Are snow geese the only wildlife affected?
There are indications that snow goose overabundance is already impacting other sub-Arctic and Arctic wildlife. Initial studies suggest that some species of nesting birds in the areas where severe damage has occurred have experienced direct loss of nesting habitat, and the drastic changes in the plant communities have likely caused significant changes in the food base as well. There are indications that a number of bird species that nest in the same areas as the snow geese are declining, including the semi-palmated sandpiper, red-necked phalarope, dowitchers, Hudsonian godwit, whimbrel, stilt sandpiper, yellow rail, American wigeon, northern shoveler, oldsquaw, red-breasted merganser, parasitic jaeger, and Lapland longspur, among others. The James Bay population of Canada geese is declining presumably because of habitat degradation caused by snow geese. In addition to problems on the sub-Arctic and Arctic nesting grounds, high numbers of snow geese could pose a health threat to other bi
