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Migration strategy of white-spotted bluethroats (Luscinia svecica cyanecula and L. s. namnetum) along the eastern Atlantic route

Correia, Edna and Neto, Julio LU (2013) In Ardeola 60(2). p.245-259
Abstract
The bluethroat Luscinia svecica is a particularly interesting species for the study of the mechanisms that control migration because it comprises several recently diverged subspecies that differ in migratory distance and direction. Here we use ringing data to describe the migration strategy and winter distribution of L. s. cyanecula and L. s. namnetum along the eastern Atlantic coast of Iberia and West Africa. No differences were found in autumn migration phenology between subspecies, ages and sexes. However, in contrast to L. s. namnetum, the mean wing length of L. s. cyanecula decreased and its body mass increased during this migratory period. The subspecies also differed in migration speed and stopover behaviour, with L. s. cyanecula... (More)
The bluethroat Luscinia svecica is a particularly interesting species for the study of the mechanisms that control migration because it comprises several recently diverged subspecies that differ in migratory distance and direction. Here we use ringing data to describe the migration strategy and winter distribution of L. s. cyanecula and L. s. namnetum along the eastern Atlantic coast of Iberia and West Africa. No differences were found in autumn migration phenology between subspecies, ages and sexes. However, in contrast to L. s. namnetum, the mean wing length of L. s. cyanecula decreased and its body mass increased during this migratory period. The subspecies also differed in migration speed and stopover behaviour, with L. s. cyanecula travelling faster and refuelling during stopovers. The potential non-stop flight range was greater in L. s. cyanecula and increased with decreasing latitude, which is probably related to the need to overcome geographical barriers to reach the wintering grounds. During winter, the birds captured in sub-Saharan Africa were almost exclusively L. s. cyanecula, whereas L. s. namnetum wintered mainly in Iberia, and the probability of capturing adults increased with decreasing latitude. L. s. cyanecula captured in Africa had longer wings than those migrating through and wintering in Iberia, indicating a leapfrog migration pattern also within L. s. cyanecula populations. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
migration, bluethroat, stopover ecology, wintering
in
Ardeola
volume
60
issue
2
pages
245 - 259
publisher
SEO/BirdLife
external identifiers
  • wos:000329767600003
  • scopus:84893331040
ISSN
0570-7358
DOI
10.13157/arla.60.2.2013.245
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6cd1c59f-296c-4d12-ad9f-47ce8ef2a91a (old id 4300835)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:37:24
date last changed
2024-03-27 21:22:43
@article{6cd1c59f-296c-4d12-ad9f-47ce8ef2a91a,
  abstract     = {{The bluethroat Luscinia svecica is a particularly interesting species for the study of the mechanisms that control migration because it comprises several recently diverged subspecies that differ in migratory distance and direction. Here we use ringing data to describe the migration strategy and winter distribution of L. s. cyanecula and L. s. namnetum along the eastern Atlantic coast of Iberia and West Africa. No differences were found in autumn migration phenology between subspecies, ages and sexes. However, in contrast to L. s. namnetum, the mean wing length of L. s. cyanecula decreased and its body mass increased during this migratory period. The subspecies also differed in migration speed and stopover behaviour, with L. s. cyanecula travelling faster and refuelling during stopovers. The potential non-stop flight range was greater in L. s. cyanecula and increased with decreasing latitude, which is probably related to the need to overcome geographical barriers to reach the wintering grounds. During winter, the birds captured in sub-Saharan Africa were almost exclusively L. s. cyanecula, whereas L. s. namnetum wintered mainly in Iberia, and the probability of capturing adults increased with decreasing latitude. L. s. cyanecula captured in Africa had longer wings than those migrating through and wintering in Iberia, indicating a leapfrog migration pattern also within L. s. cyanecula populations.}},
  author       = {{Correia, Edna and Neto, Julio}},
  issn         = {{0570-7358}},
  keywords     = {{migration; bluethroat; stopover ecology; wintering}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{245--259}},
  publisher    = {{SEO/BirdLife}},
  series       = {{Ardeola}},
  title        = {{Migration strategy of white-spotted bluethroats (Luscinia svecica cyanecula and L. s. namnetum) along the eastern Atlantic route}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.13157/arla.60.2.2013.245}},
  doi          = {{10.13157/arla.60.2.2013.245}},
  volume       = {{60}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}