Satellite Telemetry Data for Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) Captured on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2013-2017

Unique identifier for each individual bird used in the study depicted by the last 4 digits of the 20-digit transmitter serial number.

20-digit serial number of each transmitter assigned by the manufacturer.

Calculated latitude (WGS84) of the GPS location recorded in decimal degrees.

Calculated longitude (WGS84) of the GPS location recorded in decimal degrees.

Horizontal dilution of precision calculated from the position of the satellites used to estimate the GPS position. There are no units to this measurement. It is the trace of a noise variance-covariance matrix and is functionally equivalent to a sensitivity measure. High values of Hdop indicate position estimates with a higher likelihood of positional error.

Ground speed that individual was travelling at the time of GPS fix.

Unique identifier for each individual bird used in the study depicted by the last 4 digits of the 20-digit transmitter serial number.

20-digit serial number of each transmitter assigned by the manufacturer.

General location name in northern Alaska where birds were originally marked.

A unique identifier for a nest discovered within the study area for a given year. The nest number or ID is the concatenation of the three initials of the observer originally finding the nest, with a unique number identifying a nest discovered by that individual researcher. Thus, each observer would have nests with their initials and starting at 001 through the total number of nests found for the year (regardless of species). Nest identifiers are only unique within years. In cases where the same observer returned in subsequent years, nest numbers would have been repeated.

Alphabetic (“alpha”) codes are abbreviations of English or scientific bird developed by IBP (Institute for Bird Populations). The set of four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes reflect current American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) taxonomy and nomenclature in their check-list (AOU 1998) and subsequent supplements (AOU 2000-2014). These codes are required by USGS, Bird Banding Laboratory, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center for all banding and marking studies. For example: COEI - common eider; SPEI - spectacled eider; KIEI - king eider; STEI - Steller's eider; GRSC - greater scaup; LTDU - long-tailed duck (formerly OLDS – oldsquaw).

Age (year Class) is represented as age (year) codes specified by the USGS, Bird Banding Laboratory, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Age is determined by feather plumage coloration, pattern, or feather wear of specific feather tracks. For this dataset, all birds were after second year (ASY), After second year, which is a bird known to have hatched earlier than the calendar year preceding the year of banding; year of hatch otherwise unknown. Example: Banded 1997 - Hatched 1995 or earlier.

Band number. Unique 8 or 9-digit number stamped on a metal leg band issued by the U.S. Geological Survey, Bird Banding Lab, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Patuxent, Maryland. Bands generally begin with a 3-4 digit prefix followed by a 5 digit suffix, e.g., 1347-59381. The initial capture and banding event and associated band number are reported to the USGS Bird Banding Laboratory in the year of banding and all banding and encounter data can be obtained from the Bird Banding Laboratory.

Two or three-digit alpha numeric code in white stamped onto a red neck collar on the bird that also held the GPS transmitter.