Brent geese breed in high Arctic tundra and their welfare is increasingly affected by climate-driven changes to lemming cycles, vegetation timing, and habitat availability.
Brent geese face welfare challenges across their lifecycle. In the high Arctic, changing lemming cycles increase predation pressure on nesting birds, and mismatched plant phenology can reduce food availability for goslings at critical growth stages. During migration, stopover habitat loss forces longer flights between resting areas. On wintering grounds, disturbance and eelgrass disease reduce access to key food sources. Climate-driven changes are altering all these pressures simultaneously, challenging welfare at every stage.