The status of Canada Goose Branta canadensis subspecies in Greenland

• Main Authors: Fox, Anthony D., Sinnett, David, Baroch, John A., Stroud, David A., Kampp, Kaj, Egevang, Carsten, Boertmann, David
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 2012
• Subjects: Canada; Greenland; Branta canadensis; Canada Goose; Disko Bay; East Greenland; Thule
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdm_usdanwrc/1136; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/icwdm_usdanwrc/article/2134/viewcontent/Fox_DOFT_2012_The_status_of_Canada_Goose.pdf

Three subspecies of the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis interior, B.c. parvipes and B.c. hutchinsii) have been reported from Greenland, where the species has increased dramatically as a breeding and summering bird in the last 30 years. We report results of catch data, new observations, re-examination of archive photographs and museum specimens that show the subspecies interior is the most common and widespread subspecies, which has been present in West Greenland since at least 1864 (predating the previous earliest record from 1976). Re-measurement of museum skins confirmed that all specimens of parvipes relate to individuals of the interior type, confirming parvipes has yet to be reported from Greenland. Observations and specimens also confirm the presence of the small B.c. hutchinsii as a rare summer visitor mainly between Disko Bay and Thule, with two recent records from East Greenland.