Ringed Research Articles

A half-century of changes in migratory landbird numbers along coastal Massachusetts.

We analyzed data from across five decades of passerine bird banding at Manomet in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. This included 172,609 captures during spring migration and 253,265 during fall migration, from 1969 to 2015. Migration counts are prone to large interannual variation and trends are often difficult to interpret, but have the advantage of sampling many breeding populations in a single locale. We employed a Bayesian state-space modeling approach to estimate patterns in abundance over time while accounting for observation error, and a hierarchical clustering method to identify species groups with similar trends over time. Although continent-wide there has been an overall decrease in landbird populations over the past 40 years, we found a variety of patterns in abundance over time. Consistent with other studies, we found an overall decline in numbers of birds in the aggregate, with most species showing significant net declines in migratory cohort size in spring, fall, or both (49/73 species evaluated). Other species, however, exhibited different patterns, including abundance increases (10 species). Even among increasing and declining species, the specific trends varied in shape over time, forming seven distinct clusters in fall and ten in spring. The remaining species followed largely independent and irregular pathways. Overall, life-history traits (dependence on open habitat, nesting on or near the ground, migratory strategy, human commensal, spruce budworm specialists) did a poor job of predicting species groupings of abundance patterns in both spring and fall, but median date of passage was a good predictor of abundance trends during spring (but not fall) migration. This suggests that some species with very similar patterns of abundance were unlikely to be responding to the same environmental forces. Changes in abundance at this banding station were generally consistent with BBS trend data for the same geographic region.

Are Western European ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) shortening their migration distances? Evidence from trends of the wintering population in the Iberian Peninsula

Here, we provide evidence that the number of Western European ospreys wintering in the Iberian Peninsula has been increasing over nearly two decades due to a reduction of the migration distances. We compared trends in wintering and breeding populations of ospreys in the Iberian Peninsula and western Europe, respectively, and we provide a detailed description of the present distribution and the numbers of ospreys wintering in the Iberian Peninsula. Observations of the species were collected as a citizen science project in January 2017. Based on the long-term data series from the Andalusian region (2004–2016) and from the Bay of Cadiz site (2000–2016), we estimated temporal trends in the population size of the ospreys wintering in these areas. Trends in the western European breeding population were derived from counts of ospreys migrating over the Strait of Gibraltar conducted by volunteers (1999–2016). All the trends were estimated by fitting a linear regression to the logarithm of the annual counts. For quantifying the origin of ospreys wintering in the Iberian Peninsula, we collected 204 confirmed field sightings of wintering ospreys in Spain and 155 in Portugal. We showed that the number of wintering ospreys has been increasing in southern Spain over the last 16 years. The magnitude of this increase is similar to the rate of change observed in the ospreys breeding across Western Europe. Recoveries of ringed birds in the Iberian Peninsula during winter indicate a reduction in the migration distances of Central and Northern European ospreys, making these birds winter at higher latitudes more than before. According to our results, this reduction in the migration distance was fairly uniform among different breeding populations in western Europe, but it did not affect all age classes equally, with juvenile birds more prone to winter at higher latitudes compared to adult birds. Our results showed that the overall number of ospreys which are shortening their migration distance, now over 3% of the total breeding population estimated for western Europe, is on an upward trend.

