Data from: Agricultural pastures challenge the attractiveness of natural saltmarsh for a migratory goose ...

• Main Authors: Dokter, Adriaan M., Fokkema, Wimke, Ebbinge, Barwolt S., Olff, Han, Van Der Jeugd, Henk P., Nolet, Bart A.
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2019
• Subjects: human-goose conflict; fuelling; accelerometer; GPS tracking; Pastures; Habitat switching; Branta bernicla bernicla; Lolium perenne; brent geese; Intertidal; Branta bernicla
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.j8cm402; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.j8cm402

1. Broad-scale land conversions and fertilizer use have dramatically altered the available staging area for herbivorous long-distance migrants. Instead of natural land, these birds rely increasingly on pastures for migratory fuelling and stopover, often conflicting with farming practices. To be able to predict and manage birds’ future habitat use, the relative advantages and disadvantages of natural (e.g. saltmarsh, intertidal) versus anthropogenic staging sites for foraging need to be understood. 2. We compared the migratory staging of brent geese on saltmarsh and pasture sites in spring. Food quality (nitrogen and fibre content), intra-specific antagonistic behaviour, and body weight were quantified at nearby sites in simultaneous seasons. Individuals were tracked with high-resolution GPS and accelerometers to compare timing of migration and time-budgets during fuelling. 3. On pastures, birds rested more and experienced higher ingestion rates, similar or superior food quality and reduced antagonistic ... : DOI: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6b55m22Observational and plant sampling data for the pasture site (Terschelling island, the Netherlands) can be found in Dyrad associated to an earlier publication by the authors: Data from: Body reserves persist as fitness correlate in a long-distance migrant released from food constraints. Dokter AM, Fokkema W, Bekker SK, Bouten W, Ebbinge BS, Müskens GJDM, Olff H, van der Jeugd HP, Nolet BA. Date Published: February 15, 2018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6b55m22Field observations of defecations and antagonistic interactionsField observations of defecations and antagonistic interactions of dark-bellied brent geese on the saltmarsh of Schiermonnikoog islandbehavioural_observations_schiermonnikoog.csvBiometry of dark-bellied brent geeseBiometry of dark-bellied brent geese captured on Terschelling island and Schiermonnikoog island in May 2012, as deposited in the geese.org database (accessed 24 Feb 2016).biometrics_brent_geese.csvGPS and accelerometer data for ...