. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 76 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 115. Figure 1. Map showing location of the four Varennes islands (1), Les lies de Contrecoeur National Wildlife Area (2) and the Dow Chemical plant at Varennes (3), Quebec. 1999*). There is also some concern that competition for food between molt-migrant Giant Canada Geese and the migratory sub-species (B. c. interior and B. c. canadensis) on the northern breeding grounds could affect the reproductive output of migratory populations (Ankney 1996; Abraham et al. 1999). Finally, genetic integrity of the diffe
. The Canadian field-naturalist. Natural history. 76 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 115. Figure 1. Map showing location of the four Varennes islands (1), Les lies de Contrecoeur National Wildlife Area (2) and the Dow Chemical plant at Varennes (3), Quebec. 1999*). There is also some concern that competition for food between molt-migrant Giant Canada Geese and the migratory sub-species (B. c. interior and B. c. canadensis) on the northern breeding grounds could affect the reproductive output of migratory populations (Ankney 1996; Abraham et al. 1999). Finally, genetic integrity of the different stocks could be threatened by pairing of resident and migratory geese (Wendt and Boyd 1990). Little is known about the natural establishment of Canada Geese outside their traditional breeding range. In this paper, we document establishment of a breeding flock of Canada Geese near Montreal in southern Quebec. It is unlikely that pre-settlement characteristics of southern Quebec resemble the prairie-like conditions characterizing Giant Canada Geese breeding habitat (Hanson 1965). We also report the origin and morphometric data of a sample of birds and characterize the molt migration of resi- dent Canada Geese to Quebec. We finally propose possible mechanisms by which this establishment occurred, discuss potential consequences, and sug- gest management strategies. Study Area and Methods We conducted our study on four islands near Varennes (45°40' N, 73°27' W) located within the St. Lawrence River, 15 km northeast of Montreal (Figure 1). The four islands included Grande lie ( ha), Masta ( ha), St-Patrice ( ha) and Ile-aux-Fermiers ( ha) for a total of ha. About 100 cows are pastured on the islands between June and November each year (Lapointe et al. 2000). A rotational grazing system was established in 1992: some pastures ( ha) were improved by seeding Timothy (Phleum pratense), Yellow Sweet-clover {Melilotus officinalis), Brome (Bromus inermis) and
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