LAKE AUDUBON, N.D. - Natural resources specialists from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District’s Garrison Project recently joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, and other partners for a two-day Canada goose banding operation at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, highlighting the importance of interagency collaboration in conserving North America's migratory bird populations.
The annual effort, coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, brought together staff from multiple refuges, state wildlife managers, and other agencies to safely capture, band, and release Canada geese. This year's operation proved especially successful, with crews banding 662 Canada geese over two days - well above the refuge's typical annual total of 150 to 250 birds and likely the largest number banded on Lake Audubon since the early 2000s.
For Neil Kadrmas, USFWS wildlife biologist with Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, the work represents decades of ongoing conservation efforts.
"Audubon National Wildlife Refuge has been banding Canada geese since the 1960s," Kadrmas said. "We band at Audubon to assist the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and the Central Flyway in making management decisions on hunting seasons while improving our understanding of migration routes, survival rates, population size and distribution."
The refuge also has a unique history in Canada goose conservation. Giant Canada geese were once believed to be extinct until they were rediscovered in Minnesota in 1962. Soon afterward, the birds were reintroduced throughout North Dakota, with Audubon National Wildlife Refuge serving as one of the key release sites. Today, the refuge remains an important breeding area and sanctuary for molting geese.
While goose banding provides valuable scientific data, it also depends on strong partnerships among agencies with shared conservation goals.
"Our small staff and limited resources require collaboration with other agencies to accomplish this effort," Kadrmas said. "Working with our partners helps ensure that we can accomplish our goals."
That partnership extends beyond the refuge. For the third consecutive year, natural resources staff from the USACE Garrison Project assisted with the operation, providing additional personnel and field expertise.
"As a former seasonal employee at Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, it's always fun to come back and band geese," said Alicia Bittner, natural resources specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "This was the largest number of birds I've ever helped band. It was a record year in 2025, so it was incredible to break that record again in 2026."
Bittner said bringing USACE employees and seasonal staff into the field alongside refuge personnel strengthens both agencies.
"It means a lot to use my connections with the refuge to get my coworkers and seasonal staff involved in something that's typically outside of normal day-to-day work," she said. "With federal agencies being short staffed, both with permanent staff and seasonals, it's more important now than ever to help each other whenever possible. It's also a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience and build relationships with our partner agencies."
The banding process itself requires extensive planning and coordination. In the days leading up to the operation, refuge staff scout locations where large groups of geese have gathered and identify safe sites to guide birds ashore. On banding day, crews begin before sunrise by locating flocks, checking equipment, assigning roles, and positioning boats, ATVs, and personnel before carefully herding the flightless molting geese into temporary holding pens.
Once captured, crews work efficiently to minimize stress on the birds. Previously banded geese are inspected and released after their information is recorded, while newly captured birds are aged, sexed, fitted with uniquely numbered leg bands, and released back into the wild.
Each band placed on a goose contributes to a growing body of scientific data. When a banded bird is later observed or harvested and the band is reported, researchers gain valuable information about migration routes, survival rates, harvest pressure, population trends and habitat use. That information helps wildlife managers establish science-based hunting regulations while identifying critical habitats that require long-term protection.
The Garrison Project's lands and waters play an important role in those conservation efforts. Located within the Central Flyway, one of North America's major migratory bird corridors, Corps-managed lands provide essential habitat for Canada geese, waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, birds of prey and numerous other wildlife species.
"USACE managed lands and waters provide critical habitat for many different species of migratory birds," Bittner said. "With the help of our partners like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, we can better manage our waters and lands."
Officials also encourage hunters, birdwatchers, photographers and anyone who encounters a banded bird to report the band online. Every report helps researchers better understand bird populations and contributes directly to future conservation decisions.
"Every leg band tells a story and provides critical data for state and federal agencies," Bittner said. "Whether you're a hunter, birder, or photographer, reporting a band helps conserve not only Canada geese but other bird species and their habitats for future generations."
For Kadrmas, that public participation completes the conservation cycle.
"A lot of work goes into banding waterfowl, and the data derived from those encounters are extremely useful for management and conservation," he said. "We encourage anyone who encounters a banded bird to report it. Every report helps ensure healthy waterfowl populations for generations to come."