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Migration of black terns Chlidonias niger and common terns Sterna hirundo between south Sweden and the Atlantic coast of Africa

Alerstam, Thomas LU ; Bäckman, Johan LU orcid ; Grönroos, Johanna LU ; Olofsson, Patrik ; Strandberg, Roine LU and Sjöberg, Sissel LU orcid (2024) In Journal of Avian Biology
Abstract

Light-level geolocators were used to record the annual migration cycles of black terns Chlidonias niger (9 individuals, 11 journeys) and common terns Sterna hirundo (7 individuals, 11 journeys) breeding in southernmost Sweden. The black terns used two different non-breeding (Oct–Mar) regions along the Atlantic coast of Africa, either north of the equator between Senegal and Liberia (3 individuals) or south of the equator between Gabon and northern Namibia (5 individuals). All the common terns travelled to non-breeding quarters south of the equator, mainly along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa. One juvenile common tern was tracked during the first twenty months of its life. This bird spent its first northern winter in South... (More)

Light-level geolocators were used to record the annual migration cycles of black terns Chlidonias niger (9 individuals, 11 journeys) and common terns Sterna hirundo (7 individuals, 11 journeys) breeding in southernmost Sweden. The black terns used two different non-breeding (Oct–Mar) regions along the Atlantic coast of Africa, either north of the equator between Senegal and Liberia (3 individuals) or south of the equator between Gabon and northern Namibia (5 individuals). All the common terns travelled to non-breeding quarters south of the equator, mainly along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa. One juvenile common tern was tracked during the first twenty months of its life. This bird spent its first northern winter in South Africa, after which it migrated north of the equator to spend the northern summer as a one-year-old non-breeder in tropical waters off Ghana, after which it returned to South Africa for its second northern winter. This record demonstrates that one-year-old terns may undertake extensive intra-African migration to distant over-summering areas. Comparing geolocator results from Swedish and Dutch black tern populations indicate that they have similar migration habits, with a possible tendency of relatively more individuals migrating south of the equator in the more northerly Swedish population (leap-frog migration). Comparing geolocator and ringing results among common tern populations indicates a fascinating and complex pattern of scale-dependent geographic segregation and intermixing along the coasts of Africa.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
bird migration, bird tracking, black tern, common tern, light-level geolocator
in
Journal of Avian Biology
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85211136453
ISSN
0908-8857
DOI
10.1111/jav.03348
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
67f0a8f2-33f1-4251-b7f8-c2a64f52e4a3
date added to LUP
2025-01-31 15:06:38
date last changed
2025-04-04 13:51:19
@article{67f0a8f2-33f1-4251-b7f8-c2a64f52e4a3,
  abstract     = {{<p>Light-level geolocators were used to record the annual migration cycles of black terns Chlidonias niger (9 individuals, 11 journeys) and common terns Sterna hirundo (7 individuals, 11 journeys) breeding in southernmost Sweden. The black terns used two different non-breeding (Oct–Mar) regions along the Atlantic coast of Africa, either north of the equator between Senegal and Liberia (3 individuals) or south of the equator between Gabon and northern Namibia (5 individuals). All the common terns travelled to non-breeding quarters south of the equator, mainly along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa. One juvenile common tern was tracked during the first twenty months of its life. This bird spent its first northern winter in South Africa, after which it migrated north of the equator to spend the northern summer as a one-year-old non-breeder in tropical waters off Ghana, after which it returned to South Africa for its second northern winter. This record demonstrates that one-year-old terns may undertake extensive intra-African migration to distant over-summering areas. Comparing geolocator results from Swedish and Dutch black tern populations indicate that they have similar migration habits, with a possible tendency of relatively more individuals migrating south of the equator in the more northerly Swedish population (leap-frog migration). Comparing geolocator and ringing results among common tern populations indicates a fascinating and complex pattern of scale-dependent geographic segregation and intermixing along the coasts of Africa.</p>}},
  author       = {{Alerstam, Thomas and Bäckman, Johan and Grönroos, Johanna and Olofsson, Patrik and Strandberg, Roine and Sjöberg, Sissel}},
  issn         = {{0908-8857}},
  keywords     = {{bird migration; bird tracking; black tern; common tern; light-level geolocator}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Avian Biology}},
  title        = {{Migration of black terns Chlidonias niger and common terns Sterna hirundo between south Sweden and the Atlantic coast of Africa}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.03348}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jav.03348}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}