scholarly journals All across Africa: highly individual migration routes of Eleonora's falcon

2008 ◽  
Vol 275 (1653) ◽  
pp. 2887-2896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Gschweng ◽  
Elisabeth K.V Kalko ◽  
Ulrich Querner ◽  
Wolfgang Fiedler ◽  
Peter Berthold
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Wintering Area ◽  
Eleonora’S Falcon ◽  
Falco Eleonorae

Eleonora's falcon ( Falco eleonorae ) is a rare raptor species that delays its breeding period until late summer to feed its young with passerines at the peak of autumn migration. Since the 1950s, this slender winged falcon has been believed to migrate along a historical route via the Red Sea to its main wintering area in Madagascar. In our study, we used satellite telemetry to investigate the real migration route of Eleonora's falcons and found that the species displayed a highly individual migration pattern. Furthermore, juvenile falcons migrated via West Africa to Madagascar and two juveniles could be tracked during spring migration and to their summering areas in East and West Africa. As juveniles migrated independently of adults, we discuss inherited navigation strategies forming part of a complex navigation system. We propose the idea of an orientation mechanism that naive falcons could apply during their long-distance migration towards their faraway wintering area located in the open ocean.

scholarly journals Summer pre-breeding movements of Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae revealed by satellite telemetry: implications for conservation

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 487-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
UGO MELLONE ◽  
PASCUAL LÓPEZ-LÓPEZ ◽  
RUBÉN LIMIÑANA ◽  
VICENTE URIOS
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Priority Species ◽  
Wintering Areas ◽  
Eleonora’S Falcon ◽  
Falco Eleonorae

SummaryRecent advances in bird tracking technologies are revealing that migratory birds use temporal staging sites other than breeding and wintering areas, and these areas deserve conservation efforts. Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae is a long-distance migratory raptor that breeds colonially on islands and is considered a priority species for conservation. Anecdotal observations indicate that during the pre-breeding period, Eleonora’s Falcons stay in inland areas far away from the colonies, but, to date there are no detailed data concerning the connectivity between these areas and breeding colonies. Using satellite telemetry, we analysed data from four summering events belonging to three individuals breeding in two colonies in the Western Mediterranean (Spain). All of them made inland movements in areas up to c.400 km distant from the respective breeding colonies, visiting several habitats, from forests to arable lands, probably taking advantage of high densities of insects. Perturbations occurring in these areas could threaten Eleonora’s Falcons with serious consequences at the population level. We suggest that conservation measures implemented at breeding and wintering grounds may not suffice and that temporary staging areas should be identified at a larger scale and deserve protection as well.

scholarly journals Citrine Wagtail migration on the Indo-European flyway: a first geolocator track reveals alternative migration route and endurance flights to cross ecological barriers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Korniluk ◽  
Paweł Białomyzy ◽  
Grzegorz Grygoruk ◽  
Tomasz Tumiel ◽  
Piotr Świętochowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Range Expansion ◽  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Movement Speed ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Ecological Barriers

AbstractMost long-distance migrating passerines that breed in Europe spend their winters in Africa, with only a few species migrating eastward to spend the non-breeding period in South Asia. The use of the Indo-European flyway is rare and has been poorly studied so far. However, it is extremely interesting as within that system we are currently witnessing a recent range expansion of European breeding long distance migrants and thus the lengthening of migration routes. It may therefore conceal a unique migratory strategies and behaviour that can help us to understand the underlying factors and mechanisms determining the evolution of migration routes, strategies and breeding range extinction. Based on light-level geolocator we reveal a first track of the Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) migration, providing insight into the migration pattern, timing and behaviour of the species that recently has extended its migration routes. Unexpectedly, the studied individual did not retrace a recent range expansion that runs north and east from the Caspian Sea but followed a migration route running south form the Caspian sea, suggesting possible presence of an alternative species range expansion. The overall migration distance between the breeding site in Poland and the non-breeding site in Pakistan was about 10,420 km and included two endurance movement phases (920 and 2240 km) covering 30% of the whole journey length, with an average movement speed of 574 km/day. We explain this migration behaviour as an adaptation for crossing the ecological barriers imposed by arid environments.

scholarly journals Distribution modelling of Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae Géné, 1839 occurrence in its wintering grounds: a niche-based approach with satellite telemetry data

