Refuge Notebook

Geese Thought Extinct Rediscovered

Aleutian cackling geese, historically abundant on islands in Alaska’s Aleutian Chain, were thought by many to be extinct after fur farmers dropped off foxes on their nesting islands. The free-roaming foxes survived by eating the geese and other island birds.

Not until 1962 when Bob Jones, then Aleutian Islands Refuge manager, and his assistant Vern Berns landed with a dory on fox-free, tiny Buldir Island did the world learn that Aleutian cackling geese survived.

Here are Jones’ field notes from the day he and Berns found the geese on Buldir Island in the western Aleutian Islands of the now Alaska Maritime Refuge. In 1963 they returned to capture some goslings for a captive flock to rebuild the population.

25 June 1962 - Buldir Island

". . . progressed to Buldir {Island] and landed. A trip was then made by dory around the island. 56 Canada geese (now called Aleutian cackling geese) observed. These were flying off the high steep sea cliffs. They were apparently evenly distributed around the island. [Saw] 3 sea otters (female) with pups, 1 sea otter that appeared to be a male. Very large colonies of pelagic birds, especially tufted and horned puffins, murres, kitty wakes, glaucous-winged gulls. Also present ancient murrelets, winter wrens, song sparrow, rosy finch, pelagic cormorant, common eider, 1 pair bald eagles.

"On the landing beach and all around island were large numbers of sea lions hauled out. Numbers could well exceed 10,000. One old bull used the beach in front of our tent and we could hear him puffing and snorting all night."

11 July 1963 - Buldir Island

"Found 120 adult geese on the big lake. 5 goslings. These we caught as they left the lake and started down the sea cliff."

12 July 1963

"Went to area near northwest point where goslings [were] caught last year and tagged and found adults, no goslings."

13 July 1963

"By dory to east cape. Put party ashore to check area nearby where wide beach contour on chart showed lake. Four or five moulting adult geese present and apparently two broods. Caught six. So far goslings responding well to handling. Eating F&M chow readily. Using Therm-X heater to keep their tent warm & dry. Wx [weather] turned sour and rained hard most of night."

14 July 1963

"Went up Avalanche where least & crested auklets & [word unreadable] puffins nest. Caught one brood of three (small) and four of another brood of five [geese]. Whenever we begin to encounter goose droppings we seem to find geese & from range of droppings their radius of activity is small. Alex reports four on pond we visited the 12^th."

— Bob ‘Sea Otter’ Jones

Last updated:September 8, 2008