Evaluating satellite and conventional VHF telemetry to document molt migration of giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) from southeastern Michigan

Locations of molting areas and timing of movements of molt migrant giant Canada geese have not been described completely due to the lack of an unbiased technique of study. The utility of using satellite and conventional VHF telemetry was evaluated to identify molting locations and document the chronology of molt migration of unsuccessful breeding geese in southeastern Michigan.; Satellite and VHF transmitters provided similar information with regards to departure times, molt sites and return times of molt migrants with birds departing during late May--early June, showing an affinity during the molting period for habitat along the eastern and western coasts of James Bay, the eastern coast of Hudson Bay and the Belcher Islands, and returned to Michigan between September and October.; Satellite transmitters removed temporal and geographic bias and provided reference points for VHF searches while VHF transmitters provided a means of refining PTT location estimates.