The Value of Utilizing the Complete Temporal Distribution of Phenological Data

Numerous studies over the past decades have shown that species phenologies are shifting. Behind the large-scale patterns of shifting phenologies lies, however, large variability across species and space in terms of both the sign of the shifts (advance or delay) and their magnitude (rate of change). The shifts in the timing of seasonal events are usually studied by measuring change in one part of the phenological distribution over the season, such as the mean or first appearance of the event. This, however, gives us a mere glimpse of how (part of) a population is changing, thus limiting our ability to understand the underlying mechanisms. We demonstrate the benefits of taking a holistic approach to describing phenological change by considering shifts in the complete phenological distribution and interrelationships within it. As a case study, we make use of a database on bird chick banding events to understand the shifts in breeding phenology for 74 bird species across 43 years and 4 bioclimatic zones distributed across Finland. We find that bird breeding is stacking up towards earlier and more compressed peak periods. The majority of change can be attributed to a faster advance of the tail of the distribution, alongside minor advancement of the beginning of the season. We conclude that the observed shifts potentially intensify intraspecific competition by increasing the temporal co-occurrence of broods across large geographical areas. Nevertheless, these patterns would likely have not been recognized through summarizing the data by species mean dates alone. We therefore urge scientists and data managers to compile and utilize phenological data at higher resolution, retaining the original detail. This will allow us to capture multiple modes of population-level change, thereby providing deeper insights into how species are responding to ongoing climate warming.

Finnish Citizen Science Based Bird Monitoring Schemes and User Interfaces in FinBIF

Monitoring of bird populations is based primarily on volunteer birdwatcher activity in Finland. Hence, development of online user interfaces and data availability have become a priority in order to encourage bird watchers to participate in monitoring schemes. Most Finnish bird monitoring is managed by the Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, which oversees a wide spectrum of long-running programs including: a bird ringing (banding) scheme running since 1913, a winter bird census established in 1956, a breeding bird census initiated in 1975, a raptor monitoring program started in 1982, and, a nest recording scheme ongoing since the 1940s. In 2018, more than 1,500 volunteer birdwatchers participated in LUOMUS bird monitoring schemes. Data gathered from these programs constitute our basis of knowledge on national bird populations and demographic trends and are actively incorporated in conservation, scientific, land-use planning, and administrative purposes in Finland. In principle, all data are open and freely accessible via the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (FinBIF), however, the law prohibits authorities from distributing species occurrence data if this causes an increased threat to certain endangered species. Accordingly, sensitive data details are not available. Reporting valuable fieldwork data can sometimes be demanding. As such, developing user-friendly interfaces for data portals is critical to facilitating volunteer activity. Essential tools for volunteers include a simple login, smooth and augmented data input, automated validation of data, and, perhaps most importantly, ease of access to up-to-date data. Crucial to administrators are system reliability, operability, and easy data management. Comprehensive data validation and visualization tools and extensive search functions aid in revealing errors and thereby increase data quality. Finally, simple query tools and easy access to data are of paramount importance for smooth abd flexible use of the data. Keeping in mind these demands, we have developed the main FinBIF platform and project-specific user interfaces in order to facilitate participation in bird monitoring programs. We will introduce these user interfaces and our achievements and challenges in the development process.

A macrorhynchos-like Eurasian Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) in the Dolomites with a very abraded ring: an aged immigrant, or a locally born bird?

The origin of the ringed bird, photographed at Passo Gardena on 28 July 2016, remains unknown. However, considering that 1) irruptions of the macrorhynchos subspecies into the region have not occurred for years compatible with the degree of abrasion of the ring; 2) dispersed macrorhynchos individuals rarely survive for long periods outside their population range; 3) intermediate morphological traits between macrorhynchos and nominate caryocatactes appear in the area; and 4) the nominate subspecies may be derived, the possibility of a locally born representative of a hybrid population, or a bird with ancestral traits, should be considered for future studies.

Assessment of the breeding and wintering sites of Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) occurring in Hungary based on ringing recovery data