2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA KASSARA ◽  
JAKOB FRIC ◽  
SPYROS SFENTHOURAKIS
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Telemetry Data ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
Ecological Requirements ◽  
Eleonora’S Falcon ◽  
Falco Eleonorae

SummaryEleonora’s Falcon is a long-distance migrant of the Palearctic region. In recent years, the advent of satellite telemetry has enabled a more detailed investigation of the species’s migratory and wintering periods. In this study, we model the distribution pattern of four Eleonora’s Falcons originating from Greece within their wintering grounds in Madagascar with the use of satellite telemetry data and a niche-based technique, Maxent. The model predicted few highly suitable areas for the occurrence of the species, restricted to elevated areas receiving large amounts of precipitation during the wintering period, containing patches of primary and degraded humid submontane forests as well as cultivation. Most of these areas occurred within the previously estimated home ranges of the four falcons, as well as of three falcons from another independent study. Taking into account the ongoing alterations in landscape structure that occur within the eastern rainforest region of Madagascar, we believe that it is imperative to better understand the ecological requirements of Eleonora’s Falcon. To this end, we recommend the application of Maxent in the study of habitat selection of the species that could be further refined with the inclusion of biotic interactions and seasonal resource availability.

scholarly journals Seasonal Movements and Pelagic Habitat Use of Murres and Puffins Determined by Satellite Telemetry

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott A. Hatch ◽  
Paul M. Meyers ◽  
Danial M. Mulcahy ◽  
David C. Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Bering Sea ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Gulf Of Alaska ◽  
Differential Mortality ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Common Murres ◽  
Pelagic Habitat ◽  
Satellite Transmitters ◽  
Wintering Area

AbstractWe tracked the movements of Common Murres (Uria aalge), Thick-billed Murres (U. lomvia), and Tufted Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) using surgically implanted satellite transmitters. From 1994–1996, we tagged 53 birds from two colonies in the Gulf of Alaska (Middleton Island and Barren Islands) and two colonies in the Chukchi Sea (Cape Thompson and Cape Lisburne). Murres and puffins ranged 100 km or farther from all colonies in summer, but most instrumented birds had abandoned breeding attempts and their movements likely differed from those of actively breeding birds. However, murres whose movements in the breeding period suggested they still had chicks to feed foraged repeatedly at distances of 50–80 km from the Chukchi colonies in 1995. We detected no differences in the foraging patterns of males and females during the breeding season, nor between Thick-billed and Common Murres from mixed colonies. Upon chick departure from the northern colonies, male murres—some believed to be tending their flightless young—drifted with prevailing currents toward Siberia, whereas most females flew directly south toward the Bering Sea. Murres from Cape Thompson and Cape Lisburne shared a common wintering area in the southeastern Bering Sea in 1995, and birds from Cape Lisburne returned to the same area in the winter of 1996. We conclude that differences in foraging conditions during summer rather than differential mortality rates in winter account for contrasting population trends previously documented in those two colonies.

scholarly journals First description of autumn migration of Sooty Falcon Falco concolor from the United Arab Emirates to Madagascar using satellite telemetry

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
SÁLIM JAVED ◽  
DAVID C. DOUGLAS ◽  
SHAHID KHAN ◽  
JUNID NAZEER SHAH ◽  
ABDULLAH ALI AL HAMMADI
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Migration Pattern ◽  
Autumn Migration ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Wintering Area ◽  
Solar Powered ◽  
And Migration

SummaryThe movement and migration pattern of the ‘Near Threatened’ Sooty Falcon Falco concolor is poorly known. Sooty Falcons breed on the islands of the Arabian Gulf after arriving from their non-breeding areas that are mainly in Madagascar. In the first satellite tracking of the species we fitted a 9.5 g Argos solar powered transmitter on an adult breeding Sooty Falcon off the western coast of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The bird successfully undertook autumn migration to Madagascar, a known wintering area for the species. We document the Sooty Falcon’s autumn migration route and stop-over sites. The adult Sooty Falcon initiated its migration at night and with tailwinds, and travelled mainly during daytime hours for 13 days over an inland route of more than 5,656 km. The three stop-over sites in East Africa were characterised by moderate to sparse shrub cover associated with potential sources of water. We discuss the migration pattern of the tracked bird in relation to importance of non-breeding areas for Sooty Falcons and recent declines in numbers in their breeding range.

scholarly journals Identifying migration routes and non-breeding staging sites of adult males of the globally threatened Aquatic WarblerAcrocephalus paludicola

