Scope for waterfowl to speed up migration to a warming Arctic

Hans Linssen (), Thomas K. Lameris, Michiel P. Boom, Rascha J. M. Nuijten, Nelleke H. Buitendijk, Adriaan M. Dokter, Barwolt S. Ebbinge, Götz Eichhorn, Jan Geisler, Trinus Haitjema, Andrea Kölzsch, Helmut Kruckenberg, Jutta Leyrer, Jesper Madsen, Carl Mitchell, Sander Moonen, Gerhard J. D. M. Müskens, Kees H. T. Schreven, Lisa Vergin, Tom S. L. Versluijs, Judy Z. Shamoun-Baranes, E. Emiel van Loon and Bart A. Nolet
Additional contact information
Hans Linssen: University of Amsterdam
Thomas K. Lameris: University of Groningen
Michiel P. Boom: University of Amsterdam
Rascha J. M. Nuijten: Future for Nature Foundation
Nelleke H. Buitendijk: University of Amsterdam
Adriaan M. Dokter: Cornell University
Barwolt S. Ebbinge: Wageningen University & Research
Götz Eichhorn: Michael-Otto-Institut im NABU
Jan Geisler: University of Amsterdam
Trinus Haitjema: Independent Researcher
Andrea Kölzsch: Radboud University
Helmut Kruckenberg: Institute for Wetlands and Waterbird Research e.V.
Jutta Leyrer: Michael-Otto-Institut im NABU
Jesper Madsen: Aarhus University
Carl Mitchell: Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
Sander Moonen: Wageningen University & Research
Gerhard J. D. M. Müskens: Wageningen University & Research
Kees H. T. Schreven: University of Amsterdam
Lisa Vergin: Michael-Otto-Institut im NABU
Tom S. L. Versluijs: University of Groningen
Judy Z. Shamoun-Baranes: University of Amsterdam
E. Emiel van Loon: University of Amsterdam
Bart A. Nolet: University of Amsterdam

Nature Climate Change, 2025, vol. 15, issue 10, 1107-1114

Abstract: Abstract Climate change is causing an earlier onset of spring, requiring migratory birds to accelerate their spring migration to avoid arriving late at the breeding grounds. This acceleration hinges on the capacity to shorten the time spent building energy reserves (fuelling) for migratory flight, which is currently thought to be very limited. Combining multiyear global-positioning-system tracking and body mass data from five large-bodied Arctic-breeding waterfowl species, we demonstrate that there is considerable scope for the studied species to migrate faster by shortening the fuelling time, either before departure or at stopovers. With the exception of one species (brent goose), populations were able to largely or fully offset their spring departure date with subsequent fuelling time en route. Still, under the current rates of Arctic warming, this may allow them to mediate only a few more decades of spring advance by migrating faster.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02419-6

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