Patterns of Brood Dispersal and Habitat Use in Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) Goslings: Behavioral and Ecological Insights

Patterns of Brood Dispersal and Habitat Use in Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) Goslings: Behavioral and Ecological Insights | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Patterns of Brood Dispersal and Habitat Use in Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) Goslings: Behavioral and Ecological Insights Mairin A. Murphy, Bryan L. Daniels, Tyler L. Lewis, Benjamin S. Sedinger This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745177/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 May, 2026 Read the published version in Animal Biotelemetry → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Animals make decisions about habitat use that have lifelong implications for survival and fitness. For waterfowl, decisions made between hatching and fledging are especially important, as precocial young must not only grow and complete their molt but also prepare for their first fall migration. Methods To better understand how emperor goose broods navigate heterogenous habitats during the brood rearing period, we deployed GPS transmitters on females with broods to track gosling movements on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. From this GPS data, we determined distance traveled by broods from the nesting site, brood home range size, types of habitats used, and resource selection. These results were compared to previous work on emperor goslings from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Results We found that emperor goose broods stayed within 5km of their nesting site and maintained an average home range of ~ 10km 2 . Both grazing lawn and mudflat habitats were present within their home range but broods preferentially selected grazing lawns. Broods were observed to forage for algae on mudflat and Carex sedges on grazing lawns. Conclusions Our results reveal that grazing lawn remains the most important habitat for brood-rearing emperor geese on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, consistent with past studies; however, broods also appear to regularly forage on green algae present on mudflats when these areas are available during low tide. This is the first-known study that has documented emperor goslings extensively using non-vegetated mudflat habitats, which provide forage while allowing adults to better observe incoming predators and competing species. We also found that females and their broods travel short distances to reach brood-rearing sites and that home range size varied based on individual, not habitat used. Overall, their dependence on grazing lawns, combined with long-term declines in these habitats across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, may have lasting implications on fitness of emperor goose broods. Animal behavior Alaska wetlands breeding ecology habitat selection waterfowl Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementalFiguresMurphy.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 03 May, 2026 Read the published version in Animal Biotelemetry → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 17 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 12 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 11 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 14 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 05 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 29 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7745177","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":535860067,"identity":"ae5c3f64-d754-48d3-9925-bf9390746312","order_by":0,"name":"Mairin A. 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Insights","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"animal-biotelemetry","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"abit","sideBox":"Learn more about [Animal Biotelemetry](http://animalbiotelemetry.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"40317","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/40317/3","title":"Animal Biotelemetry","twitterHandle":"@BioMedCentral","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Animal behavior, Alaska wetlands, breeding ecology, habitat selection, waterfowl","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745177/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745177/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnimals make decisions about habitat use that have lifelong implications for survival and fitness. For waterfowl, decisions made between hatching and fledging are especially important, as precocial young must not only grow and complete their molt but also prepare for their first fall migration.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo better understand how emperor goose broods navigate heterogenous habitats during the brood rearing period, we deployed GPS transmitters on females with broods to track gosling movements on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. From this GPS data, we determined distance traveled by broods from the nesting site, brood home range size, types of habitats used, and resource selection. These results were compared to previous work on emperor goslings from the late 1990s and early 2000s.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe found that emperor goose broods stayed within 5km of their nesting site and maintained an average home range of ~\u0026thinsp;10km\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e. Both grazing lawn and mudflat habitats were present within their home range but broods preferentially selected grazing lawns. Broods were observed to forage for algae on mudflat and \u003cem\u003eCarex\u003c/em\u003e sedges on grazing lawns.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur results reveal that grazing lawn remains the most important habitat for brood-rearing emperor geese on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, consistent with past studies; however, broods also appear to regularly forage on green algae present on mudflats when these areas are available during low tide. This is the first-known study that has documented emperor goslings extensively using non-vegetated mudflat habitats, which provide forage while allowing adults to better observe incoming predators and competing species. We also found that females and their broods travel short distances to reach brood-rearing sites and that home range size varied based on individual, not habitat used. Overall, their dependence on grazing lawns, combined with long-term declines in these habitats across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, may have lasting implications on fitness of emperor goose broods.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Patterns of Brood Dispersal and Habitat Use in Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) Goslings: Behavioral and Ecological Insights","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-28 14:45:55","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7745177/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-11-17T20:05:08+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-12T14:40:37+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-11T19:06:46+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"65076475585250292145838863672222971431","date":"2025-11-07T09:11:01+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"81590378767612792624905613304773167794","date":"2025-10-14T20:00:02+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-14T16:15:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-05T16:16:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-30T09:53:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Animal Biotelemetry","date":"2025-09-29T20:23:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"animal-biotelemetry","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"abit","sideBox":"Learn more about [Animal Biotelemetry](http://animalbiotelemetry.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"40317","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/40317/3","title":"Animal Biotelemetry","twitterHandle":"@BioMedCentral","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"61b6988f-5b55-4278-b826-2ce516b0b657","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 28th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-08T15:19:24+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7745177","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-026-00464-2","journal":{"identity":"animal-biotelemetry","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Animal Biotelemetry"},"publishedOn":"2026-05-03 15:57:46","publishedOnDateReadable":"May 3rd, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-28 14:45:55","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s40317-026-00464-2","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-026-00464-2","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7745177","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7745177","identity":"rs-7745177","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}