Individually tracked geese follow peaks of temperature acceleration during spring migration

Do Arctic breeding geese track or overtake a green wave during spring migration?

Geese breeding in the Arctic have to do so in a short time-window while having sufficient body reserves. Hence, arrival time and body condition upon arrival largely influence breeding success. The green wave hypothesis posits that geese track a successively delayed spring flush of plant development on the way to their breeding sites. The green wave has been interpreted as representing either th...

Energetics and Time Allocation of Cackling Canada Geese during Spring

We compared the observed daily time allocation of cackling geese (Branta canadensis minima) during spring with that predicted from estimates of daily energy requirements and measurements of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and intake rates. Cackling geese gained substantial energy and protein reserves at staging areas in California before migration to Alaska in April and after arrival in Ala...

Skipping the Baltic: the emergence of a dichotomy of alternative spring migration strategies in Russian barnacle geese.

1. Since the early 1990s, an increasing proportion of barnacle geese, Branta leucopsis, bound for breeding sites in the Russian Arctic delay their departure from the wintering quarters in the Wadden Sea by 4 weeks. These late-migrating geese skip spring stopover sites in the Baltic traditionally used by the entire population. 2. Individual geese from an arctic colony tracked by satellite or lig...

Migratory Herbivorous Waterfowl Track Satellite-Derived Green Wave Index

Many migrating herbivores rely on plant biomass to fuel their life cycles and have adapted to following changes in plant quality through time. The green wave hypothesis predicts that herbivorous waterfowl will follow the wave of food availability and quality during their spring migration. However, testing this hypothesis is hampered by the large geographical range these birds cover. The satelli...

Acceleration of Low - temperature Bainite