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Groom QJ, Adriaens T, Colsoulle C, Delhez P, Van der Beeten I. Site selection by geese in a suburban landscape. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9846. [PMID: 33024625 PMCID: PMC7518184 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In European and North American cities geese are among the most common and most visible large herbivores. As such, their presence and behaviour often conflict with the desires of the human residents. Fouling, noise, aggression and health concerns are all cited as reasons that there are “too many”. Lethal control is often used for population management; however, this raises questions about whether this is a sustainable strategy to resolve the conflict between humans and geese when, paradoxically, it is humans that are responsible for creating the habitat and often providing the food and protection of geese at other times. We hypothesise that the landscaping of suburban parks can be improved to decrease its attractiveness to geese and to reduce the opportunity for conflict between geese and humans. Methods Using observations collected over five years from a botanic garden situated in suburban Belgium and data from the whole of Flanders in Belgium, we examined landscape features that attract geese. These included the presence of islands in lakes, the distance from water, barriers to level flight and the size of exploited areas. The birds studied were the tadornine goose Alopochen aegyptiaca (L. 1766) (Egyptian goose) and the anserine geese, Branta canadensis (L. 1758) (Canada goose), Anser anser (L. 1758) (greylag goose) and Branta leucopsis (Bechstein, 1803) (barnacle goose). Landscape modification is a known method for altering goose behaviour, but there is little information on the power of such methods with which to inform managers and planners. Results Our results demonstrate that lakes with islands attract more than twice as many anserine geese than lakes without islands, but make little difference to Egyptian geese. Furthermore, flight barriers between grazing areas and lakes are an effective deterrent to geese using an area for feeding. Keeping grazing areas small and surrounded by trees reduces their attractiveness to geese. Conclusion The results suggest that landscape design can be used successfully to reduce the number of geese and their conflict with humans. However, this approach has its limitations and would require humans to compromise on what they expect from their landscaped parks, such as open vistas, lakes, islands and closely cropped lawns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tim Adriaens
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
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Murray M, Guo J, Tizard I, Jennings S, Shivaprasad HL, Payne S, Ellis JC, Van Wettere AJ, O'Brien KM. Aquatic Bird Bornavirus-Associated Disease in Free-Living Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) in the Northeastern USA. J Wildl Dis 2017; 53:607-11. [PMID: 28445657 DOI: 10.7589/2016-07-160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During the winter of 2013-14, 22 Canada geese ( Branta canadensis ) were admitted to the Wildlife Clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University with nonspecific neurologic abnormalities and emaciation. Five of these geese, along with three geese that were submitted dead, were evaluated via histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) for bornaviruses. Histopathologically, six of the eight birds had lymphoplasmacytic encephalitis. One bird, which also had encephalitis, had a dilated esophagus. Lead poisoning, West Nile virus, avian influenza, and avian paramyxovirus infection were excluded from the diagnosis. Brain tissue from all eight geese was positive for bornaviral N-antigen on immunohistochemistry. Frozen brain tissue from five birds was available for bornavirus RT-PCR. Three of the five birds were positive for the bornavirus M gene. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded brain tissue was evaluated on the remaining three geese via RT-PCR, with one of these geese testing positive. A bornavirus was subsequently cultured in duck embryo fibroblasts from the brain of one Canada Goose. This virus genome was sequenced, and the virus was identified as aquatic bird bornavirus 1. We were unable to identify any unusual features of this genome that would account for its apparent pathogenicity, given that subclinical infection with bornavirus in waterfowl is common in North America.
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Abstract
An adult Canada goose ( Branta canadensis ) was presented unable to walk. On physical examination, conscious proprioception was absent in both legs, and motor function was decreased. The bird did not improve with supportive care and was euthanatized and submitted for postmortem examination. Sagittal sectioning of the spine revealed an intradural growth causing segmental deformity of the lumbosacral spinal cord. The growth was diagnosed as an infiltrative spinal lipoma. Infiltrative lipomas are locally invasive, benign tumors that can be found in any host tissue. They have been documented in small and exotic companion animals, including birds; however, this is the first report of an infiltrative lipoma in the spinal canal of a bird or free-living wild animal.
