How to translate text using browser tools
1 December 2017 Body Mass Dynamics of Pink-Footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) During Stopover on Autumn Migration in Norway
Ove M. Gundersen, Kevin K. Clausen, Jesper Madsen
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Body mass accumulation is a widely used measure of waterfowl condition and predictor of fitness. So far, however, post-breeding changes in body mass affecting autumn and winter condition have been largely unexplored. Here, changes in body mass of Pink-footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) were investigated during an autumn stopover in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. Average juvenile body mass varied from year to year, ranging from 1,976–2,286 g and 2,154–2,404 g for females and males, respectively, and was affected by May temperature on the breeding grounds—a proxy for onset of the breeding season. Average adult body mass did not vary between years. During the stopover, juveniles of both sexes increased their body mass substantially (11.4 ± 2.8 g/day), while adult birds showed sex-specific differences. Adult males took on an average of 6.1 ± 2.4 g/day, whereas adult females showed no increase during the period. One explanation of this might relate to sex-specific behaviors in the preceding brood-rearing period. In addition, arrival from the breeding grounds was earlier for non-breeders compared to family groups. Our findings indicate that annual variation in body mass, as well as body mass changes during an autumn stopover, may differ considerably between age and sex classes of Pink-footed Geese.

Ove M. Gundersen, Kevin K. Clausen, and Jesper Madsen "Body Mass Dynamics of Pink-Footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) During Stopover on Autumn Migration in Norway," Waterbirds 40(4), 353-362, (1 December 2017). https://doi.org/10.1675/063.040.0407
Received: 9 March 2017; Accepted: 1 July 2017; Published: 1 December 2017
KEYWORDS
Anser brachyrhynchus
body mass
energy accumulation
fitness
migration
Norway
phenology
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top