Using δ 2 H stable isotope analysis to identify the origin of a first winter Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis caught in Norway

• Published in: Ornis Norvegica
• Main Authors: Molværsmyr, Sindre, Fox, Anthony David
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; Storøya
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/a8fa46a0-4cbc-4dd8-a39a-1561ebc44263; https://doi.org/10.15845/on.v43i0.2953

We analysed hydrogen stable isotopes (δ 2 H) in first generation median wing covert feathers sampled from a free-flying first winter Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis caught at Storøya, Norway in late April 2019. Highly depleted δ 2 H values corresponded to those predicted if these feathers were grown in the Russian Arctic breeding areas of this species, too highly depleted compared to predicted values for a bird raised in captivity in Norway or elsewhere in western Europe. Although these data do not provide irrefutable proof of the individual’s wild origin, they strongly suggest that even records outside the normal range for this species can potentially constitute a genuinely wild-reared individual.