Abstract Using the latest dataset of the Hungarian Bird Ringing Centre, the aims of this study were to describe the monthly spatial pattern of woodcock occurrence and to assess the main wintering and breeding areas of the birds associated with Hungary in the last decade. Descriptive analyses were performed regarding the annual number of detections (ringing, recaptures and recoveries), and the relation between the annual number of woodcock ringers and the number of ringed birds was tested. Minimum convex polygons (MCP) were calculated for the detections of each month, and the variation of the monthly MCP size was evaluated. Distances of all detection locations were measured from the geographical central point of Hungary, and the distributions of these distances were compared among the months. The annual number of ringed birds increased, however it was not in relation with the number of people involved in ringing. The rate of recoveries was 7.5%. Two types of the reco very circumstances were registered: 89.9% by hunting, 10.1% found dead. MCPs were calculated for eight months. Each MCP overlapped with Hungary, to varying degrees, however remarkable differences were found in the MCP sizes among the different months. The largest areas were covered in December, January and February, while the areas in September and October were less than half of that size. The shortest distances to the country were registered in March, April, October, and November. Moderate distances were recorded in May and September, and the longest distances were found in December, January and February. Large amount of data is available about the wintering areas, and a wide wintering zone can be estimated. In contrast, there is no or only very little information about the areas covered in summer.

Current status of decitabine in refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts

Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RAS) is one of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in the French-American-British cooperative group (FAB) classifications, and it often belongs to a relatively low-risk group of MDS. The main therapeutic goals for the usage of demethylated drugs for RAS patients are improving cytopenia, detaching from blood transfusion, and improving quality of life and prolonging survival. Decitabine (DAC) is an important demethylating drug that plays an important role in the treatment of RAS. Currently, the optimal therapeutic dose for DAC treatment of RAS is 20 mg/(m2·d). Since larger dose of DAC may cause more severe levels of myelosuppression, recently DAC has shown a decreasing trend in therapeutic dose for lower-risk MDS, which including RAS. This article summarizes the current status in pathogenesis of RAS, and the mechanisms, optimal dosage and adverse reactions of DAC treatment in RAS, in order to provide theoretical basis for clinical treatment of RAS. Key words: Myelodysplastic syndromes; Anemia, refractory; Anemia, sideroblastic; DNA methylation; Decitabine

Clinical efficacy of hepatic artery ringed and restriction operation-associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy in the treatment of giant hepatocellular carcinoma

Clinical efficacy of hepatic artery ringed and restriction operation-associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy in the treatment of giant hepatocellular carcinoma

Islet Creation Increases Nesting Opportunities of the Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) in a Managed Salt Pan Area

The effectiveness of islet creation and restoration on Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) nesting was assessed in 14 ponds (six managed islets of 140 m2 on average per managed pond) from a salt pan complex located on the coast of the Loire-Atlantique department in northwest France. A Before-After-Control-Impact design using the two years before and the two years following management was used. No nesting occurred in the control ponds that lacked suitable islets. In the managed ponds, the mean number of nests built per year in the two years following management was seven, whereas no nesting occurred in the two years before management (P = 0.002). On the basis of the number of nests built in the study site, the mean proportion of nests built each year in the managed ponds was 27%. The mean age of banded birds nesting for the first time in the managed ponds in the two years following management was 4 years, and 58% of these birds were born in the study site. These results support the hypothesis that such management actions can increase nesting opportunities in artificial habitats. These actions may provide important alternatives to birds when conditions change in previously suitable breeding grounds.

Sexual structure of the bloodsuckers-flies (Diptera, Hippoboscidae) population of the genus <i>Ornithomya</i> Latreille, 1802 in the central region and northern part of Russia

In this paper the authors consider sex ratio in populations of the bloodsucker of the genus Ornithomya Latreille located in the Vladimir and Murmansk Regions. During the ringing of birds since 2014 we have been collecting the bloodsucker flies parasitizing on them. For just four years in the Vladimir Region we have examined 12515 birds, from which 94 females and 17 males of the bloodsucker Ornithomya avicularia L., 1758, as well as 142 females and 37 males Ornithomya fringillina Curtis, 1836, were taken. On the territory of the Murmansk Region in 2016 and 2017 465 females and 91 males of Ornithomya chloropus Bergot, 1901 were collected from birds. As a result of our research we obtained and summarized original material on the composition of the sexual structure of the population in bloodsucker flies (Diptera, Hippoboscidae) belonging to the genus Ornithomya Latreille, 1802. Females dominate males in Ornithomya avicularia , Ornithomya chloropus and Ornithomya fringillina in populations located on the territory of the Vladimir and Murmansk Regions of the Russian Federation. The study of seasonal changes in the sexual structure of the above species showed a gradual decrease in the number of male individuals during the season.

