Alisauskas, Ray T.

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Ray T. Alisauskas

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The Giant Canada Goose, by Harold C. Hanson

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REVIEWS • 165THE GIANT CANADA GOOSE. By HAROLD C. HANSON.Illinois Natural History Survey. Carbondale andEdwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1997.Rev. ed. 252 p., 7 maps, 74 plates, 15 graphs, 31 tables, 3appendices, bib., index. Hardbound. US$29.95.Dr. Harold C. Hanson is a pioneer in the study of waterfowl.Connections linking him with the Arctic Institute of NorthAmerica (AINA) and large races of Canada geese reach backto 1946, when he took part in a study of Branta canadensisinterior on the Hudson Bay Lowlands. AINA then supportedthe Perry River Expedition and published its findings (Hansonet al., 1956) as well as other seminal work by Hanson (1962)on the physiology of geese. My own research on arctic geesenear the Perry River south of Queen Maud Gulf has led me tocross paths with David and Lena Ammaganik and DonaldKorvik, who as children living on the land with their parents,met members of the Perry River Expedition of 1949. It seemstherefore serendipitous that this review of the latest versionof Dr. Hanson’s book on giant Canada geese should appearin Arctic.This book, first published over three decades ago, was aclassic contribution to waterfowl biology. Dr. Hanson’s re-search on the ecology of geese was multidisciplinary. A quickreview of his publication profile shows a special interest inthe physiology of geese, although his knowledge and exper-tise certainly have not been restricted to that. Instead he hasstudied these birds from many perspectives over the last fivedecades and, in his quest to document the state of knowledgeabout giant Canada geese (B.c. maxima) in the 1960s, he leftfew stones unturned.This monograph, exhaustive in detail, is especially inter-esting in that it provides important information from previ-ously unpublished letters. Instead of relying solely onprofessional sources, Hanson in Chapter 1 capitalized on theinformation provided by amateur naturalists and hunters withan interest in what was thought to be an extinct race or species.Indeed, recognition and rediscovery of the giant Canadagoose “is a story of the Indian, and often the hunter andlayman, having a more acute understanding of a bird than theprofessional” (p. 3).In Chapter 2, the morphology of giant Canada geese isdescribed and compared with other putative subspecies (B.c.canadensis, B.c. moffitti, B.c. interior) of large Canada geese.Averages are compared without much rigor, and inclusion ofmore modern multivariate statistical treatment of these val-ues, easily accomplished with today’s computers, was war-ranted in this new edition. Besides appropriate morphometricanalyses, more recent and relevant published data (e.g.,Merendino et al., 1994) are also lacking. Instead, the readeris advised to consult Appendix I for an updated interpretationof the ranges and morphs described (see below).Most readers that have an interest in geography andbiogeography will enjoy Chapters 3–5 about the distributionsof these birds during their annual cycle. I found this sectionparticularly interesting, having travelled many of the areasto which these birds were formerly restricted. Anecdotaldocumentation of the historical distribution of these birds,region by region, provides a good perspective on the long-term dynamics of some populations and the local extirpationof others. Although it is tempting to ascribe the near demiseof this large goose to unregulated shooting, Hanson docu-ments other negative influences, such as drainage of naturalwetlands to make way for agriculture, and the stealing of eggsso that goslings could be raised and fattened for consumptionin the fall. Appealing to the avocational historians in us arereferences to 18th century observations of large geese by thelikes of General George Clark, in the area of present-dayKentucky and Indiana in the 1760s, and M. de LamotheCadillac, the French commander of Detroit, in 1701. Alsodocumented is the peculiarity that yearling or nonbreedingadults of this temperate-nesting race migrate north to arcticareas to spend the annual flightless period. Numbers of B.c.maxima molt migrants currently appear to be increasingsouth of Queen Maud Gulf in Canada’s central Arctic. OnAkimiski Island in James Bay, where B.c. maxima moltmigrants mix with the locally breeding interior race, theymay be interfering, through competition for food, with theability of local Canada geese to raise young (Ankney, 1996).Hanson postulates in Chapter 6 (Nesting) that the at-tractiveness of wetlands for nesting by giant Canada geesedepends on the presence of muskrat houses because “mostprairie lakes lack islands; the muskrat houses, therefore,offer the ecological equivalent of islets or islands whichare so abundant in lakes used by nesting geese in Arcticand subarctic areas” (p. 106). Clearly, this no longerapplies: evidence is the population explosion of largeCanada geese throughout their former range and beyond,which includes their use of urban areas for nesting.A very short Chapter 7 (Growth, Development, and Flight-less Periods) reflects the state of knowledge at the time ofwriting. It is only recently that experiments (Leafloor et al.,1998) have indicated that a significant portion of geographicvariation in the morphology of large races of Canada geese isgreatly influenced by feeding conditions for growing young.Published studies on numerous other species of arctic geesealso conclude that much of the phenotypic variability withinpopulations results from variance in the nutrition of growinggoslings. These results have strong relevance to some of Dr.Hanson’s ideas about inferred distinctness of populations.Leafloor et al.’s (1998) findings have particular relevance toHanson’s statements (p. 215) that B.c. interior geese on“Akimiski Island will be described as a race new to science.”On the other hand, genetic studies done over a broadergeographic range indicate measurable divergences in genomesof putative subspecies of geese (e.g., Shields and Wilson,1987; van Wagner and