Greater Snow Goose population monitoring at Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area
Note:
Latest count of Greater Snow Geese at Cap Tourmente: 33,000 on 28 October 2021
Since 1978, the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (NWA) has witnessed a spectacular increase in the Greater Snow Goose population. Indeed, at the beginning of the century, the population was only about 3,000 birds but now there are close to 1 million. The Cap Tourmente NWA was created to ensure this species’ survival. During their biennial journey between the Atlantic coast and the Far North, Greater Snow Geese stop in this area where they feed on American Bulrush rhizomes and also grain in the fields.
At high tide, Greater Snow Geese are sometimes nearer to the shore and more numerous in the fields; observation is thus much easier (tide tables).
The Greater Snow Geese surveys done at Cap Tourmente NWA over the last two falls (Figure 1) show a peak abundance around mid-October. Up to 43,700 Greater Snow Geese were counted in 2020.
Figure 1 : Number of Greater Snow Geese at Cap Tourmente NWA for 2019, 2020 and 2021
Data for this graph are available in the long description
Long description
| Date | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 13 | 3,000 | NA | NA |
| September 14 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 15 | NA | 1,500 | NA |
| September 16 | NA | NA | 1,100 |
| September 17 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 18 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 19 | NA | 8,500 | NA |
| September 20 | 5,200 | NA | NA |
| September 21 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 22 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 23 | NA | NA | 4,600 |
| September 24 | 4,000 | 11,200 | NA |
| September 25 | NA | NA | 6,500 |
| September 26 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 27 | 8,400 | NA | NA |
| September 28 | NA | 18,000 | NA |
| September 29 | NA | NA | NA |
| September 30 | 8,500 | NA | NA |
| October 1 | NA | 22,000 | 9,000 |
| October 2 | 6,500 | 19,400 | 6,300 |
| October 3 | 8,500 | NA | 8,800 |
| October 4 | 14,900 | NA | 18,400 |
| October 5 | NA | 29,000 | 36,500 |
| October 6 | NA | 36,000 | 22,000 |
| October 7 | 27,100 | 37,000 | 33,000 |
| October 8 | 19,300 | 25,500 | 35,000 |
| October 9 | 5,100 | 17,300 | 56,500 |
| October 10 | 4,500 | 26,300 | 40,000 |
| October 11 | 10,000 | 33,100 | 55,200 |
| October 12 | 16,500 | 17,000 | NA |
| October 13 | 25,000 | 21,500 | NA |
| October 14 | 34,500 | 26,700 | 51,200 |
| October 15 | NA | 43,700 | 30,000 |
| October 16 | NA | 40,000 | NA |
| October 17 | 27,800 | NA | NA |
| October 18 | 29,000 | NA | 17,100 |
| October 19 | NA | 29,800 | 29,500 |
| October 20 | NA | 25,900 | 26,000 |
| October 21 | 23,800 | NA | 19,400 |
| October 22 | 15,600 | 21,700 | 17,300 |
| October 23 | NA | NA | 19,500 |
| October 24 | 25,400 | 32,000 | 31,000 |
| October 25 | 28,500 | NA | 28,000 |
| October 26 | NA | 25,200 | NA |
| October 27 | NA | 21,500 | 24,800 |
| October 28 | NA | 18,000 | 33,000 |
| October 29 | NA | 9,200 | NA |
| October 30 | NA | 10,000 | NA |
| October 31 | NA | NA | NA |
Report a problem or mistake on this page
- Date modified: