Arctic geese in newly colonised, colder breeding areas have higher spring body mass and breed earlier relative to the onset of spring.

ABSTRACT: Global warming causes spring onset to advance, especially in the Arctic. Migratory animals may respond by advancing their phenology or colonising colder areas where spring starts later. The role of climate change in range expansion can be both driving (making traditional areas suboptimal) and facilitating (making new areas suitable). Recently, Pink-footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) from Svalbard showed extreme range expansion by colonising the colder Novaya Zemlya as breeding ground, involving a new migration route. We examine potential costs and benefits associated with breeding in this new area. We use GPS-tracking, long-term population monitoring and remote sensing, to compare spring onset, migration timing and breeding performance between both flyways, and to evaluate how spring onse

SUBMITTER: Schreven KHT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12775555 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature