JTweedie
Well-known member
Observations of a new migration route and breeding grounds for Pink-footed Geese have been established. Birds that would normally move between Belgium/Netherlands/Denmark to Svalbard via Norway have now set up a new migration route across Sweden, Finland to Novaya Zemlya, Russia.
It's thought that anthropogenic factors are involved such as change in land use, as well as competition from Barnacle Geese, and a warming climate in Novaya Zemlya has made this new island a new breeding site. The authors speculate that the birds may have followed Bean Geese to Russia. They say this could be a developing speciation event and could see this species divided into three main breeding groups, with two eastern groups and the one western group.
Research PDF
It's thought that anthropogenic factors are involved such as change in land use, as well as competition from Barnacle Geese, and a warming climate in Novaya Zemlya has made this new island a new breeding site. The authors speculate that the birds may have followed Bean Geese to Russia. They say this could be a developing speciation event and could see this species divided into three main breeding groups, with two eastern groups and the one western group.
Research PDF
