Small, silver-colored bands have adorned the legs of many Canada geese in Indiana for years, thanks to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). Now, some of the birds will also sport larger, more vivid, orange or white plastic bands.

The brightly-colored new leg bands are much larger than the aluminum variety and therefore much more noticeable – gaudy, yet functional. The new bands will allow DNR biologists to better track geese they have relocated.

The select geese wearing the new bands have been removed from urban areas after conflicting with humans. Such “urban” geese have been relocated to state fish and wildlife areas (FWAs) by qualified contractors at the expense of property owners for years, because the FWAs have better habitats for geese than cities do.
Once on an FWA, geese are less likely to cause problems for people. In addition, the areas allow waterfowl hunting, which helps control the state’s locally breeding goose population. But, do such relocations really work in reducing the urban goose problem in the long term?

Many landowners suspect transplanted geese soon flock right back to their old urban haunts at a high rate. Previous research has shown the actual frequency of return varies greatly, from 20-80 percent.

Conventional wisdom says that geese relocated as adults seem more likely to return to cities, but those transferred from urban areas before they learn to fly seem to remain at the FWA and breed there. The research, however, is not clear-cut.

The birds wearing the bands obtained them at the FWAs just before release, enabling property owners, contractors and biologists to watch urban areas to see how many return. The bands also allow DFW to better evaluate the success of the relocation method of controlling geese.

Such data can also be used to help address other goose management issues. For instance, if the study shows that few geese return to their original urban areas, then it may be that other geese are continually recolonizing urban ponds. If such is the case, modifying habitat so geese no longer want to be there may be the only effective way of reducing goose-human conflicts.

The plastic-band study is being done in addition to DFW’s aluminum banding of more than 2,000 geese in the state each June, which has allowed for the documentation of thousands of reports from hunters and other finders. The data has allowed biologists to understand goose movement better. In addition, the information has allowed for analysis of survival rates, lifespan and rates at which geese are harvested by hunters.

The old-style aluminum bands will still be depended upon to play that role. Each contains a unique number etched on its surface that is registered with the federal Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) in Patuxent, Md. The BBL coordinates all migratory bird banding in the United States because the federal government has jurisdiction over migratory birds.

When a goose is harvested by a hunter, caught or found dead, the person who recovers the band gets the ID ball rolling. The finder reports the band number to the BBL, which informs DFW where and how the band was recovered and tells the finder where and when the bird was banded.

“Geese banded in Indiana have been harvested in 31 states and Canadian provinces,” said Adam Phelps, DFW waterfowl research biologist. “These birds seem to move more than many people think they do. The colored leg bands will help us get better information on those specific birds that are relocated out of these conflict situations.”

Now, people harvesting birds with the colored leg bands can help with DFW’s goose research by reporting their find, along with the number on the aluminum leg band, to FWA staff or to the BBL at 800-327-BAND or www.reportband.gov – live birds with the colored bands need not be reported.

Detection trees help locate infestations

In continued efforts to find and slow the spread of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Indiana and surrounding states, officials are now surveying ash trees to locate infestations. Detection trees are being set up in nearly all Indiana counties by DNR and the USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

“Although detection trees will be set throughout the state, they will be concentrated at areas of higher risk for the introduction of EAB, such as those near campgrounds, mills, nursery areas and so forth” said Jodie Ellis, Purdue University entomologist.

The selected trees will be tagged with bright yellow cards to indicate their purpose, and then girdled – a process of wounding the tree by removing bands of bark to attract nearby EAB. Selecting and setting up the detection trees will continue throughout the summer.
Beginning this fall and throughout winter, surveyors will remove detection trees and strip them of their bark to check for any signs of EAB activity.

“Some people have mistakenly thought that the detection trees are chosen because they are already infested with EAB, but this is not the case, Ellis said. ”The detection trees simply serve as monitors to see if EAB happens to be in the area and they are a means for us to locate infested areas more quickly.”

Surveyors will tag specified trees within the right-of-way and will not use ash trees on private property unless they have an owner’s permission.

EAB was first detected in the United States in 2002, near Detroit. Since then, it has destroyed millions of ash trees throughout Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. More information about EAB and its whereabouts is available by visiting www.entm.purdue.edu/eab

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments can contact Jack Spaulding by e-mail at jackspaulding@hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.