Global warming causes spring onset to advance, especially in the Arctic. Migratory animals may respond by advancing their phenology or colonising colder areas where spring starts later. The role of climate change in range expansion can be both driving (making traditional areas suboptimal) and facilitating (making new areas suitable). Recently, Pink-footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) from Svalbard showed extreme range expansion by colonising the colder Novaya Zemlya as breeding ground, involving a new migration route. We examine potential costs and benefits associated with breeding in this new area. We use GPS-tracking, long-term population monitoring and remote sensing, to compare spring onset, migration timing and breeding performance between both flyways, and to evaluate how spring onset affects different reproductive stages in both breeding areas in these capital breeders. The traditional route showed challenges for migration timing, as spring had advanced in Svalbard (while arrival date had not kept up) but not on stopovers, and recently, early spring on Svalbard correlated with late spring on stopovers. On new stopovers, spring did advance. Spring was later in Novaya Zemlya than Svalbard, yet arrival dates were similar. In Novaya Zemlya, egg laying occurred later than in Svalbard, but still earlier relative to local spring onset (e.g. snowmelt and green-up), suggesting a smaller mismatch. The period between arrival and egg laying was longer in Novaya Zemlya than Svalbard, but breeding performance was similar. Finally, on the new route, geese were larger and (relatively) heavier than on the traditional route, thus possibly carrying larger capital body stores to cover harsher pre-laying periods. Our results suggest that colonising new breeding areas enables populations to regain phenological match with the environment, especially when advancement of migration timing was limited. Still, breeding in a colder area may require more parental investment, such as body stores. Thus, a benefit for offspring comes at a cost for parents. This mechanism can cause climate change to drive and facilitate colonisation especially in individuals capable of large investments. Consequently, variation in individual quality leads to heterogeneous effects of climate change within a population. These processes may play at the 'cold' edge of any range shift.

When and where to move is a fundamental decision to migratory birds, and the fitness‐related costs and benefits of migratory choices make them subject to strong selective forces. Site use and migration routes are outcomes of opportunities in the surrounding landscape, and the optimal migration strategy may be conservative or explorative depending on the variability in the environment occupied by the species. This study applies 25 years of resighting data to examine development in winter migration strategy of pink‐footed geese divided among Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, and analyse potential drivers of strategy change as well as individuals’ likelihood to break with migratory tradition. Contrary with the general notion that geese are highly traditional in their winter site use, our results reveal that winter migration strategy is highly dynamic in this species, with an average annual probability of changing strategy of 54%. Strategy was not related to hunting pressure or winter temperature, but could be partly explained by a tracking of food resources in a landscape of rapid land use changes. The probability of individuals changing strategy from year to year varied considerably between birds, and was partly related to sex and age, with young males being the most likely to change. The annual probability of changing wintering strategy increased substantially from ≈40% to ≈60% during the study period, indicating an increasingly explorative behaviour. Our findings demonstrate that individual winter strategies are very flexible and able to change over time, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity and cultural transmission are important drivers of strategy choice in this species. Growing benefits from exploratory behaviours, including the ability to track rapid land use changes, may ultimately result in increased resilience to global change.

An International Species Management Plan for the Svalbard population of the pink-footed goose was adopted under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds in 2012, the first case of adaptive management of a migratory waterbird population in Europe. An international working group (including statutory agencies, NGO representatives and experts) agreed on objectives and actions to maintain the population in favourable conservation status, while accounting for biodiversity, economic and recreational interests. Agreements include setting a population target to reduce agricultural conflicts and avoid tundra degradation, and using hunting in some range states to maintain stable population size. As part of the adaptive management procedures, adjustment to harvest is made annually subject to population status. This has required streamlining of monitoring and assessment activities. Three years after implementation, indicators suggest the attainment of management results. Dialogue, consensus-building and engagement among stakeholders represent the major process achievements.

