The study of bird migrations – some future perspectives

Abstract

Capsule Routes and destinations have been unveiled but modern techniques offer the chance to explore much more. Ringing of birds unveiled many mysteries of avian migrations, notably routes and destinations. However, there is still much to be explored by the use of ringing and other marks. Satellite tracking, geolocation and global positioning systems, and even electronic tags may enable much more detailed insights into the migration patterns of individual birds and populations. But also a more elaborated colour-marking approach is recommended. Moreover, particular chemical and molecular markers appear to be very useful in the study of bird migration by delineating the origin of birds and connectivity between breeding and non-breeding grounds. Co-ordinated, collaborative, standardized and large-scale migration networks provide another elaborate tool to study differential migration and patterns of migratory timing and fuelling. Although our understanding of bird migration has gained much from captive studies about the internal mechanisms in the control of bird migration, we still lack knowledge about external factors, such as food availability, weather, competitors, parasites or diseases. Such data are also required to refine theoretical models of migration strategies. Future migration research must aim at much more comparative research and a more integrative approach at various spatial and temporal scales, and link various subdisciplines. It must also consider that migration is only one part of the life of a migrating species. Thus, linking migration and breeding is another future challenge, both for basic science and for effective protection of migratory birds.