Use of plumage and gular pouch color to evaluate condition of oil spill rehabilitated California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) post-release.

Sublethal effects of oil spills may dampen seabird rehabilitation success due to lingering negative impacts of contamination and stress on reproduction and long-term survival. These effects can be difficult to measure while birds are in care as well as once birds are released. Expression of sexually selected traits that are sensitive to condition can provide information on physiological status of birds. We evaluated plumage molt and gular pouch skin color of California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) following oil contamination and rehabilitation to test for differences between previously oiled and rehabilitated (post-spill) and presumably uncontaminated pelicans. Post-spill pelicans released with either color leg bands alone, or bands plus harness-mounted satellite GPS tags, were relocated and visually assessed in the field at non-breeding communal roosts and compared to surrounding unmarked pelicans in the general population. Non-oiled pelicans bearing GPS tags were also included in the study. Post-spill pelicans lagged the general population in molt of ornamental yellow crown feathers but hind neck transition into white plumage was not significantly different. Both post-spill and non-oiled pelicans wearing GPS tags had lower gular redness scores than the unmarked, non-oiled population. Pre-breeding gular pouch redness of post-spill pelicans was more strongly influenced by wearing of a GPS tag than a history of oil contamination and rehabilitation. Gular pouch redness of post-spill pelicans in the first 18 months after release was positively correlated with long term survivorship. If gular pouch color is a condition-dependent sexual signal and overall health influences plumage molt progression, our results indicate that many post-spill pelicans marked with bands alone were in relatively good condition going into the next breeding season, but those released with electronic tags experienced additional stress due to wearing the equipment, introducing a confounding variable to the post-release study.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) on birds (Aves) migrating through the Polish Baltic coast

Seasonal bird (Aves) migration between breeding and wintering areas, often located on different continents, can facilitate the spreading of tick species (Acari: Ixodida) and of tick-borne pathogens. The aim of the study was to analyse the occurrence of ticks dispersed by birds migrating along the Polish Baltic coast during spring and autumn migration. Field research was conducted at the bird ringing station in Wicie, located on the middle of the Polish Baltic coast, in 2011 and 2012 during spring and autumn migration. A total of 2657 birds from 45 species was examined. The most common species inspected were European robin (Erithacus rubecula) (63.3%), song thrush (Turdus philomelos) (5.13%), and goldcrest (Regulus regulus) (4.5%). Overall, 3129 ticks belonging to six species were collected: Ixodes ricinus (1650 larvae, 1390 nymphs and 1 male), Ixodes frontalis (20 larvae, 20 nymphs), Ixodes arboricola (35 larvae), Dermacentor reticulatus (1 larva), and Haemaphysalis punctata (1 nymph). Ten larvae and one nymph could only be identified to the genus level Ixodes. Ticks were located on various parts of the head: on the corner of the beak (75.0%), near the eyes (14.6%), on the chin (4.4%), near the ears (4.4%), on the neck (1.1%), and in the beak (0.5%). The overall tick prevalence was 40.5%. The highest prevalence was for bird species feeding on the ground, covering a medium distance to wintering grounds and migrating at night. Statistically significant differences between the number of ticks and the sex of the host species were detected in blackbirds: males carried more parasites than females, both, during spring and autumn migration. The fact that I. ricinus and other ticks parasitize birds migrating through Poland extends the possibility of the spread of tick-borne diseases.

