Greater energy stores enable flightless moulting geese to increase resting behaviour

• Main Authors: J. Portugal, Steven, A. Green, Jonathan, Piersma, Theunis, Eichhorn, Götz, J. Butler, Patrick
• Other Authors: Centre for Ornithology, University of Birmingham Birmingham, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Department of Marine Ecology and Evolution, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Animal Ecology Group, University of Groningen Groningen, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE-IPHC), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: structural size; anti-predator behaviour; Barnacle Geese; body mass loss; simultaneous wing moult; storage strategies; envir; socio; Branta leucopsis
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00627004

International audience Many species of waterfowl undergo a post-breeding simultaneous flight feather moult (wing moult) which renders them flightless and vulnerable to predation for up to 4 weeks. Here we present an analysis of the correlations between individual time-budgets and body mass states in 13 captive Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis throughout an entire wing moult. The daily percentage of time spent resting was positively correlated with initial body mass at the start of wing moult. Behaviour of individual birds during wing moult is dependent on initial physiological state, which may in turn be dependent on foraging ability; the storage of energy before the start of wing moult will help birds to reduce exposure to the dangers of predation.