Narrow-front loop migration in a population of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, as revealed by satellite telemetry.

ABSTRACT: Narrow migration corridors known in diurnal, social migrants such as raptors, storks and geese are thought to be caused by topographical leading line effects in combination with learning detailed routes across generations. Here, we document narrow-front migration in a nocturnal, solitary migrant, the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, using satellite telemetry. We tracked the migration of adult cuckoos from the breeding grounds in southern Scandinavia (n = 8), to wintering sites in south-western Central Africa (n = 6) and back to the breeding grounds (n = 3). Migration patterns were very complex; in addition to the breeding and wintering sites, six different stopover sites were identified during the 16,000 km annual route that formed a large-scale clockwise loop. Despite this complexity, indiv

SUBMITTER: Willemoes M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3885432 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature