Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Winter site use by Afro-Palearctic migrants in Ghana : site persistence and densities of Willow Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Melodious Warbler and Common Redstart

Thorup, Kasper ; Sørensen, Iben Hove ; Willemoes, Mikkel LU ; Lerche-Jørgensen, Mathilde ; Fjeldså, Jon ; Tøttrup, Anders P. ; Jacobsen, Erik Mandrup ; Reeve, Andrew H. ; Oteng-Appau, Robert and Asamoah, Augustus , et al. (2019) In Ostrich 90(2). p.173-177
Abstract

Little is known about the variation within and among species of long-distance migrants in behavioural strategies and habitat choice on their non-breeding grounds. We report results from regular ringing operations carried out during the winter seasons 2009–2013 and transect counts in 2013, 2015 and 2016 in the Sudan Savanna Zone in Ghana. The best supported capture–mark–recapture model included species-specific probabilities of stay between within-season periods but no differences in resighting probability among species or sites. This model indicated that less than one-third of the Willow Warblers Phylloscopus trochilus and half of the Melodious Warblers Hippolais polyglotta stayed at wintering sites during more than 10 d, whereas for... (More)

Little is known about the variation within and among species of long-distance migrants in behavioural strategies and habitat choice on their non-breeding grounds. We report results from regular ringing operations carried out during the winter seasons 2009–2013 and transect counts in 2013, 2015 and 2016 in the Sudan Savanna Zone in Ghana. The best supported capture–mark–recapture model included species-specific probabilities of stay between within-season periods but no differences in resighting probability among species or sites. This model indicated that less than one-third of the Willow Warblers Phylloscopus trochilus and half of the Melodious Warblers Hippolais polyglotta stayed at wintering sites during more than 10 d, whereas for Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca and Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus up to 90% stayed for more than 10 d, indicating itinerant wintering behaviour in the warblers and longer non-breeding residency in Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart. Densities varied among years, but Pied Flycatchers were consistently most numerous in well-matured woodland habitat and Willow Warblers in disturbed habitat. Recaptures among years were too low for meaningful estimates of winter site fidelity, yet recurrence was recorded in three species. We speculate that habitat use is directly related to degree of territory defence and itinerancy.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Afro-Palearctic migrants, density, Ghana, itinerancy, recurrence, wintering
in
Ostrich
volume
90
issue
2
pages
173 - 177
publisher
BirdLife South Africa
external identifiers
  • scopus:85073232042
ISSN
0030-6525
DOI
10.2989/00306525.2019.1616229
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
bb0193d9-34fb-4083-9538-c4264e6effdb
date added to LUP
2019-11-04 13:10:38
date last changed
2022-04-18 18:45:53
@article{bb0193d9-34fb-4083-9538-c4264e6effdb,
  abstract     = {{<p>Little is known about the variation within and among species of long-distance migrants in behavioural strategies and habitat choice on their non-breeding grounds. We report results from regular ringing operations carried out during the winter seasons 2009–2013 and transect counts in 2013, 2015 and 2016 in the Sudan Savanna Zone in Ghana. The best supported capture–mark–recapture model included species-specific probabilities of stay between within-season periods but no differences in resighting probability among species or sites. This model indicated that less than one-third of the Willow Warblers Phylloscopus trochilus and half of the Melodious Warblers Hippolais polyglotta stayed at wintering sites during more than 10 d, whereas for Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca and Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus up to 90% stayed for more than 10 d, indicating itinerant wintering behaviour in the warblers and longer non-breeding residency in Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart. Densities varied among years, but Pied Flycatchers were consistently most numerous in well-matured woodland habitat and Willow Warblers in disturbed habitat. Recaptures among years were too low for meaningful estimates of winter site fidelity, yet recurrence was recorded in three species. We speculate that habitat use is directly related to degree of territory defence and itinerancy.</p>}},
  author       = {{Thorup, Kasper and Sørensen, Iben Hove and Willemoes, Mikkel and Lerche-Jørgensen, Mathilde and Fjeldså, Jon and Tøttrup, Anders P. and Jacobsen, Erik Mandrup and Reeve, Andrew H. and Oteng-Appau, Robert and Asamoah, Augustus and Lehmberg, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{0030-6525}},
  keywords     = {{Afro-Palearctic migrants; density; Ghana; itinerancy; recurrence; wintering}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{173--177}},
  publisher    = {{BirdLife South Africa}},
  series       = {{Ostrich}},
  title        = {{Winter site use by Afro-Palearctic migrants in Ghana : site persistence and densities of Willow Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Melodious Warbler and Common Redstart}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2019.1616229}},
  doi          = {{10.2989/00306525.2019.1616229}},
  volume       = {{90}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}