MUTUAL BENEFITS OF ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN BREEDING AND NON-BREEDING WHITE-FRONTED GEESE ANSER ALBIFRONS

The relationships between yearlings and adult pairs of White-fronted G eese Anser albifrons were studied during pre-nesting, laying and early incubation in the central Canadian Arctic. Prior to nesting, females of lone pairs spent 75-81% of their time feeding, while males spent on ly 42-47% of time feeding and 46-50% alert. In pairs with one or more associated yearlings, both females and males fed significantly more an d spent less time vigilant. Yearlings spent significantly less time (5 9%) feeding when alone compared with 71-76% when with pairs. Associati ons between yearlings and paired adults were most frequent before adul t females began prospecting for nest sites. No prospecting pairs were associated with yearlings, After the egg-laying period, groups of gees e, predominantly yearlings, made distraction flights over humans and t errestrial predators approaching nests, in contrast to the more crypti c behaviour of nesting pairs, The presence of groups of geese associat ed with some nest sites suggests that continuing parent-offspring rela tionships may involve assistance with nest defence.