On July 1st, I had the pleasure of going with the State of Connecticut's Waterfowl Division on a goose banding outing in the Northeast corner of Connecticut. The banding of Resident Canada Geese began in the state in 2002 to study the migration and breeding population of the resident geese.
A little history- A resident Canada Goose is classified as a goose that is hatched or nests below the 48th parallel or in the continental United States and Canada below the 48º line of latitude excluding the province of Newfoundland. A migratory goose in the Atlantic Flyway will nest in Labrador, Newfoundland and Northern Quebec. In essence, a resident goose doesn't "migrate" in the traditional way. As their residential habitats freeze in the winter, they'll move to open water found in rivers, bays and estuaries.
Back in the early 1900's the migratory goose population was on a decline due to over- harvest. In the 1920s a winter feeding program was started in Litchfield, CT for migrant birds. Some of these birds stayed in the state for the breeding season. Market Hunters and sporting clubs would use live birds to attract migrating flocks. Around 1935 the use of live birds to attract migratory geese was banned and hunters and sporting clubs released their "decoys" into the wild. These first "resident" birds established breeding populations and also attracted migrant birds that just decided to stay.
