Migration routes and strategies in a highly aerial migrant, the common swift Apus apus, revealed by light-level geolocators.

ABSTRACT: The tracking of small avian migrants has only recently become possible by the use of small light-level geolocators, allowing the reconstruction of whole migration routes, as well as timing and speed of migration and identification of wintering areas. Such information is crucial for evaluating theories about migration strategies and pinpointing critical areas for migrants of potential conservation value. Here we report data about migration in the common swift, a highly aerial and long-distance migrating species for which only limited information based on ringing recoveries about migration routes and wintering areas is available. Six individuals were successfully tracked throughout a complete migration cycle from Sweden to Africa and back. The autumn migration followed a similar route in all

SUBMITTER: Akesson S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3399846 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature