Differing migration patterns and year-round habitat-use of allopatric nesting Eastern Tundra Bean Geese (Anser fabalis serrirostris) in East Asia

• Published in: Avian Research
• Main Authors: Fanjuan Meng, Jing Zhang, Chang Li, Qingshan Zhao, Diana Solovyeva, Hansoo Lee, Liding Chen, Lei Cao, Anthony David Fox
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2022
• Subjects: Cropland feeding; Diurnal habitat-use; GPS/GSM; Telemetry; Migration duration; Migration stopovers; Zoology; QL1-991; Arctic; Anadyr; Anadyr’; Chaun; Anadyr'; Anser fabalis; Tundra
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2022.100062; https://doaj.org/article/3404b67a7ffa40ffa097e2484fc61fd6

Sympatric Chinese-wintering Eastern Tundra Bean Geese (Anser fabalis serrirostris, ETBG) breed in two widely separated Arctic areas (Central Russian Arctic and Anadyr region); South Korean-wintering birds (Chaun-South Korea) breed in a third discrete area between these two. Such winter/summer segregation likely structures the population, potentially resulting in distinct migration patterns and habitat-use throughout the annual cycle. We tracked individuals using GPS-GSM transmitters from all three of these geographically discrete ETBG subpopulations to see whether this was the case, testing for differences in migration patterns, seasonal and diurnal habitat-use using remotely sensed land-cover mapping. Mean migration distance of Central Arctic-China and Chaun-South Korea individuals did not differ significantly, but Anadyr-China birds travelled 15–24% further (mean: 1140 km, P < 0.001). Despite this, mean spring migration durations were longest among Central Arctic-China ETBG, significantly longer than Anadyr-China geese, due to significantly longer stopovers, which were significantly longer than Chaun-South Korea birds. Autumn migration duration of Central Arctic-China and Chaun-South Korea individuals was significantly shorter than in spring, with fewer, shorter stopovers. Lack of significant differences in migration and stopover duration or numbers of stopovers between spring and autumn among Anadyr-China ETBG confirms this is a plastic trait, differing between subpopulations responding to prevailing conditions. Migration patterns and habitat-use differed significantly between all three ETBG subpopulations, although all tended to use wetlands more at night and croplands more in daytime in winter, suggesting specific adaptations and responses to differing conditions encountered along their different migration routes. Although untestable, we speculate that differences in habitat-use may affect fitness levels and genetic exchange between subpopulations, but based on our observations, conclude clear ...