How far and how old: Longevity and displacement records from the South African Bird Ringing Scheme for Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae

Background: Understanding the movement and displacement of individuals within avian species is important for conservation. Herons, Storks and Egrets are especially important as they are migratory species and are potential indicator species. It is therefore valuable to set life history baselines to understand survival.Objectives: To establish baseline longevity and displacement values for the avian families Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae using the South African Bird Ringing Scheme (SAFRING) data for Africa and to highlight gaps in the SAFRING database for these families.Method: We used data archives of ringed and subsequently reported individuals to determine maximum displacement and longevities from the past seven decades for each species within these three families. Displacement was estimated by the straight-line distance between subsequent records for the same individual. Longevity is the measure of time elapsed in records for the same individual.Results: Displacement and longevity data were available for 17 of the 24 species in the focus families. Individuals of most of the species were ringed as nestlings so displacement records may represent dispersal. Displacement ranged from a maximum of 10 114 km for a White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) to 2.5 km for a Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus). Several species are poorly sampled, resulting in longevity records of just a few days. Despite that, longevity values were 5 years for 16 species, and the highest value was 25.3 years for a White Stork.Conclusion: It was possible to determine longevity values for most of the species within the three families investigated. Based on the displacement profiles for species with sufficient records, there are large differences in movement between species. Certain common species such as Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) have very few ringing records, which indicate a need for further species-specific research as the longevity values are not representative. This could greatly benefit studies aiming to use these species as ecosystem health indicators as well as identify which species are at risk.

An outbreak of trichomonosis in European greenfinches Chloris chloris and European goldfinches Carduelis carduelis wintering in Northern France.

Avian trichomonosis is a common and widespread disease, traditionally affecting columbids and raptors, and recently emerging among finch populations mainly in Europe. Across Europe, finch trichomonosis is caused by a single clonal strain of Trichomonas gallinae and negatively impacts finch populations. Here, we report an outbreak of finch trichomonosis in the wintering populations of Chloris chloris (European greenfinch) and Carduelis carduelis (European goldfinch) from the Boulonnais, in northern France. The outbreak was detected and monitored by bird ringers during their wintering bird ringing protocols. A total of 105 records from 12 sites were collected during the first quarter of 2017, with 46 and 59 concerning dead and diseased birds, respectively. Fourteen carcasses from two locations were necropsied and screened for multiple pathogens; the only causative agent identified was T. gallinae. Genetic characterization was performed by four markers (small subunit ribosomal RNA, hydrogenosomal iron-hydrogenase, and RNA polymerase II subunit 1 genes, and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) region) and confirmed the T. gallinae strain to be A1, which affects the finch populations of Europe. This was also confirmed by an ITS-based phylogenetic analysis which further illustrated the diversity of the Trichomonas infecting birds. Preliminary data on the survival and dispersion of infected birds were obtained from ring-returns of diseased individuals. The anthropogenic spread of diseases through bird feeding practices is highlighted and some suggestions to prevent pathogen transmission via backyard supplementary feeders for garden birds are given.

Low recruitment of Common Terns Sterna hirundo in the declining Barnegat Bay population

Common Tern Sterna hirundo populations have declined in the southern portion of their breeding range along the Atlantic coast of the United States. The Barnegat Bay (New Jersey, USA) population has been declining, with sea-level rise increasing the frequency of flooding of salt marsh islands believed to be a contributory factor. Productivity is typically very poor, relative to studies undertaken elsewhere, and a previous analysis suggested permanent emigration of breeding adults out of Barnegat Bay. At Pettit Island, a long-term study site in the bay, the number of ringed chicks recaptured as adults was extremely low, even when accounting for mortality prior to fledging. Of 1,314 chicks ringed at Pettit Island from 2006 to 2014, only 23 were recaptured as adults at Pettit from 2010 to 2017 (1.8%, or 3.9% of presumed fledglings). Correcting for the proportion of adults captured, recruitment by four years of age was estimated at 8.1 to 9.3% of fledglings, or 3.5 to 4.0% of all chicks. Recruits comprise a small percentage of breeders in the colony. Of 34 adults captured in 2016, 10 were previously ringed and only three of these had been ringed as chicks (8.8% of total, 30% of ringed birds). It is unlikely that the small number of returns at Pettit Island simply reflects natal dispersal within the bay, because no terns ringed as chicks at Pettit Island were recaptured as young breeders at other colonies. Whether poor recruitment reflects low postfledging or subadult survival, or emigration out of the population is unknown.

