Establishing effective wetland sanctuaries for waterfowl is a crucial step in mitigating the loss of their habitats and the decline of their populations. Previous reserve plans have primarily focused on waterbirds at wintering and breeding grounds, prioritizing them due to their extended stopover times and larger populations. By analyzing the preferences of wetland waterbirds for stopover sites and understanding the natural conditions and human activity patterns in these areas, we can make informed decisions to optimize waterbird conservation networks and effectively manage protected areas. During waterfowl migration, stopover sites serve as vital nodes within the conservation network. To study this, we selected geese as the primary species of interest and collected collar tracking data from 29 geese. The data analysis focused on their habitat preferences at stopover sites along the autumn migration route from Khukh Lake in Mongolia to the mouth of the Yalu River estuary in northeast China. We also examined changes in geese activity frequency across different distances around the wetlands. Based on the stopover data, we identified a total of 63 stopover sites and conducted a comprehensive analysis of the natural conditions and human activities present at these locations. Our study showings revealed that geese consider not only lakes and marshes but also bare ground and grassland within a 250-meter radius as important habitats. When the intensity of human activities is low at these stopover sites, geese have a preference for areas characterized by fertile soil and abundant food resources. However, as human activity intensity increases, the vegetation conditions at the resting places improve, offering shelter to the geese and attracting more of them to rest. When the human activity in the resting place is low, geese tend to choose fertile soil and food-rich area as their resting place, while when the intensity of human activity increases, the vegetation condition of the resting place can provide shelter for geese and attract more geese to use the area as their resting place. Therefore, the study suggests that waterfowl resting place protection zones should be increased in important waterfowl migration corridors, and the design of the protection zones should strengthen the habitat protection around the wetlands according to the activity frequency of key protection objects, and reduce the negative impact of human activities around the waterfront on the resting place of geese. At the same time, waterfowl protection areas should be established in areas with high intensity of human activities, and the protection of vegetation should also be strengthened, and vegetation restoration should be carried out around the resting places with high frequency of waterfowl use, so that migratory birds can survive well in the migration corridor.