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Vaillancourt E, Weber JM. Fuel metabolism in Canada geese: effects of glucagon on glucose kinetics. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2015; 309:R535-43. [PMID: 26108869 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00080.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
During prolonged fasting, birds must rely on glucose mobilization to maintain normoglycemia. Glucagon is known to modulate avian energy metabolism during prolonged fasting, but the metabolic effects of this hormone on long-distance migrant birds have never been investigated. Our goal was to determine whether glucagon regulates the mobilization of the main lipid and carbohydrate fuels in migrant birds. Using the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) as a model species, we looked for evidence of fuel mobilization via changes in metabolite concentrations. No changes could be found for any lipid fraction, but glucagon elicited a strong increase in glucose concentration. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the effects of this hormone on glucose kinetics using continuous infusion of 6-[(3)H]-d-glucose. Glucagon was found to cause a 50% increase in glucose mobilization (from 22.2 ± 2.4 μmol·kg(-1)·min(-1) to 33.5 ± 3.3 μmol·kg(-1)·min(-1)) and, together with an unchanged rate of carbohydrate oxidation, led to a 90% increase in plasma glucose concentration. This hormone also led to a twofold increase in plasma lactate concentration. No changes in plasma lipid concentration or composition were observed. This study is the first to demonstrate how glucagon modulates glucose kinetics in a long-distance migrant bird and to quantify its rates of glucose mobilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vaillancourt
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jean-Michel Weber
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Richman SE, Leafloor JO, Karasov WH, McWilliams SR. Ecological implications of reduced forage quality on growth and survival of sympatric geese. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:284-98. [PMID: 25081822 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Allometric constraints associated with digesting leaves require relatively small avian herbivores to consume high-quality forage. How such constraints are overcome during ontogeny when energy and nutrient requirements are relatively high has not been adequately explored. We compared growth trajectories of Canada and lesser snow goose goslings raised on grass-based diets that differed in protein (10%, 14% or 18%) and fibre (30% or 45%) with those of free-living goslings on Akimiski Island, Canada. This common-garden experiment allowed us to test the hypotheses that (i) smaller-bodied geese are more negatively affected by reduced forage quality than larger-bodied geese, and (ii) goslings from subarctic brood-rearing areas have a limited capacity to slow growth in response to reduced forage quality. Canada goose goslings fed low-protein (10%) diets were on average 44% lighter in body mass, had slower growth rates and were delayed >20 days in reaching 90% of asymptotic size compared with Canada goose goslings fed 18% protein. In contrast, snow goose goslings were unable to survive on the low-protein diets, and those fed high- or medium-protein diets grew at a similar rate and achieved similar asymptotic size. Canada and snow goose goslings fed low-protein diets had reduced growth rates of the tarsus and delayed emergence of the 9th primary. Free-ranging Canada goslings on Akimiski Island were similar in mass and structural size to captive-reared goslings fed low-protein diets. In contrast, snow goslings were similar in mass and structural size to the captive-reared goslings fed the high- and medium-protein diets. This suggests that degraded habitats with mostly low-protein forage may be able to support Canada goslings better than snow goslings which require higher-quality forage to survive. Size-related differences in gosling growth and survival in response to diminished diet quality may influence population size when available food reaches a lower threshold in protein content. However, goslings can avoid such density-dependent population regulation if they are able to move their broods and find adequate quality and quantity of forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E Richman
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI, USA.,Long Point Waterfowl, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, ON, N0E 1M0, Canada
| | - James O Leafloor
- Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, 123 Main Street, Suite 150, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 4W2, Canada
| | - William H Karasov
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, 226 Russell Laboratories, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Scott R McWilliams
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI, USA
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Snyder JC, Mackaness CA, Sopher MR, Huber JP, Disantis EJ, Senecal AJ, Vaughn BP, Desantis RS, Tobelmann PE, Balauff NMH, Barry PM, Show MD, Speering LH, Genareo CA, Brenner FJ, Ray DB. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Canada goose ( Branta canadensis). Mitochondrial DNA 2013; 26:672-3. [PMID: 24148019 DOI: 10.3109/19401736.2013.840601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The Canada goose (Branta canadensis) entire mitochondrial genome of a bird from Western Pennsylvania has 16,760 bp (GenBank accession number NC 007011) and has been analyzed for gene locations, length, start codon and stop codons. This genome from a bird harvested during the non-migratory season is the REFSEQ and the haplotype is designated GCC-A. There are two rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, 13 protein-coding regions, and 1 displacement loop region. The base composition of mtDNA was A (30.2%), G (15.1%), C (32.1%), and T (22.6%), so the percentage of A and T (52.8%) was slightly higher than G and C. All genes except ND6 and eight tRNA genes (Gln, Ala, Asn, Cys, Tyr, Ser, Pro and Glu) are encoded on the heavy strand. The gene arrangement is the same as most birds and differs from mammals by an inversion of the mtDNA at the connection between the D-loop and the ND5 junctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C Snyder
- a Department of Cell Biology , Duke University , Durham , NC , USA
| | | | | | - Jonathan P Huber
- d Department of Medicine , University of Colorado Denver , Aurora , CO , USA
| | | | | | - Byron P Vaughn
- g Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Harvard , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Robert S Desantis
- h Fletcher Allen Health Care Medical Center Campus , Burlington , VT , USA
| | - Page E Tobelmann
- i Department of Pancreatic Cancer , Garvan Institute of Medical Research , Mount Stuart , TAS , Australia
| | - Natalie M Hecht Balauff
- j Division of Pediatric Endocrinology , Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , PA , USA
| | - Patrick M Barry
- k USFWS Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office , Portland , OR , USA
| | | | | | - Christina A Genareo
- n Department of Veterinary Medicinet , Western University Health Sciences , CA , USA , and
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