The most important wintering area for wild geese in Flanders (Belgium) is situated in the Oostkustpolders between Brugge, Oostende and Knokke. After their discovery in 1958 the geese have been intensively studied. Some of the long term monitoring results are summarised in view of the relations between the two most numerous species, Greater White-fronted Goose and Pink-footed Goose. The significant increase of the maximum numbers of both species in Flanders over almost half a century is related to their growing breeding populations. Hard winters (especially 1962/63 and 1978/79) played a role in the ‘discovery’ of this region by arctic geese and its subsequent use as southernmost wintering ground. Also the national shooting ban on geese since 1981 has influenced a number of behavioural aspects, such as a more efficient habitat use and above all the increased presence of geese over a larger polder area. The phenology of both species (arrival, winter maxima and departure) is significantly different in some aspects as is their trend in habitat use. An increasing (but still temporary) presence upon cropland probably partly results from changes in agricultural practice followed by adaptation in feeding habits, especially for Pink-footed Geese. Unless temporal and spatial long-term changes show differences for both species it is not always clear whether this is related to interspecific competition. Several data illustrate that large concentrations of both species avoid each other, rather than completely intermixing. This segregation can be achieved by shifting temporal patterns such as date of peak numbers or by different preferences of core areas in the course of the winter. The running neckring programs for Pink-footed Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese allow to collect data on the migration patterns and dynamics of local and regional movements. For Flanders we realised the collection of 5,000–8,000 resightings annually, most of Pink-footed Geese. The analysis of these data clearly illustrates different patterns and strategies of both species. Site fidelity is highest in Pink-footed Geese both at flyway level and within wintering areas; Greater White-fronted Geese are more mobile and frequently move between different staging sites in a region or in Flanders. Also at flyway level the more traditional and limited number of staging areas of Pink-footed Geese is in contrast to the widespread Greater White-fronted Geese. To conclude, differences in phenology, mobility and habitat selection between Pink-footed Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese exist and illustrate some mechanism of mutual avoidance or segregation.

ABSTRACT Feeding on farmland by overwintering populations of pink‐footed geese ( Anser brachyrhynchus ) conflicts with agricultural interests in Northern Europe. In order to forecast the potential future of this conflict, we used generalized linear models to relate the presence and absence of pink‐footed geese to variables describing the contemporary landscape, and predicted their future distributions in relation to two land‐use scenarios for the year 2050. One future scenario represented a global, economically orientated world (A1) and the other represented a regional, environmentally concerned world (B2). The probability of goose occurrence increased within cropland and grassland, and could be explained by their proximity to coast, elevation, and the degree of habitat closure. Predictions to future scenarios revealed noticeable shifts in the suitability of goose habitat evident at the local and regional scale in response to future shifts in land use. In particular, as grasslands and croplands give way to unsuitable land‐use types (e.g. woody biofuel crops, increased urbanization, and forest) under both future scenarios, our models predicted a decrease in habitat suitability for geese. If coupled with continued goose population expansion, we expect that the agricultural conflict will intensify under the A1 and particularly the B2 scenarios.

An earlier onset of spring has been recorded for many parts of Eurasia in recent decades. This has consequences for migratory species, both in changing the conditions encountered by individuals on reaching migratory sites and in affecting cues regulating the timing of migration where decisions to migrate are influenced by local environmental variables. Here we examine the timing of spring migration for two arctic goose populations, the pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus (during 1990-2003) and barnacle goose Branta leucopsis (during 1982-2003), which both breed on Svalbard. The satellite-derived Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to express the onset of spring at their wintering and spring staging sites. Pink-footed geese use several sites during spring migration, ranging from the southernmost wintering areas in Belgium to two spring staging areas in Norway, and distances between sites used along the flyway are relatively short. There was a positive correlation in the onset of spring between neighbouring sites, and the geese migrated earlier in early springs. Barnacle geese, on the other hand, have a long overseas crossing from their wintering grounds in Britain to spring staging areas in Norway. Although spring advanced in both regions, there was no corresponding correlation in the timing of onset of spring between their wintering and spring staging sites, and little evidence for barnacle geese migrating earlier over the whole study period. Hence, where geese can use spring conditions at one site as an indicator of the conditions they might encounter at the next, they have responded quickly to the advancement of spring, whereas in a situation where they cannot predict, they have not yet responded, despite the advancement of spring in the spring staging area.

The government of Flanders (northern part of Belgium) has the ambition to reach 6 % of the electricity supply from renewable sources like wind energy by 2010. Many wind farms are planned in the near future. In September 2000, the circular letter EME/2000.01 of the Flemish government was produced, outlining the criteria and pre-conditions for the construction of wind farms. Based on the circular letter, a “wind plan” was established for the Flemish part of Belgium (VUB & ODE Vlaanderen 2001). This wind plan can produce useful information on spatial and wind-technical feasibility of specific projects. Additionally, a bird atlas (see further) can also be used to evaluate the proposed or potential wind farm areas in relation to nature values (Everaert et al. 2003). In 2006, a new circular letter EME/2006/01 was made which replaced the older version (Vlaamse regering 2006). The authorities have the obligation by official order to strictly apply the current circular letter.

