Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Loonen M.J.J.E., Zijlstra M. & Van Eerden M.R. (1991) Timing of wing moult in Greylag Geese Anser anser in relation to the availability of their food plants. ARDEA 79 (2): 253-259
The moulting period of Greylag Geese in the Oostvaardersplassen, The Netherlands, coincides with a period of rapid growth in their food plant Phragmites australis. During moult there is a continuous decrease in quantity and quality of the available food stock. As a consequence of food shortage, a large number of late arriving Greylags did not moult in the Oostvaardersplassen, but showed a reversed migration back to Scandinavia. The significance of this phenomenon is discussed in relation to the phenology of the food plants at different sites in Europe.


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