PREVIOUSLY UNRECORDED COLONIES OF ROSS AND LESSER SNOW GEESE IN THE QUEEN MAUD GULF BIRD SANCTUARY

In late June 1990 and 1991, during helicopter surveys of geese on the lowlands south of Queen Maud Gulf in the central Canadian Arctic, we f ound 26 colonies of nesting Ross' (Chen rossii) and Lesser Snow Geese (Chen c. caerulescens). In the 1960s, colonies were found exclusively on islands in shallow lakes; in 1990-91, only 39% of previously unrepo rted colonies were on such lakes. We suggest that, due to massive grow th in local populations of both species, lack of unoccupied nesting si tes on islands in small lakes has obliged Ross' and Lesser Snow Geese to select other nesting habitats. Snow and Ross' Geese appear to be ex panding toward the coast and westward within the Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary into areas currently favoured by White-fronted and Canada Ge ese.