Diet of the reindeer

Food depending on the season
Depending on the season, the reindeer eats grass, herbs, crowberries and the new leaves on dwarf birch and willow shrubs, whilst lichen is an important source of nourishment in the winter.

Reindeer foraging

It is rare for the reindeer to eat berry bushes such as black crowberry – and if it does, it can be a sign of overgrazing.

During the winter months when vegetation is covered by a thick blanket of snow or if the surface of the snow is very hard as a result of a thaw followed by frost, the animals may have problems finding food, and occasionally some animals will succumb to the conditions.

The reindeer around Kangerlussuaq
In the areas around Kangerlussuaq, where there is a large reindeer population, the animals do not live as long as they might otherwise do. This is due to the fact that their teeth are worn down by the fine powdery sand that blows in from the ice, thereby making it increasingly difficult for the reindeer to chew their food. The sand is popularly known as glacier flour and is made from rocks that have been crushed by the ice over time.

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