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
VOLKER SALEWSKI ◽  
MARTIN FLADE ◽  
SIMEON LISOVSKI ◽  
ANATOLII POLUDA ◽  
OLEKSANDER ILIUKHA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Boreal Winter ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
North West ◽  
Aquatic Warbler ◽  
Sub Saharan

SummaryBirds that are long-distance migrants partition their annual cycle among a number of locations over a large spatial range. The conservation of these species is particularly complex because it requires attention to a number of different and distant habitats based on knowledge of migratory phenology, routes and staging areas. In the case of the globally threatened Aquatic WarblerAcrocephalus paludicola, a habitat specialist that breeds in Europe and spends the boreal winter in sub-Saharan Africa, non-breeding staging areas were widely unknown until recently. We applied light-level geolocators to adult male Aquatic Warblers at breeding sites in Belarus and Ukraine. Data from eight retrieved geolocators confirmed a south-west and then westward migration route through Europe via the northern Mediterranean with staging sites on the Iberian Peninsula and occasionally France and north-west Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, final staging areas were in Mali, either in the Inner Niger Delta or at (presumably) small water bodies in the desert, with one bird most likely staying in the north of Ivory Coast south of the previously assumed range. The birds probably stayed in the final staging areas for most of the non-breeding season, but the logger on only one bird provided data throughout the entire migration cycle. Pre-nuptial migration of the latter was by a more easterly route than the southward migration. Our study suggests that conservation strategies for Aquatic Warbler north of the Sahara should include consideration of unknown staging sites in the northern Mediterranean as well as on the Iberian Peninsula and in north-west Africa. South of the Sahara, our study demonstrates the importance of the Sahel for the conservation of the Aquatic Warbler, including both the major floodplains of the Niger River and small Sahelian wetlands that are under pressure from human development.

scholarly journals Regional and age-dependent differences in the effect of wind on the migratory routes of Eleonora’s falcon

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugo Mellone ◽  
Rubén Limiñana ◽  
Pascual López-López ◽  
Vicente Urios
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Daily Movement ◽  
Movement Rates ◽  
Equatorial Africa ◽  
Ecological Barriers ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Migratory Routes ◽  
Wintering Area ◽  
Orientation Mechanism ◽  
Eleonora’S Falcon

Abstract During migration, birds can show different responses to wind in relation to distance to the goal, experience, ecological barriers and visibility of landmarks. We analysed the effect of wind (tailwinds and crosswinds) on daily movement rates (forward and perpendicular) of Eleonora’s falcons using ARGOS satellite telemetry, during their trans-continental autumn migration to Madagascar, in relation to the different crossed regions and individuals’ age class. Our results showed that the effect of wind on daily movement rates was not uniform, being stronger in the farthest region from the migration goal, the Sahara desert, with adults being more affected than juveniles in this region. In the Sahel, the results were more conflicting, perhaps because daily movements were more shaped by the distribution of food resources. In Equatorial Africa, daily movement rates were mainly affected by crosswinds. Still, it remains unclear which orientation mechanism allows Eleonora’s falcons to reach such a narrow wintering area compensating also for wind displacement.

scholarly journals Population Structure of Pacific Common Eiders Breeding in Alaska

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 780-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret R. Petersen ◽  
Paul L. Flint
Keyword(s):  
Gene Flow ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Breeding Populations ◽  
Common Eiders ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Wintering Areas ◽  
Wintering Area

Abstract We used satellite telemetry to study the migration routes and wintering areas of two allopatric breeding populations of Pacific Common Eiders (Somateria mollissimav-nigrum) in Alaska: the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and the western Beaufort Sea coast. Only 6% (2 of 36) of females wintered within the wintering area of the other breeding population. Both breeding populations wintered in the closest available ice-free habitat, perhaps to minimize migratory distance. Two Beaufort Sea females wintered in areas used by Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta females, implying potential gene flow among breeding areas. Yet, we conclude that these two populations are largely geographically isolated throughout the annual cycle and the environmental factors influencing survival and reproduction likely differ between these groups of birds. Thus, regardless of the potential gene flow among breeding populations, we suggest that birds from these two breeding areas should be managed as separate populations. Estructura Poblacional Reproductiva de Somateria mollissimav-nigrum en Alaska Resumen. Usamos telemetría satelital para estudiar las rutas de migración y áreas de invernada de dos poblaciones alopáticas reproductivas de Somateria mollissimav-nigrum en Alaska: la del Delta Yukon-Kuskokwim, y la de la costa oeste del Mar de Beaufort. Solo el 6% (2 de 36) de las hembras invernaron dentro del área de invernada de la otra población reproductiva. Las dos poblaciones invernaron en el hábitat libre de hielo más cercano, tal vez para minimizar la distancia de migración. Dos hembras del Mar de Beaufort invernaron en áreas usadas por hembras del Delta de Yukon-Kuskokwim, implicando un potencial flujo génico entre las áreas de reproducción. Sin embargo, concluimos que estas dos poblaciones están aisladas geográficamente a lo largo del ciclo anual y que los factores ambientales que afectan la supervivencia y reproducción son probablemente diferentes entre estos grupos de aves. Por lo tanto, a pesar del flujo génico potencial entre las poblaciones reproductivas, sugerimos que las aves de estas dos áreas de reproducción deben ser manejadas como poblaciones separadas.

