Converging migration routes of Eurasian hobbies Falco subbuteo crossing the African equatorial rain forest.
(2009) In Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences 276(1657). p.727-733- Abstract
- Autumn migration of adult Eurasian hobbies Falco subbuteo from Europe to southern Africa was recorded by satellite telemetry and observed routes were compared with randomly simulated routes. Two non-random features of observed routes were revealed: (i) shifts to more westerly longitudes than straight paths to destinations and (ii) strong route convergence towards a restricted area close to the equator (1 degrees S, 15 degrees E). The birds migrated south or southwest to approximately 10 degrees N, where they changed to south-easterly courses. The maximal spread between routes at 10 degrees N (2134km) rapidly decreased to a minimum (67km) close to the equator. We found a striking relationship between the route convergence and the... (More)
- Autumn migration of adult Eurasian hobbies Falco subbuteo from Europe to southern Africa was recorded by satellite telemetry and observed routes were compared with randomly simulated routes. Two non-random features of observed routes were revealed: (i) shifts to more westerly longitudes than straight paths to destinations and (ii) strong route convergence towards a restricted area close to the equator (1 degrees S, 15 degrees E). The birds migrated south or southwest to approximately 10 degrees N, where they changed to south-easterly courses. The maximal spread between routes at 10 degrees N (2134km) rapidly decreased to a minimum (67km) close to the equator. We found a striking relationship between the route convergence and the distribution of continuous rainforest, suggesting that hobbies minimize flight distance across the forest, concentrating in a corridor where habitat may be more suitable for travelling and foraging. With rainforest forming a possible ecological barrier, many migrants may cross the equator either at 15 degrees E, similar to the hobbies, or at 30-40 degrees E, east of the rainforest where large-scale migration is well documented. Much remains to be understood about the role of the rainforest for the evolution and future of the trans-equatorial Palaearctic-African bird migration systems. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1271806
- author
- Strandberg, Roine LU ; Klaassen, Raymond LU ; Hake, Mikael ; Olofsson, Patrik and Alerstam, Thomas LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2009
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- bird migration, route convergence, equatorial rainforest, ecological barrier, Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo
- in
- Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences
- volume
- 276
- issue
- 1657
- pages
- 727 - 733
- publisher
- Royal Society Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000262419000016
- scopus:58249114911
- ISSN
- 1471-2954
- DOI
- 10.1098/rspb.2008.1202
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ec3f8dc8-d1e5-4c08-acce-01990209bd9f (old id 1271806)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 11:45:28
- date last changed
- 2022-04-20 21:25:08
@article{ec3f8dc8-d1e5-4c08-acce-01990209bd9f,
abstract = {{Autumn migration of adult Eurasian hobbies Falco subbuteo from Europe to southern Africa was recorded by satellite telemetry and observed routes were compared with randomly simulated routes. Two non-random features of observed routes were revealed: (i) shifts to more westerly longitudes than straight paths to destinations and (ii) strong route convergence towards a restricted area close to the equator (1 degrees S, 15 degrees E). The birds migrated south or southwest to approximately 10 degrees N, where they changed to south-easterly courses. The maximal spread between routes at 10 degrees N (2134km) rapidly decreased to a minimum (67km) close to the equator. We found a striking relationship between the route convergence and the distribution of continuous rainforest, suggesting that hobbies minimize flight distance across the forest, concentrating in a corridor where habitat may be more suitable for travelling and foraging. With rainforest forming a possible ecological barrier, many migrants may cross the equator either at 15 degrees E, similar to the hobbies, or at 30-40 degrees E, east of the rainforest where large-scale migration is well documented. Much remains to be understood about the role of the rainforest for the evolution and future of the trans-equatorial Palaearctic-African bird migration systems.}},
author = {{Strandberg, Roine and Klaassen, Raymond and Hake, Mikael and Olofsson, Patrik and Alerstam, Thomas}},
issn = {{1471-2954}},
keywords = {{bird migration; route convergence; equatorial rainforest; ecological barrier; Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1657}},
pages = {{727--733}},
publisher = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
series = {{Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences}},
title = {{Converging migration routes of Eurasian hobbies Falco subbuteo crossing the African equatorial rain forest.}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1202}},
doi = {{10.1098/rspb.2008.1202}},
volume = {{276}},
year = {{2009}},
}