Baker, 1990). (The preface to thisbook and Appendix I contain tantalizing references to Dr.Hanson’s apparently imminent publication, “The White-cheeked geese (Branta canadensis, B. maxima, B. hutchinsii,B. leucopareia, and B. minima) Taxonomy, EcophysiographicRelationships, Biogeography, and Evolutionary Considera-tions,” which advances the case that the giant Canada gooseis a separate species, composed of seven subspecies, within a166 •  REVIEWSgeneral mosaic of 186 geographic races of white-cheekedgeese. In Appendix I, Dr. Hanson claims “at least 83” vs. 186races.)Following Chapter 8 (Characters of Age, Sex, and SexualMaturity) are short chapters on Food and Feeding Habits(Chapter 9) and Endoparasites (Chapter 10). Chapter 11(Physiology) provides a thumbnail sketch, based on Hanson’sseminal dissertation work with interior Canada geese, of thegeneral dynamics of body mass and its components of fat andprotein, and the importance of nutrient reserves to the ecologyof geese. There is no treatment of nutritional dynamics in B.c.maxima geese specifically, although some of that informa-tion exists (e.g., McLandress and Raveling, 1981).Chapter 12 describes social behaviour and covers flockcomposition, pair formation, sexual behaviour, and behav-iour during nesting. Family integrity is a prominent feature ofgoose sociality with young attending parents normally foralmost a year.Chapter 13 (Productivity and Regulation of Populations)provides figures on the parameters that can influence popula-tion size: age at sexual maturity, clutch size, and nest andhatching success. The author describes and discusses the keyfactors that impinge on nesting success: weather, predators,and inexperience at nesting. There are records of captiveCanada geese attaining 80 years of age, but the authorcorrectly focuses on population parameters of wild birds.Although giants tend to have lower productivity than othersubspecies of Canada geese, they have tremendous capacityfor population increase, to the point that B.c. maxima, for-merly presumed extinct, may now number in the millions.Certainly, they are considered a nuisance by many munici-palities in both Canada and the United States.In Chapter 14, Dr. Hanson describes the focus of manage-ment as maintaining or enhancing local goose populations.Over three decades later, managers have undergone a para-digm shift and are grappling with methods to control andreduce populations of large Canada geese, particularly giants(see Ankney, 1996). Finally, in Chapter 15, Dr. Hansonsynthesizes his observations about clinal variation in the sizeof giant Canada geese within their former, more limitedbreeding range and summarizes the “distinctive characters”that distinguish them from other races. Some paleontologicalobservations are also included.In the preface, Hanson states that “the main objectives ofthis revised slightly enlarged edition are to redefine the rangeof this race as it was originally understood” (p. xvii). Thus, thebook should be read in the correct context—as an authorita-tive volume on the history, biogeography, and ecology ofgiant Canada Geese until the mid 1960s. The reader shouldnot expect a definitive up-to-date document. Yet in AppendixI, Hanson also states that “not to cite the relevant taxonomicfindings…would be retrogressive and misleading”. So, thework of Shields and Wilson (1987) and others seems to havea bearing on the question at hand: Is the giant Canada goosea unique species or subspecies, or a phenotype largely deter-mined by transient environmental influences? There is noexhaustive, up-to-date bibliography for giant Canada geese,nor is there any reference to pertinent publications from thelast three decades. Also, there is no treatment of the greatexpansion in breeding range and abundance by this putativesubspecies brought about by intentional relocations and es-tablishment of breeding flocks—likely a fact that greatlycomplicates the original interpretations. We can only antici-pate that these issues will be dealt with in Hanson’s forthcom-ing magnum opus.For those who already have the original printing of thebook, the major differences are the short preface to the newedition and some notes in Appendix I citing more of theauthor’s own investigations. For these reasons, the claim thatthis is a revised edition is somewhat misleading. It is, ineffect, merely a reprinting of an already good book. Thosewho have yet to read the original edition can expect a well-written, concise, and important historical contribution towaterfowl ecology. It is a relevant document for anyone withan interest in Canada geese, including biologists, naturalists,and hunters.REFERENCESANKNEY, C.D. 1996. An embarrassment of riches: Too manygeese. Journal of Wildlife Management 60:217 –223.HANSON, H.C. 1962. The dynamics of condition factors inCanada geese and their relation to seasonal stresses. Calgary,Alberta: Arctic Institute of North America, Techical PaperNumber 12. 68 p.HANSON, H.C., QUENEAU, P., and SCOTT, P. 1956. Thegeography, birds and mammals of the Perry River region.Calgary, Alberta: Arctic Institute of North America, SpecialPublication Number 3. 96 p.LEAFLOOR, J.O., ANKNEY, C.D., and RUSCH, D.H. 1998.Environmental effect on body size of Canada Geese. Auk115:26 –33.McLANDRESS, M.R., and RAVELING, D.G. 1981. Changes indiet and body composition of Canada geese before springmigration. Auk 98:65 –79.MERENDINO, M.T., ANKNEY, C.D., DENNIS, D.G., andLEAFLOOR, J.O. 1994. Morphometric discrimination ofgiant and Akimiski Island Canada geese. Wildlife SocietyBulletin 22:14 – 19.SHIELDS, G.F., and WILSON, A.C. 1987. Subspecies of Canadagoose (Branta canadensis) have distinct mitochondrialDNAs. Evolution 41:662 – 666.VAN WAGNER, C.E., and BAKER, A.J. 1990. Association betweenmitochondrial DNA’s and morphological evolution in Canadageese. Journal of Molecular Evolution 31:373 – 382.Ray T. AlisauskasResearch ScientistCanadian Wildlife ServicePrairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre115 Perimeter Rd.Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaS7N 0X4

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The Giant Canada Goose, by Harold C. Hanson

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