The connectivity between east and west populations of the pink-footed goose

Summary

This article details a study to investigate the demographic connectivity between the eastern and western flyway populations of pink-footed geese, based on resightings of marked geese from both populations. Previous genetic analyses suggested a modest gene flow between the two populations. This latest analysis reiterated that the two populations currently appear to be demographically closed. The article concluded that, current initiatives to internationally manage the eastern population of pink-footed geese do not need to consider net immigration in predictive harvest models. Furthermore it stated, for waterbirds in general, a targeted approach to evaluate connectivity, using classic marking studies in combination with molecular methods and focussed sampling on breeding grounds, is recommended to better underpin management decisions at population levels.

The article is available on the Wily Online Library as an open-access publication.

For more details please see the attached report: