Ohio
BIRDER
RESOURCES

White Goose Collar
Observation Project:
Report Snow & Ross's
Goose collars here to
Environment Canada

References:
Arctic Goose Joint Venture
About Goose Collars

Ohio
Color-tagged Waterfowl
Sightings Log

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SWAN/GOOSE COLLARS/LEG BANDS in the MIDWEST Trumpeter Swan: GREEN, RED, and YELLOW with 3 characters Tundra Swan: BLUE, GRAY, or BLACK with 4 characters All swan collars have white codes except the yellow and gray ones. Snow Goose: Red - La Perouse Bay, Churchill Manitoba. May also be Black, Green, Yellow, or Blue; all 3 character alpha-numeric code. Canada Goose (Giant Branta canadensis maxima): GREEN - from Michigan in use before the protocol was established. Canada Goose (Giant): WHITE - Ohio and elsewhere. Canada Goose (Interior): ORANGE - from the James and Hudson Bay lowlands. However, molt-migrant Giants may be captured on the arctic breeding grounds to be collared there. Akimiski Is birds can be distinguished by measurements from Giants but mainland birds have considerable overlap. This results in the summer orange collars showing up in Ohio and neighboring states. They are giants not northern birds. Canada Goose (Interior): BLUE - These were put on interiors on their wintering grounds in the southern US for the most part. There were some blue put on giants in Alabama as well (however, they were all ANNN - A=alpha, N=numeric). Blue has not been used for nearly a decade and any reports of these should be regarded as highly suspect. Personal note, a bird sporting a blue collar was present at Castalia the winter of 1995-96 - V.W.F.III Canada Goose (Interior): YELLOW - On Interiors in the Atlantic Flyway. These too, have not been used for some time, at least not as cylinder collars. (again one present at Castalia Pond the winter of 1995-96). The Atlantic Flyway has been putting on what we call the "bell collars" in recent years. These have 3 characters and are not limited to numbers and letters. Can be quite confusing. These collars are wider at the bottom then at the top and are rubberized plastic. See news note regarding plans for CT resident birds in 2003 Small Canadas (which for Ohio are only Richardsons as there are no Lessers east of the Mississippi to speak of): Both RED and BLUE - the arctic region - Baffin and Southampton Islands). These have only 3 digits unlike the 4 on all of the above except the bell collars. The first digit is perpendicular to the other 2 on these collars.

The above information is supplied courtesy

Mark Shieldcastle, Wildlife Biologist, Ohio Div. of Wildlife
Crane Creek Wildlife Research Station
13229 W SR 2, Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449 (419) 898-0960 x25

In time, this inventory will provide a history of any given individual. To this end, Ohio birders are asked to follow up on sightings within the log. Ideally, weekly entries will give a glimpse into the life of these birds. Commentary on interesting behaviour, such as mating with another bird, or even an apparent close association with another collared bird is welcome.

Orange Collars - Canada Goose

Yellow Tags - Canada Goose

Only one yellow tag, a leg collar, to report this season. My reading of the photo supplied by Gina Buckey is listed below:

Canada Goose forms
of the Mississippi flyway

... and a note of caution from Rouge River Bird Observatory, Michigan.

example of an Ohio
Richardson's Canada Goose
photographed at
Springville Marsh SNP,
Seneca County
31 Oct. 1998 - V.W.F.III

Yellow collars in CT Canada Geese

Read more about the effort in
Michigan with radio/satellite tracking

EMAIL Contact List for Observers

LAT/LONG list for sites