141 As a damaging factor to biodiversity, the ongoing worldwide expansion of 'alien species' has become an increasing concern. Proper control and management are needed. The Canada Goose, a North American waterbird, was introduced in the 17th century in Western Europe where it developed naturalised populations. In Flanders the rapidly increasing feral population causes damage to nature reserves, recreation sites and (to a lesser extent) agriculture.

Intensification of agriculture since the 1950s has enhanced the availability, competitive ability, crude protein content, digestibility and extended growing seasons of forage grasses. Spilled cereal grain also provides a rich food source in autumn and in winter. Long-distance migratory herbivorous geese have rapidly exploited these feeding opportunities and most species have shown expansions in range and population size in the last 50 years. Results of long-term studies are presented from two Arctic-breeding populations, the Svalbard pink-footed goose and the Greenland white-fronted goose (GWFG). GWFGs have shown major habitat shifts since the 1950s from winter use of plant storage organs in natural wetlands to feeding on intensively managed farmland. Declines in local density on, and abandonment of, unmodified traditional wintering habitat and increased reproductive success among those birds wintering on farmland suggest that density-dependent processes were not the cause of the shift in this wintersitefaithful population. Based on enhanced nutrient and energy intake rates, we argue that observed shifts in both species from traditionally used natural habitats to intensively managed farmland on spring staging and wintering areas have not necessarily been the result of habitat destruction. Increased food intake rates and potential demographic benefits resulting from shifts to highly profitable foraging opportunities on increasingly intensively managed farmland, more likely explain increases in goose numbers in these populations. The geographically exploratory behaviour of subdominant individuals enables the discovery and exploitation of new winter feeding opportunities and hence range expansion. Recent destruction of traditional habitats and declines in farming at northern latitudes present fresh challenges to the well being of both populations. More urgently, Canada geese colonizing breeding and moulting habitats of white-fronted geese in Greenland are further affecting their reproductive output.

Through Resolution 6.9, the Meeting of the Parties recognised the potential impacts to migratory seabirds resulting from the ingestion of plastics, microplastics and other forms of marine litter (marine debris), recalled the CMS Resolutions 10.4 and 11.30 on marine debris, requiring Parties to work collectively and with the relevant Regional Seas Conventions on reducing the impacts of marine debris on migratory species and requested the Technical Committee, subject to the availability of financial and in-kind resources, in consultation with CMS, to assess any threats posed to migratory seabirds listed by AEWA from the ingestion of plastics, of microplastics and other forms of marine litter (marine debris) and to provide advice on appropriate responses in this regard to the Meeting of Parties.

During the twentieth century, many coastal areas in Europe changed dramatically due to coastal protection works, human expansion drift and booming beach tourism. As a result the natural area of suitable nesting habitat of many coastal birds has decreased enormously and a large number of species are now listed as threatened. Some species were able to exploit new opportunities offered by human activities, but most coastal birds are now confined to islands, protected areas or artificial sites (nature development projects, restored coastal habitats and even floating rafts). Protection of local resources, as well as further development and management of breeding sites is considered vital in maintaining the populations of threatened coastal breeders. The rationale behind nature restoration and development is often solely based on offering suitable habitat to the birds, while its success is mainly judged from the evolution in the number of birds present. As more and more information becomes available on the reproductive performance of coastal birds, it becomes clear that in some protected areas long-term reproductive success is below self-sustaining levels. Apparently humans are able to create artificial nesting habitats that are highly attractive from the birds’ perspective but are in fact pitfalls for the population in the long term. In contrast, the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, is an excellent example of an artificial nesting habitat of high quality in terms of attraction as well as reproduction. Here, vast sandy areas were raised in a former marine habitat in the 1980s. The works mimicked natural dynamic processes and coastal breeding birds instantly reacted. Within 20 years, the area has developed from open sea to a breeding site of major international importance. Peak population figures by far exceed the 1% of the total biogeographical population. At present, Zeebrugge harbours more than 4% of the total north-west European Common Tern population, thus making it the largest colony in Europe. It is a highly productive population and acts as a major source of recruits for the biogeographical population as a whole. Until recently, the success of the bird populations was based on the ongoing creation of suitable nesting habitats and management measures, like removal of the vegetation and covering areas with shell fragments. Further development of the harbour, the arrival of the fox and competition for nesting habitat with large gulls are major threats for the bird population. Therefore part of the colony was allocated to a peninsula and further steps are now being considered to preserve this valuable population. Apparently feeding conditions are very good and the harbour itself and its direct surroundings function as a major source of small prey fish of which the availability is facilitated by the heavy shipping traffic and the sheltered conditions of the feeding areas.