Managers have assumed that migratory geese regularly interchange among wintering refuges, providing a potential to manage them as a complex. The primary purpose of our study was to determine population affiliation and magnitude of goose movements among 4 national wildlife refuges (NWR) in Tennessee and northern Alabama, thereby assessing the feasibility of this approach. Interchange and population affiliation were examined using neck collar observations from 1977-1998. Population affiliation varied among refuges, with Southern James Bay geese being most common at Wheeler NWR, and Mississippi Valley geese being most common at Reelfoot NWR. Only 5.1% of 11,039 different blue-and orange-collared geese observed at the 4 refuges were observed at more than 1 refuge during the entire study period. Less interchange occurred within individual years of the study; only 1.5% of 13,680 collared geese was observed at more than 1 refuge during a single season, and none were observed on 3 or more refuges. Most interchange occurred between the 2 closest Tennessee refuges, about 50 km apart. However, even this interchange was negligible, not exceeding 2% in any given year and was less than 3.5% throughout the 20-year period. Our findings suggest that Canada geese wintering at these refuges exhibit high site fidelity, and this fidelity should be considered when developing management strategies and setting harvest regulations.
