Abstract
The development of increasingly small devices for the satellite tracking of small birds allows us to explore aspects of avian migration that have never been studied before. Here, we provide the results of using 12- and 9.5-g platform transmitter terminals (PTTs) to track game birds of 300–385 g. Attaching PTTs to 20 Woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola), wintering in Spain from 2006 to 2012, allowed us to explore (1) migration strategies (timing, velocity and stopovers), (2) the identity of the breeding grounds; (3) inter-year site fidelity to wintering grounds. We provide details of the route, speed and timing of migration and the location of remote breeding sites that were unknown prior to this study. The departure from winter quarters (median date) was completed by 20 March. The spring migration period lasted 40 days, and our birds were found to travel from >5,000 to >10,000 km, with a mean total migratory speed (i.e., including stopovers) of 170 km/day. Woodcocks followed fairly direct routes of migration. Stopover duration tended to be shortened when birds were closer to their breeding areas, which were located further east than previously stated. The only bird that provided long-term data (>1 year) was observed to return to the same wintering area, suggesting high winter site fidelity. The use of small PTTs opens new research lines related to the study and management of small to medium-sized migratory birds.
Zusammenfassung
Solar/Argos PTT-Sender widersprechen Ringfundanalysen: In Spanien überwinternde Waldschnepfen brüten weiter östlich als bislang angenommen Die Entwicklung zunehmend kleinerer Geräte zur Satellitenverfolgung kleiner Vögel gestattet es uns, zuvor noch nie untersuchte Aspekte des Vogelzuges zu erforschen. Hier stellen wir die Ergebnisse vor, die wir mit 12 g- und 9.5-g-PTT-Sendern (Platform Transmitter Terminals) an 300–385 g schwerem Federwild erzielten. Die Ausstattung von 20 in Spanien überwinternden Waldschnepfen Scolopax rusticola mit PTT-Sendern ermöglichte uns zwischen 2006 und 2012 (1) die Erforschung von Zugstrategien (zeitlicher Ablauf, Zuggeschwindigkeit und Rastaufenthalte); (2) die Ermittlung der Brutgebiete; (3) die Bestimmung der Winterquartiertreue von Jahr zu Jahr. Wir liefern Einzelheiten bezüglich Route, Geschwindigkeit und Zeitverlauf des Zuggeschehens sowie der Lage entfernterer Brutgebiete, die vor dieser Studie nicht bekannt waren. Der Abzug aus den Winterquartieren (Datumsmittelwert) war am 20. März abgeschlossen. Der Frühjahrszug dauerte 40 Tage, und unsere Vögel legten dabei zwischen über 5,000 bis über 10,000 km zurück, bei einer mittleren Zuggeschwindigkeit (d. h. einschließlich Zwischenstopps) von 170 km pro Tag. Die Waldschnepfen nutzten relativ direkte Zugrouten. Tendenziell verkürzte sich die Rastdauer, wenn die Vögel näher an ihre Brutgebiete kamen, welche weiter östlich lagen als bislang angenommen. Der einzige Vogel, welcher längerfristige (>1 Jahr) Daten lieferte, kehrte ins selbe Winterquartier zurück, was eine hohe Treue zum Überwinterungsgebiet nahelegt. Der Einsatz kleiner PTT-Sender eröffnet neue Forschungsansätze für die Untersuchung und das Management kleiner bis mittelgroßer Zugvögel.
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Acknowledgments
This work was funded by: Regional Councils or Governments of Gipuzkoa, Cataluña, Baleares, Bizkaia and Navarra; FEDENCA, IREC (CSIC-University of Castilla-La Mancha), Microwave Telemetry Inc., Urdaibai Bird Center-Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Club de Cazadores de Becada (CCB), CAM. Thanks to the people who collaborated during the flied work, especially to the CCB members. Authorizations to capture, ring and mark Woodcocks with PTTs were provided by Regional Councils or Governments of: Asturias, Gipuzkoa, Cataluña, Baleares, Castilla y León, Andalucía, Galicia, Bizkaia and Navarra. I.V. Iljinsky and one more reviewer provided valuable comments that helped us to improve an earlier version of this work.
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Communicated by N. Chernetsov.
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Arizaga, J., Crespo, A., Telletxea, I. et al. Solar/Argos PTTs contradict ring-recovery analyses: Woodcocks wintering in Spain are found to breed further east than previously stated. J Ornithol 156, 515–523 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1152-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1152-7