Movement patterns of Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus during breeding and post-breeding periods at Qinghai Lake, China

The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak at Qinghai Lake, China, in 2005 caused the death of over 6,000 migratory birds, half of which were Bar-headed Geese Anser indicus. Understanding the movements of this species may inform monitoring of outbreak risks for HPAI viruses; thus, we investigated the movement patterns of 29 Bar-headed Geese at Qinghai Lake, China during 2007 and 2008 by using high resolution GPS satellite telemetry. We described the movements and distribution of marked Bar-headed Geese during the pre-nesting, nesting, and moulting periods. Of 21 Bar-headed Geese with complete transmission records, 3 moved to other areas during the nesting period: 2 to Jianghe wetland (50 km northwest of Qinghai Lake) and 1 to Cuolongka Lake (220 km northwest of Qinghai Lake) during the nesting period. We identified nesting attempts of 7 of the marked geese at Qinghai Lake. Four completed successful nesting attempts according to our rules of judgment for the breeding status, and 2 geese lost broods soon after hatching (hereafter referred to as unsuccessful breeders). Of 18 geese present at Qinghai Lake during the nesting period, 9 (6 non-breeders, 2 successful breeders and 1 unsuccessful breeder) remained at Qinghai Lake during the moulting period; and 9 (5 non-breeders, 4 unsuccessful breeders) left Qinghai Lake for moulting. Kuhai Lake, Donggeicuona Lake, Alake Lake, Zhaling-Eling Lake area and Huangheyuan wetland area were used as moulting sites. Geese that moulted at Qinghai Lake, Cuolongka Lake, Kuhai Lake, Donggeicuona Lake and Alake Lake also moved to Zhaling-Eling Lake area or Huangheyuan wetland area and stayed there for several days prior to autumn migration. Mean home range and core area estimates did not differ significantly by sex, year and between breeders and non-breeders.

[1]  M. Petersen.  Populations, Feeding Ecology and Molt of Steller's Eiders , 1981 .

[2]  G. Gauthier,et al.  Molt Migration in Relation to Breeding Success in Greater Snow Geese , 2003 .

[3]  John Y. Takekawa,et al.  Tracking the spring migration of a bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) across the Himalaya with satellite telemetry , 2000 .

[4]  J. Fleskes.  Effects of backpack radiotags on female northern pintails wintering in California , 2003 .

[5]  Y. Guan,et al.  Establishment of multiple sublineages of H5N1 influenza virus in Asia: implications for pandemic control. , 2006, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[6]  Johan Elmberg,et al.  Surveillance of Influenza Virus A in Migratory Waterfowl in Northern Europe , 2007, Emerging infectious diseases.

[7]  A. D. Fox,et al.  Do moulting Greylag Geese Anser anser forage in proximity to water in response to food availability and/or quality? , 2000 .

[8]  Y. Guan,et al.  Avian flu: H5N1 virus outbreak in migratory waterfowl , 2005, Nature.

[9]  J. Nichols,et al.  Annual survival and site fidelity of Steller's eiders molting along the Alaska Peninsula , 2000 .

[10]  D. R. Luukkonen,et al.  Movements and Survival of Molt Migrant Canada Geese From Southern Michigan , 2008 .

[11]  M. Owen,et al.  Wing Molt and Weights of Barnacle Geese in Spitsbergen , 1979 .

[12]  R. Webster,et al.  H5N1 influenza--continuing evolution and spread. , 2006, The New England journal of medicine.

[13]  J. O. Bustnes,et al.  Breeding and moulting locations and migration patterns of the Atlantic population of Steller's eiders Polysticta stelleri as determined from satellite telemetry , 2006 .

[14]  W. Hagemeijer,et al.  Evidence of Infection by H5N2 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses in Healthy Wild Waterfowl , 2008, PLoS pathogens.

[15]  G. Gao,et al.  Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Influenza Virus Infection in Migratory Birds , 2005, Science.

[16]  R. Powell,et al.  An Evaluation of the Accuracy of Kernel Density Estimators for Home Range Analysis , 1996 .

[17]  Hou Yuan.  DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY OF WATERFOWL POPULATION IN QINGHAI LAKE NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE , 2009 .

[18]  T. Aarvak,et al.  Moult and autumn migration of non­breeding Fennoscandian Lesser White­fronted Geese Anser erythropus mapped by satellite telemetry , 2003 .

[19]  B. Drolet,et al.  Effects of Backpack Radio-Transmitters on Female Barrow’s Goldeneyes , 2006 .

[20]  W. D. Eldridge,et al.  Habitat ecology of Pacific Black Brant and other geese moulting near Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska , 1982 .

[21]  G. Goujgoulova,et al.  Surveillance on Avian Influenza in Bulgaria , 2007, Avian diseases.

[22]  J. Schmutz,et al.  Moult migration of emperor geese Chen canagica between Alaska and Russia , 2007 .

[23]  Baoping Yan,et al.  Satellite‐marked waterfowl reveal migratory connection between H5N1 outbreak areas in China and Mongolia , 2009 .

[24]  J. Schmutz,et al.  THE PRELAYING INTERVAL OF EMPEROR GEESE ON THE YUKON-KUSKOKWIM DELTA, ALASKA , 2006 .

[25]  D. Derksen,et al.  Demographic characteristics of molting black brant near Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska , 1996 .

[26]  D. Stallknecht,et al.  Experimental Infection of Swans and Geese with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) of Asian Lineage , 2008, Emerging infectious diseases.

[27]  C. D. Ankney,et al.  Body condition, food habits, and molt status of late-wintering ruddy ducks in California , 1992 .