van Toor ML, Kharitonov S, Švažas S, Dagys M, Kleyheeg E, Müskens G, Ottosson U, Žydelis R, Waldenström J. 2021. Migration distance affects how closely Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during migration. Mov Ecol. 9:61. doi:10.1186/s40462-021-00296-0 ... : Background: The timing of migration for herbivorous migratory birds is thought to coincide with spring phenology as emerging vegetation supplies them with the resources to fuel migration, and, in species with a capital breeding strategy also provides individuals with energy for use on the breeding grounds. Individuals with very long migration distances might however have to trade off between utilising optimal conditions en route and reaching the breeding grounds early, potentially leading to them overtaking spring on the way. Here, we investigate whether migration distance affects how closely individually tracked Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during spring migration. Methods: We captured wigeons in the Netherlands and Lithuania and tracked them throughout spring migration to identify staging sites and timing of arrival. Using temperature-derived indicators of spring phenology, we investigated how maximum longitude reached and migration distance affected how closely wigeons followed spring. We ...