Estimating age-dependent survival from age-aggregated ringing data-extending the use of historical records.

Bird ring‐recovery data have been widely used to estimate demographic parameters such as survival probabilities since the mid‐20th century. However, while the total number of birds ringed each year is usually known, historical information on age at ringing is often not available. A standard ring‐recovery model, for which information on age at ringing is required, cannot be used when historical data are incomplete. We develop a new model to estimate age‐dependent survival probabilities from such historical data when age at ringing is not recorded; we call this the historical data model. This new model provides an extension to the model of Robinson, 2010, Ibis, 152, 651–795 by estimating the proportion of the ringed birds marked as juveniles as an additional parameter. We conduct a simulation study to examine the performance of the historical data model and compare it with other models including the standard and conditional ring‐recovery models. Simulation studies show that the approach of Robinson, 2010, Ibis, 152, 651–795 can cause bias in parameter estimates. In contrast, the historical data model yields similar parameter estimates to the standard model. Parameter redundancy results show that the newly developed historical data model is comparable to the standard ring‐recovery model, in terms of which parameters can be estimated, and has fewer identifiability issues than the conditional model. We illustrate the new proposed model using Blackbird and Sandwich Tern data. The new historical data model allows us to make full use of historical data and estimate the same parameters as the standard model with incomplete data, and in doing so, detect potential changes in demographic parameters further back in time.

Adult Survival of Common Eiders in Maine

Although most species of sea ducks are poorly studied, much is known about the population dynamics of the American race of Somateria mollissma dresseri (Common Eider). Although Common Eiders typically have high adult survival and low recruitment rates, their populations in Maine have declined since the early 1990s. Wildlife managers hypothesized this decline was due to reduced adult survival; therefore, they decreased daily bag limits in Maine in 1999 and 2009 to increase local populations. The goals of this project were to assess (a) whether survival rates of adult females captured while nesting varied between historical estimates (1943–1993) and recent estimates (2000–2012), (b) whether survival rates increased from 2000–2009 after the initial harvest restrictions were implemented in 1999, and (c) determine if estimates of survival rates of adult males and females captured while molting differed from estimates of adult females captured while nesting. We used mark–recapture models to estimate survival rates of Common Eiders we banded in Maine (nesting females [n = 2340] from 2000 to 2012; molting males [ n = 4366] and molting females [n = 4952] from 2000 to 2009). We found no difference in survival of nesting females based on historical (mean ± SE = 0.9003 ± 0.0841) and recent estimates (0.90 ± 0.015). Although we observed annual fluctuations in survival, survival rates did not increase following the implementation of harvest restrictions. Mean annual survival rates were similarly high for molting females (0.894 ± 0.0205) and nesting females, but lower for molting males (0.855 ± 0.0128). Lower survival rates of adult males may reflect the preference by US hunters to selectively harvest adult males. Overall mean recovery rates of banded birds were low (females: 0.037 ± 0.00043, males: 0.0226 ± 0.0006). We hypothesize that current harvest rates may be influencing decreased survival of adult males to some extent.

Long-term declines in winter body mass of tits throughout Britain and Ireland correlate with climate change.

