Arctic Fox, Alopex lagopus, predation on Lesser Snow Geese, Chen caerulescens, and their eggs

At Egg River Colony on Banks Island, we observed previously undocumented pr edation by Arctic Fox on Lesser Snow Geese and their eggs. On separate occa sions, we observed (1) an Arctic Fox attack and kill a nesting Lesser Snow Goose and (2) an Arctic Fox take eggs from Lesser Snow Geese as birds were pushed off nests by a charging Muskox. Despite several studies on interacti ons between Arctic Foxes and nesting geese, there is, to our knowledge, no documented observation of an Arctic Fox killing a nesting goose. Thus, we s uggest such mortality to be relatively uncommon and most goose parts in Arc tic Fox diets to be the result from scavenging of goose carcasses, or killi ng of goslings and molting adults during the brood-rearing season. The obse rvation of the fox taking eggs from geese as they were pushed off nests by a Muskox illustrates the opportunistic nature of Arctic Foxes not only in c hoice of diets, but also in how foods are acquired.