Active GPS-transmitters & spring migration
On 22 May 2024, BirdLife Norway instrumented three new Lesser White-fronted Geese with gps-gsm neck bands. One was soon afterwards predated, but the two others are still working fine as of today. Both are in Lake Kerkini in Greece, where they have been since November 2024. In 2024 the spring migration started on 15th March, so still a few more weeks before any larger movements are expected. As a note, the bird mrs. Kerkini that was caught and tagged in spring 2023, was probably shot in eastern Türkiye in October last autumn, on her way to wintering in Greece.
19 February 2025 by Ingar Jostein Øien & Tomas Aarvak BirdLife Norway
Fennoscandian 2023 live migration tracking
On 20th May 2023, a pair of Lesser White-fronted Goose was caught with cannon net at the Valdak marshes, Porsanger Norway. Both were instrumented with 17gr solar powered gps-gsm neck bands provide by Druidtech. We’ve followed them through the breeding season, and after they came down to the Porsangen fjord as their first staging area on the autumn migration. The pair came down with 4 goslings, which is more or less the average production this year.
13 September 2023 by Ingar Jostein Øien & Tomas Aarvak BirdLife Norway
Video-interview with Mr. Blue, the famous Lesser White-fronted Goose
In many parts of the world, the bird migration has started some time ago. Mr. Blue and friends should leave their breeding grounds in the northern Fennoscandia and travel to the wintering grounds in Greece. Do you know how to spot a Lesser White-fronted Goose? What are the challenges these geese face in the context of global environmental change? We have a released a video-interview with Mr. Blue, the famous Lesser White-fronted Goose: The Life of Mr. Blue, the Lesser White-fronted Goose - Life LWfG Climate The video was produced by Lietuvos ornitologų draugija - BirdLife Lithuania. Many thanks to illustrator Ieva Miškinytė-Savickė and animator Milda Kargaudaitė for visualizing the story of Mr. Blue and his fellows, the Fennoscandinavian Lesser White-fronted Geese.
1 September 2022 by Safeguarding the Lesser White-fronted Goose
Mr. Sunshine - a new gps-gsm tagged male
On 27th May 2022, BirdLife Norway caught a pair of Lesser White-fronted Geese at the spring staging ground at the Valdak Marshes, and the male was equipped with a GPS/GSM neck-collar. The name of this male is Mr. Sunshine in honor and thankfulness to the important supporter of the LWfG conservation work, Peter Johan Schei, President of BirdLife International from 2004 through 2013, who sadly passed away on 7th April this year. Hopefully Mr. Sunshine will give us updated information on the Fennoscandian population’s future movements and contribute to its survival and increase.
29 June 2022 by Tomas Aarvak & Ingar Jostein Øien BirdLife Norway
mr. Blue on the way through Ukraine
The staging period of mr. Blue in Kazakhstan was short. He arrived on 1 October and flew west 11 October. He stayed at one lake north of Tengiz for 6 days and visited thereafter three different lakes (Zharkol + unnamed on Google earth) west of it before continuing. As of midday on 13th he was still flying west, being north of the town Vodyano-Loryne in southwest Ukraine.
13 Octomber 2021 by Tomas Aarvak & Ingar Jostein Øien BirdLife Norway