Post‐breeding dispersal, breeding site fidelity and migration/wintering areas of migratory populations of Song Thrush Turdus philomelos in the Western Palearctic

Abstract

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos ring recovery data gathered over 90 years in central, north and east Europe were analysed in their breeding zones and in 14 migration/wintering areas in Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Few post‐breeding movements were over 20 km before the end of September. Subsequent‐ year breeding site fidelity was high in May to August. Migratory T p philomelos moved southwest in autumn on a broad front. Scandinavian and northwest Russian birds moved down the northwest coast of continental Europe arriving in large numbers in southwest France in October; many adults then moved on to winter in west Iberia. Those ringed in central Europe, from Switzerland to Belarus, tended to follow the Rhine–Rhône route to the French Mediterranean before dispersing to winter in east Iberia, the Balearics and Algeria. Southeast European birds moved to north and west Italy in the autumn/early winter, many adults moving on to Corsica or Sardinia. Birds breeding in the Netherlands and northwest Germany appear to have two migration patterns. A short‐distance group dispersed through Belgium to northwest France in autumn/early winter, moving on to England and Wales in late winter. A long‐distance group migrated to southeast Biscay in October, many then moving on in midwinter to west Iberia. Recoveries of birds ringed in the Netherlands and northwest Germany showed a change to a more sedentary population after 1989, raising the possibility that the less migratory T p clarkei has increased in abundance relative to T p philomelos in this area. Subspecific identification would be useful to assess future changes in range boundaries of philomelos and clarkei within northern Europe.