Autumn migration and wintering site of a wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix breeding in Denmark identified using geolocation

Anders P Tøttrup,Kasper Thorup,Lykke Pedersen

doi:10.1186/s40317-018-0159-x

Anders P Tøttrup, Kasper Thorup + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-018-0159-x

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Abstract

BackgroundBasic knowledge of detailed spatiotemporal migration patterns is lacking for most migratory bird species. Using the smallest available geolocator, we aim to map autumn migration and wintering areas of north European wood warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix and compare the spatiotemporal pattern with recoveries of individuals ringed across Europe.ResultsA tracked wood warbler migrated south-south-east to sub-Saharan Africa in Sudan and then west-south-west to winter in Côte d’Ivoire. The timing and route fits well within the distribution of ring recoveries although the westward movement after the Sahara crossing is not revealed by the ring recoveries, but only few recoveries south of Sahara exist.ConclusionsThe surprising westward movement south of the Sahara supplements the overall pattern revealed by ring recoveries and aids our understanding of the connectivity and site dependence in this generally declining species.

Highlights

Basic knowledge of detailed spatiotemporal migration patterns is lacking for most migratory bird species
We present a track retrieved from a geolocator recovered from a wood warbler, caught during the breeding season in Denmark, to identify its migration route, stopovers and wintering site
Even though the wood warbler is considered a habitat specialist, this study indicates that this individual may take advantage of the Sahel green-up during September–November [18] before continuing to the species-specific wintering areas in the continuous forest belt towards the south

Summary

Introduction

Basic knowledge of detailed spatiotemporal migration patterns is lacking for most migratory bird species. Using the smallest available geolocator, we aim to map autumn migration and wintering areas of north European wood warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix and compare the spatiotemporal pattern with recoveries of individuals ringed across Europe. Our current understanding of the spatiotemporal migration systems in birds remains poor, especially for passerine species wintering in the tropics. This group is declining worldwide [1,2,3,4,5], and there is considerable interest in understanding the underlying causes, potentially to enhance conservation initiatives [6, 7]. The wood warbler is strictly insectivorous and among the smallest Afro-Palearctic migrant species It has a broad breeding range from across Europe and into Siberia [12]. In Denmark, wood warblers have declined by 2.5% per year from 1974 to 2016 [14]

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