Research on ducklings and goslings has demonstrated that young birds hatche
d in moderate to high saline environments without access to fresh drinking
water grow and develop slower, and have increased mortality rates. Most dir
ect saline-induced mortality happens before day 6 of life, after which time
the nasal salt glands become functional. At Fish Springs National Wildlife
Refuge in western Utah, the water available to Canada goose (Branta canade
nsis) goslings ranged from brackish to highly saline (3100-25,000 + mu S/cm
) throughout the summer and differed spatially across the impoundments; no
fresh water was available. We followed collar-marked, radio-marked and unma
rked broods from hatching to day 15 to determine early survival of all gosl
ings hatched in 1997. Nineteen broods hatched between 25 April and 25 May.
We analyzed the relationship between specific conductivity of water and gos
ling mortality in 1997. The levels of salinity found at the refuge within 1
5 d after hatching were independent of mortality. During dry years salinity
levels increase earlier in the Spring and may limit gosling productivity.