research color and departure codes. A certain color represents a state or region from which the geese were collared. I only saw red ones on the day. anybody with insight or sightings?

 

[Bill Anderson]

Are you a members of Tweeters, the Washington birder list serve group? If you post your question there with a link to this thread, someone might know.

 

[Joemeche]

Chances are that those are the Dusky subspecies of Canada Goose (smaller than the common variety), which are local to the Willamette Valley and lower Columbia River. ODFW and WDFW had a tracking program with this goose utilizing red neck collars. Seems their numbers were declining so a study was put into place to determine whether or not a management plan was needed.

Joe

 

[BobH]

Here's a bit more info on the Duskies and there collars. Pretty much the same thing Joe said, just with more details.

http://www.fws.gov/willamettevalley/Complex/dusky.html