TY - JOUR
T1 - Using tracking data to assess seasonal habitat use and conflict potential of Greylag Geese in Danish intensive agricultural landscapes
AU - Clausen, Kevin Kuhlmann
AU - Dalby, Lars
AU - Heldbjerg, Henning
AU - Cao, Lei
AU - Fox, Anthony David
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Northern European Greylag Goose Anser anser numbers have increased substantially in the last four decades, as birds have adapted to an increasingly agricultural lifestyle year-round. Recent calls for management actions to reduce goose damage to agricultural crops requires contemporary data on foraging distances and habitat use of the species. In this study, we used Greylag Goose tracking data from two different regions in Denmark to describe seasonal variations in foraging range out from nighttime roosts and habitat use, highlighting crop types and the spatial scale of goose foraging in the landscape. Our analysis demonstrated that during breeding and moulting (February-June), areas affected by goose foraging were limited, confined to habitats/fields in the immediate vicinity of suitable nesting and moulting habitats. During late summer and autumn, average foraging distances gradually increased but never exceeded 6 km from the night roost. Natural habitats were, by far, the most common habitat used by Greylag Geese by night and day, but agricultural fields were also used throughout the annual cycle for diurnal foraging. The potential for conflict existed (although not quantified here) on winter cereals (used September– May), spring cereals (used after sowing in late spring) and reseeded grassland (late winter and early spring). Harvest remains from cereal, sugar beet, potato and maize exploited post-harvest, would not cause economic loss to affected farmers. We conclude that agricultural conflicts between crop production and Greylag Geese are probably restricted to green cereal crops and reseeded grasslands near waterbodies accommodating breeding, moulting and roosting geese.
AB - Northern European Greylag Goose Anser anser numbers have increased substantially in the last four decades, as birds have adapted to an increasingly agricultural lifestyle year-round. Recent calls for management actions to reduce goose damage to agricultural crops requires contemporary data on foraging distances and habitat use of the species. In this study, we used Greylag Goose tracking data from two different regions in Denmark to describe seasonal variations in foraging range out from nighttime roosts and habitat use, highlighting crop types and the spatial scale of goose foraging in the landscape. Our analysis demonstrated that during breeding and moulting (February-June), areas affected by goose foraging were limited, confined to habitats/fields in the immediate vicinity of suitable nesting and moulting habitats. During late summer and autumn, average foraging distances gradually increased but never exceeded 6 km from the night roost. Natural habitats were, by far, the most common habitat used by Greylag Geese by night and day, but agricultural fields were also used throughout the annual cycle for diurnal foraging. The potential for conflict existed (although not quantified here) on winter cereals (used September– May), spring cereals (used after sowing in late spring) and reseeded grassland (late winter and early spring). Harvest remains from cereal, sugar beet, potato and maize exploited post-harvest, would not cause economic loss to affected farmers. We conclude that agricultural conflicts between crop production and Greylag Geese are probably restricted to green cereal crops and reseeded grasslands near waterbodies accommodating breeding, moulting and roosting geese.
KW - Crop damage
KW - Foraging distance
KW - GPS
KW - Waterfowl
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85212405641&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10344-024-01884-2
DO - 10.1007/s10344-024-01884-2
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1612-4642
VL - 71
JO - European Journal of Wildlife Research
JF - European Journal of Wildlife Research
M1 - 6
ER -