Hundreds of thousands of Eurasian Wigeon regularly winter in the Wadden Sea area along the North Sea coast of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. They have to feed 14 to 17 hours a day, more than any other bird. In nervous flocks they graze on pastures or winter grains, by day and night. What about their energy budget? How does energy intake and energy expenditure determine their life and ecology? How are they adapted physically? Why doesn’t evolution give them a chance to lead a less stressful life?
I investigated the ecology and energetics of the Eurasian wigeon in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea for several years. The results are summarised here
Hendrik Brunckhorst
Feeding or fleeing - the life of the wigeon
Videoclip (11:00 minutes)
