As part of a PhD Project at Aarhus University, 14 Taiga Bean Geese have been equipped with GPS trackers (OrniTrack-N44) in November 2023 in northeast Denmark. This group of geese, numbering approximately 1500 birds, is part of the Finland and NW Russia/Sweden, Denmark and Germany population (formerly known as the central management unit) of Taiga Bean Geese. They are mostly located in wintering areas in the northeastern part of Denmark, setting them somehow apart from the rest of the population that mainly winters in southern Sweden and southeast Denmark.   

The PhD-Project is part of an adaptive management project that assesses compensatory measures for Taiga Bean Geese in relation to construction of an energy cluster (wind and solar power). The objectives include gaining a deeper understanding of the utilization of different wintering sites by Taiga Bean Geese in northeast Denmark and investigating their habitat use and energy budgets in response to temperature. In the end, the main goal of the project is to investigate if the geese can adapt and sustain their current energetic balance in an altered landscape featuring an energy cluster, in order to secure their local wintering population. This research will provide valuable insights into balancing species conservation with the increasing demand for green energy.

By Lisa Vergin
Photos by Lisa Vergin and Simon S. Christiansen

     Group of Taiga Bean Geese, one equipped with a GPS tracker for migration tracking

     Close view of a Taiga Bean Goose