Background:While the general migration routes of most waders are known,details concerning connectivity between breeding grounds, stopover sites and wintering grounds are often lacking.Such information is critical from...Background:While the general migration routes of most waders are known,details concerning connectivity between breeding grounds, stopover sites and wintering grounds are often lacking.Such information is critical from the conservation perspective and necessary for understanding the annual cycle.Studies are especially needed to identify key stopover sites in remote regions. Using satellite transmitters, we traced spring and autumn migration routes and connectivity of Grey Plovers on the East Atlantic Flyway.Our findings also revealed the timing,flight speed, and duration of migrations. Methods:We used ARGOS satellite transmitters to track migration routes of 11 Grey Plovers that were captured at the German Wadden Sea where they had stopped during migration.Birds were monitored for up to 3 years,2011-2014.Results:Monitoring signals indicated breeding grounds in the Taimyr and Yamal regions;important staging sites on the coasts of the southern Pechora Sea and the Kara Sea;and wintering areas that ranged from NW-Ireland to Guinea Bissau.The average distance traveled from wintering grounds to breeding grounds was 5534 km. Migration duration varied between 42 and 152 days;during this period birds spent about 95% of the time at staging sites.In spring most plovers crossed inland Eastern Europe, whereas in autumn most followed the coastline.Almost all of the birds departed during favorable wind conditions within just 4 days (27-30 May) on northward migration from the Wadden Sea.In spring birds migrated significantly faster between the Wadden Sea and the Arctic than on return migration in autumn (12 vs.37 days),with shorter stopovers during the northward passage.Conclusions:Our study shows that satellite tags can shed considerable light on migration strategies by revealing the use of different regions during the annual cycle and by providing detailed quantitative data on population connectivity and migration timing.展开更多
Stopover niche utilization of birds during migration has not gained much attention so far,since the majority of the studies focuses on breeding or wintering areas.However,stopover sites are crucial for migratory birds...Stopover niche utilization of birds during migration has not gained much attention so far,since the majority of the studies focuses on breeding or wintering areas.However,stopover sites are crucial for migratory birds.They are often used by a multitude of species,which could lead to increased competition.In this work,we investigated niche use of 8 migratory and closely related Emberiza bunting species at a stopover site in Far East Russia,situated on the poorly studied East Asian flyway.We used bird ringing data to evaluate morphological similarity as well as niche overlap on the trophic,spatial,and temporal dimension.Bill morphology was used as a proxy for their trophic niche.We were able to prove that a majority of the species occupies well-defined stopover niches on at least one of the dimensions.Niche breadth and niche overlap differ between spring and autumn season with higher overlap found during spring.Morphological differences are mostly related to overall size and wing pointedness.The temporal dimension is most important for segregation among the studied species.Furthermore,all species seem to exhibit a rather strict and consistent phenological pattern.Their occurrence at the study site is highly correlated with their geographic origin and the length of their migration route.We assume that buntings are able to use available resources opportunistically during stopover,while trying to follow a precise schedule in order to avoid competition and to ensure individual fitness.展开更多
基金funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation under the Federal Ministry for the Environment,Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety(FKZ 3510 860 1000)the Niedersachsische Wattenmeerstiftung(project 18/10)
文摘Background:While the general migration routes of most waders are known,details concerning connectivity between breeding grounds, stopover sites and wintering grounds are often lacking.Such information is critical from the conservation perspective and necessary for understanding the annual cycle.Studies are especially needed to identify key stopover sites in remote regions. Using satellite transmitters, we traced spring and autumn migration routes and connectivity of Grey Plovers on the East Atlantic Flyway.Our findings also revealed the timing,flight speed, and duration of migrations. Methods:We used ARGOS satellite transmitters to track migration routes of 11 Grey Plovers that were captured at the German Wadden Sea where they had stopped during migration.Birds were monitored for up to 3 years,2011-2014.Results:Monitoring signals indicated breeding grounds in the Taimyr and Yamal regions;important staging sites on the coasts of the southern Pechora Sea and the Kara Sea;and wintering areas that ranged from NW-Ireland to Guinea Bissau.The average distance traveled from wintering grounds to breeding grounds was 5534 km. Migration duration varied between 42 and 152 days;during this period birds spent about 95% of the time at staging sites.In spring most plovers crossed inland Eastern Europe, whereas in autumn most followed the coastline.Almost all of the birds departed during favorable wind conditions within just 4 days (27-30 May) on northward migration from the Wadden Sea.In spring birds migrated significantly faster between the Wadden Sea and the Arctic than on return migration in autumn (12 vs.37 days),with shorter stopovers during the northward passage.Conclusions:Our study shows that satellite tags can shed considerable light on migration strategies by revealing the use of different regions during the annual cycle and by providing detailed quantitative data on population connectivity and migration timing.
文摘Stopover niche utilization of birds during migration has not gained much attention so far,since the majority of the studies focuses on breeding or wintering areas.However,stopover sites are crucial for migratory birds.They are often used by a multitude of species,which could lead to increased competition.In this work,we investigated niche use of 8 migratory and closely related Emberiza bunting species at a stopover site in Far East Russia,situated on the poorly studied East Asian flyway.We used bird ringing data to evaluate morphological similarity as well as niche overlap on the trophic,spatial,and temporal dimension.Bill morphology was used as a proxy for their trophic niche.We were able to prove that a majority of the species occupies well-defined stopover niches on at least one of the dimensions.Niche breadth and niche overlap differ between spring and autumn season with higher overlap found during spring.Morphological differences are mostly related to overall size and wing pointedness.The temporal dimension is most important for segregation among the studied species.Furthermore,all species seem to exhibit a rather strict and consistent phenological pattern.Their occurrence at the study site is highly correlated with their geographic origin and the length of their migration route.We assume that buntings are able to use available resources opportunistically during stopover,while trying to follow a precise schedule in order to avoid competition and to ensure individual fitness.