scholarly journals Status of the East Asian population of the Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus: the need for urgent conservation action

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Q. Shi ◽  
N. F. Liu ◽  
L. Cao ◽  
M. A. Barter
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Asian Population ◽  
East China ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Annual Life Cycle ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Fisheries Resources

AbstractThe Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus is a globally threatened species with three distinct populations, the smallest of which is the almost extinct eastern race with an estimated population size of 50 birds breeding in Mongolia and migrating to south-east China during the winter. We analysed recent survey information and published records to construct a picture of the annual life cycle of the Dalmatian Pelican and how it has changed over the years. We were able to obtain a total of 196 records from 82 sites in China and Mongolia dating back to 1862. Seasonal information was available for 168 records. The pelicans breed in western Mongolia and migrate in a south-easterly direction to the Bo Sea and then southwards along the coasts of Shandong and Jiangsu to the wintering area in south-east China. Return migration to the breeding grounds follows the same general path. There is some evidence that part of the population uses an inland migration route linking the wetlands along the Yellow and Huai Rivers and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River; this route was probably more important historically. The pelicans are encountering serious problems at all stages of their annual life cycle: destruction of nesting habitat and hunting in the breeding area, loss of important wetland habitats along the inland migration routes, and land claim, human disturbance and overexploitation of fisheries resources on the coast. It is highly desirable that a simultaneous count be conducted of the key wintering sites so that an accurate population estimate can be obtained. Use of satellite telemetry would provide very useful information on migration strategies and home ranges in the wintering grounds, and assist greatly in identifying key habitats for conservation action at different stages of the annual life cycle.

scholarly journals Seasonal and daily activity patterns by Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae based on GPS telemetry: a contribution to the species’ movement ecology at its breeding grounds

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
C. KASSARA ◽  
A. EVANGELIDIS ◽  
N. TSIOPELAS ◽  
C. BARBOUTIS ◽  
S. GIOKAS
Keyword(s):  
Average Distance ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Movement Ecology ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Diurnal Variability ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Eleonora’S Falcon ◽  
Falco Eleonorae

Summary Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae is a migratory raptor, well-known for its delayed breeding period. Owing to its great mobility, current information on its distribution pattern during the pre-breeding period is rather sporadic, mainly based on field observations and only one telemetry study. Likewise, the species’ ranging activity during the breeding period has not been thoroughly investigated due to methodological limitations of the approaches implemented in previous studies, again amounting to only two telemetry studies in recent years. In this study we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the species’ ranging activity at its breeding grounds based on telemetry. Utilizing GPS data from six adult females originating from the core of the species’ breeding range we explored broad- and fine-scale activity patterns while at their breeding grounds. Our results indicated that during the pre-breeding period the falcons visited high biodiversity areas lying hundreds of kilometres away from their colonies, exhibiting site-fidelity, as shown for falcons from other breeding colonies in the past. During the breeding period the falcons roamed at an average distance of 17 km from their nesting sites, but their ranging activity could be observed up to 130 km. In accordance with the species’ breeding biology, the falcons tended to perform longer trips as the nestlings became more independent. The temporal pattern of ranging activity fitted well with the diurnal variability of the autumn migration flux. Furthermore, nest attendance tended to decrease in windy conditions and as the season progressed, and to increase when southerly winds blew. Despite the low number of tracked falcons, our study set a reference basis for future studies highlighting the importance of specific (protected) areas during the pre-breeding period and providing the first assessment of the movement ecology of the species during the pre-breeding and breeding period in Greece.

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