The optimum body mass of passerine birds typically represents a trade‐off between starvation risk, which promotes fat gain, and predation pressure, which promotes fat loss to maintain maneuvrability. Changes in ecological factors that affect either of these variables will therefore change the optimum body masses of populations of passerine birds. This study sought to identify and quantify the effects of changing temperatures and predation pressures on the body masses and wing lengths of populations of passerine birds throughout Britain and Ireland over the last 50 years. We analyzed over 900,000 individual measurements of body mass and wing length of blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus, coal tits Periparus ater, and great tits Parus major collected by licenced bird ringers throughout Britain and Ireland from 1965 to 2017 and correlated these with publicly available temperature data and published, UK‐wide data on the abundance of a key predator, the sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. We found highly significant, long‐term, UK‐wide decreases in winter body masses of adults and juveniles of all three species. We also found highly significant negative correlations between winter body mass and winter temperature, and between winter body mass and sparrowhawk abundance. Independent of these effects, body mass further correlated negatively with calendar year, suggesting that less well understood dynamic factors, such as supplementary feeding levels, may play a major role in determining population optimum body masses. Wing lengths of these birds also decreased, suggesting a hitherto unobserved large‐scale evolutionary adjustment of wing loading to the lower body mass. These findings provide crucial evidence of the ways in which species are adapting to climate change and other anthropogenic factors throughout Britain and Ireland. Such processes are likely to have widespread implications as the equilibria controlling evolutionary optima in species worldwide are upset by rapid, anthropogenic ecological changes.

Representing migration routes from re-encounter data: a new method applied to ring recoveries of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) in Europe

Bird ringing was established more than a century ago to gather information on bird movements. Since then, ornithologists have systematically collected huge databases of records of birds ringed and subsequently re-encountered, but, to date, there have been few quantitative attempts to identify migratory routes from ringing data. Here, we develop a novel, quantitative method for describing migration routes using ringing data and we applied it to a dataset of 72,827 ring recoveries of the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) through western and central Europe from the EURING and SAFRING databanks spanning 1908–2011. We considered movements of 332 individuals during spring migration and 1509 during autumn migration. The results indicate that, in spring, Barn Swallows enter western Europe through Gibraltar or by crossing the Mediterranean Sea through the Balearic Islands, Sardinia, and the Italian peninsula. They then spread over a wide front. In northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands routes diverge, pointing toward either the British Isles or Denmark and Scandinavia. Autumn migration routes are similar to those in spring. The general migration pattern that emerged from the analyses was consistent with previous descriptions of migratory movements of this well-known species. However, this analysis also revealed some previously undocumented migration patterns. For instance, in spring, some migrants moved from the Balearic Islands to Corsica and Italy, thus making a rather long eastward crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. In autumn, some migrants moved from the Balkan Peninsula westwards toward Italy. Analyses restricted to recoveries within the same spring or the same autumn and to birds found dead showed similar patterns. Our procedure was, therefore, able to identify migration patterns over a large geographical area, and may be extended to those species for which large datasets of ring recoveries or sight-resight data are available.

The Isolation and Identification of Bacteria on Feathers of Migratory Bird Species.

Worldwide, bacteria are the most ubiquitous microorganisms, and it has been extensively demonstrated that migratory wild birds can increase bacterial global scale dispersion through long-distance migration and dispersal. The microbial community hosted by wild birds can be highly diverse, including pathogenic strains that can contribute to infections and disease spread. This study focused on feather and plumage bacteria within bird microbial communities. Samples were collected during ornithological activities in a bird ringing station. Bacterial identification was carried out via DNA barcoding of the partial 16S rRNA gene. Thirty-seven isolates of bacteria were identified on the chest feathers of 60 migratory birds belonging to three trans-Saharan species: Muscicapa striata, Hippolais icterina, and Sylvia borin. Our results demonstrate the possibility of bacterial transfer, including pathogens, through bird migration between very distant countries. The data from the analysis of plumage bacteria can aid in the explanation of phenomena such as migratory birds’ fitness or the development of secondary sexual traits. Moreover, these results have deep hygienic–sanitary implications, since many bird species have synanthropic behaviors during their migration that increase the probability of disease spread.