Greater Snow Goose Population Monitoring
Greater Snow Geese are back at the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, Fall 2012
Since 1978, the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (NWA) has witnessed a spectacular increase in the Greater Snow Goose population. It serves as a staging area for more than one million Greater Snow Geese on their biyearly journeys between the Atlantic Coast and the Far North. The population was only about 3 000 birds at the beginning of the century, and the Cap Tourmente NWA was created to ensure this species’ survival. During their fall migration, the Greater Snow Geese stop off in the vicinity of the Wildlife Area, where they feed on American Bulrush rhizomes in the marsh and grain in the fields.
The Canadian Wildlife Service publishes regularly a graph illustrating the number of Greater Snow Geese in the Cap Tourmente NWA for the duration of their fall stay. Until now, three Greater Snow Goose survey have been conducted at Cap Tourmente NWA, this year.
Graph 1 : Histogram presenting the number of Greater Snow Geese
at Cap Tourmente NWA , Fall 2012
(Data for this graph are available in table form below)

| Date | Number of Greater Snow Geese observed |
|---|---|
| September 21 | 4000 |
| September 22 | 4700 |
| September 23 | 4500 |
| September 28 | 9700 |
| October 1st | 35200 |
| October 2 | 31500 |
| October 3 | 30000 |
| October 5 | 45000 |
| October 6 | 50500 |
| October 7 | 47500 |
| October 8 | 29000 |
| October 9 | 48500 |
| October 12 | 35800 |
| October 13 | 42500 |
| October 14 | 39000 |
| October 16 | 50000 |
| October 17 | 57500 |
| October 19 | 33500 |
| October 20 | 39800 |
| October 21 | 49000 |
| October 22 | 41500 |
| October 23 | 36000 |
| October 25 | 36800 |
At high tide, Greater Snow Geese are somtimes nearer to the shore and more numerous in the fields; observation is thus much easier (tide tables).
The Greater Snow Goose surveys done at Cap Tourmente NWA over the last three falls show a peak abundance around mid-October. Up to 66 500 Greater Snow Geese were counted in 2010.
Graph 2 : Number of Greater Snow Geese
at Cap Tourmente NWA for last 3 falls (2009-2011)
(Data for this graph are available in table form below)

| Date | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 18 | 1200 | ||
| September 19 | |||
| September 20 | |||
| September 21 | |||
| September 22 | |||
| September 23 | 6300 | ||
| September 24 | 8100 | ||
| September 25 | 5200 | ||
| September 26 | 5500 | 12650 | |
| September 27 | 14000 | ||
| September 28 | 19900 | 13300 | |
| September 19 | 21200 | 25000 | 17700 |
| September 30 | 32600 | ||
| October 1st | 37000 | 34300 | |
| October 2 | |||
| October 3 | 29500 | 33300 | |
| October 4 | 18800 | 26500 | 43500 |
| October 5 | 27500 | ||
| October 6 | 54000 | ||
| October 7 | 40300 | 52500 | |
| October 8 | 28400 | 32000 | 27800 |
| October 9 | 42000 | 63000 | 8400 |
| October 10 | 35500 | 66500 | 18400 |
| October 11 | 34900 | 21900 | |
| October 12 | 38000 | 63000 | 33500 |
| October 13 | 37000 | 46000 | 23000 |
| October 14 | 45000 | 45700 | 19300 |
| October 15 | 44600 | 32500 | 6500 |
| October 16 | 24500 | 35000 | 19300 |
| October 17 | 24000 | 33300 | |
| October 18 | 46000 | 27500 | |
| October 19 | 16000 | 58500 | 25600 |
| October 20 | 28000 | 37000 | 28000 |
| October 21 | 22500 | 43500 | 15700 |
| October 22 | 28500 | 39000 | |
| October 23 | 32000 | 44500 | 31500 |
| October 24 | 44500 | 31500 | |
| October 25 | 21500 | 38500 | 15000 |
| October 26 | 34000 | ||
| October 27 | 20200 | 28000 | |
| October 28 | 42000 | 16000 | |
| October 29 | 17000 | 42000 | 14100 |
| October 30 | 16200 | ||
| October 31 | 19000 | 31200 | |
| November 1st | 25000 | ||
| November 2 | |||
| November 3 | |||
| November 4 | |||
| November 5 | 34600 | ||
| November 6 | |||
| November 7 | 22500 | ||
| November 8 | 25000 |
- Date Modified: