Data from: Earlier springs increase goose breeding propensity and nesting success at Arctic but not at temperature latitudes ...

• Main Authors: Boom, Michiel, Schreven, Kees, Buitendijk, Nelleke, Moonen, Sander, Nolet, Bart, Eichhorn, Götz, Van Der Jeugd, Henk, Lameris, Thomas
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2023
• Subjects: Climate change; Branta leucopsis; Breeding success; tracking; telemetry; migration; Phenology; FOS Natural sciences; Arctic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m63xsj47x; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.m63xsj47x

1. Intermittent breeding is an important tactic in long-lived species that trade off survival and reproduction to maximize lifetime reproductive success. When breeding conditions are unfavourable, individuals are expected to skip reproduction to ensure their own survival. 2. Breeding propensity (i.e. the probability for a mature female to breed in a given year) is an essential parameter in determining reproductive output and population dynamics, but is not often studied in birds because it is difficult to obtain unbiased estimates. Breeding conditions are especially variable at high latitudes, potentially resulting in a large effect on breeding propensity of Arctic-breeding migratory birds, such as geese. 3. With a novel approach, we used GPS-tracking data to determine nest locations, breeding propensity and nesting success of barnacle geese, and studied how these varied with breeding latitude and timing of arrival on the breeding grounds relative to local onset of spring. 4. Onset of spring at the breeding ... : We collated tracking data (GPS and accelerometer when available) of 96 adult female barnacle geese. This dataset includes geese with various life history tactics, ranging from long-distance migrants breeding in the Arctic (above 66°N) to short-distance migrants and residents in the temperate zone (between 51°N and 66°N). Birds were caught and equipped with GPS-transmitters on the breeding grounds in the Arctic in 2014 and 2018 (N=6; 68°34' N, 52°18' E), on breeding grounds in the temperate zone (residents) in 2015-2018 (N=7; 51°47' N, 4°08' E), and on the wintering grounds in the North of the Netherlands and North Germany in 2016-2020 (N=72). Additionally we retrieved tracking data from Kölzsch et al. (2015) gathered in 2008-2010 (N=11), which is published on movebank.org (van der Jeugd et al., 2014). In winter, geese were caught using cannon-nets, while in summer geese were captured either on the nest using clap-nets or by rounding geese up in a catching pen during the wing moult when geese are flightless. ...