During the summer of 1999, scientists from Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Department of Interior attached satellite transmitters to 22 Canada geese in Newfoundland, Labrador and Greenland.

In August, 2000, the same scientists tagged 24 new geese in Newfoundland and Labrador for the study's next generation. Researchers are observing 14 geese in Churchill Falls, Lab., six in Goose Bay, Lab. and four in St. Anthony, Nfld. We are most interested in the movements of the Churchill Falls birds to see whether or not they stage in Prince Edward Island.

Geese are captured and tagged on breeding areas during the summer when they are flightless. A helicopter is used much like a sheepdog to move the birds into nets that funnel them into a holding area. A transmitter with a small antenna is then attached to the bird's back using a flexible, durable Teflon harness. For an eight hour period every third day, the transmitter sends a signal every 65 seconds. The signals are picked up by French Argos satellites. This three day cycle continues until the battery wears down - an estimated 18 months.

A GIS specialist takes data from the satellite to create the maps you see on this site.

The signal is fed to a receiver and transferred by the Internet to the researchers' laboratory at Cornell University where the data is analysed and then forwarded to a geographic information systems (GIS) specialist at Ducks Unlimited Canada's national headquarters north of Winnipeg, Man.

The movements of the geese tagged in 2000 are being plotted onto more detailed maps than in 1999. Their coordinates will be available right down to the nearest city, town, waterway or road.

Track the day-by-day movements of birds tagged in 1999 and the next generation in 2000.