Arkansas Project: Impacts of Egyptian Goose and other invasive aquatic avifauna

Arkansas Project

Impacts of Egyptian Goose and other invasive aquatic avifauna

August 2021 - August 2023

Personnel

Caleb Roberts, Principal Investigator

Participating Agencies

Arkansas Game and Fish Commisssion

Globally, invasive species are one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity and agricultural losses. Motivating and implementing invasive species management before they become overwhelming problems is the most cost effective way to manage invasive species. In Arkansas and many other Southeastern states, Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca), a known pest and invader in Europe, are increasing in abundance and distribution. Here, we seek to 1) synthesize existing scientific literature on the impacts of Egyptian Geese and other invasive aquatic avifauna on native ecosystems and agroecosystems and 2) determine current distribution of Egyptian Goose in Arkansas via field surveys. This project is a collaboration between the Arkansas Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit and Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Results from this project will arm cooperators with the state of knowledge on impacts of invasive aquatic birds on native species and ecosystems. It will also provide Arkansas Game & Fish Commission with information to develop management policies for Egyptian Geese.

Research Publications

Research Publications	Publication Date
Jackson RT, Marshall PM, Burkhart C, Schneck J, Kelly G, Roberts CP. Risk of invasive waterfowl interaction with poultry production: understanding potential for avian pathogen transmission via species distribution models. Ecology and Evolution. \| Abstract	July 2024	Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have devastated poultry production across the United States, with more than 77 million birds culled in 2022-2023 alone. Wild waterfowl, including various invasive species, host numerous pathogens, including HPAI, and have been implicated as catalysts of disease outbreaks amongst native fauna and domestic birds. In a state like Arkansas, USA, where poultry production is a major economic activity (>$4 billion USD in 2022), understanding the risk of invasive waterfowl interactions with domestic poultry is critical. Here, we assessed risk of invasive waterfowl-poultry interaction in Arkansas by comparing density of poultry production sites (chicken houses) to areas of high habitat suitability for two invasive waterfowl species, (Egyptian goose [<i>Alopochen aegyptiaca</i>] and mute swan [<i>Cygnus olor</i>]), known to host significant pathogens, including HPAI. The percentage of urban land cover was the most important habitat characteristic for both invasive waterfowl species. At the 95% confidence interval, chicken house densities in areas highly suitable for both species (Egyptian goose = 0.91 ± 0.11 chicken houses/km<sup>2</sup>; mute swan = 0.61 ± 0.03 chicken houses/km<sup>2</sup>) were 3-5 times higher than chicken house densities across the state (0.17 ± 0.01 chicken houses/km<sup>2</sup>). We show that northwestern and western Arkansas, both areas of high importance for poultry production, are also at high risk of invasive waterfowl presence. Our results suggest that targeted monitoring efforts for waterfowl-poultry contact in these areas could help mitigate the risk of avian pathogen exposure in Arkansas and similar regions with high poultry production.

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Arkansas Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources