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Bird Migration Speed

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Avian Migration

Abstract

Migrating birds alternate between two main phases of (1) flight when distance is covered and energy (fuel) is consumed, and (2) fuel deposition when energy is accumulated by intensive foraging. Fuel deposition takes place during stopover periods between flights as well as during a premigratory fuelling period before the initial flight. Thus, the total duration of migration T is the sum of flight time T flight and fuel deposition time T dep:

$$T = {T_{flight}} + {T_{dep}}.$$
(1)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 22362, Lund, Sweden

    Thomas Alerstam

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  1. Thomas Alerstam
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  1. Max-Planck-Forschungsstelle für Ornithologie, Vogelwarte Radolfzell Schloss Moeggingen, Schlossallee 2, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany

    Peter Berthold  & Edith Sonnenschein  & 

  2. Max-Planck-Forschungsstelle für Ornithologie, Abteilung Biologische Rhytmen und Verhalten, Von-der-Tann-Straße 3-7, 82346, Andechs, Germany

    Eberhard Gwinner

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Alerstam, T. (2003). Bird Migration Speed. In: Berthold, P., Gwinner, E., Sonnenschein, E. (eds) Avian Migration. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05957-9_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-05957-9_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-07780-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-05957-9

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