Matching geographical assignment by stable isotopes with African non-breeding sites of barn swallows Hirundo rustica tracked by geolocation.

ABSTRACT: Knowledge on whereabouts within the annual cycle of migratory species is prerequisite for many aspects in ecology and biological conservation. Spatial assignments of stable isotopes archived in tissues allows for later inference on sites where the specific tissue had been grown. It has been rarely tested whether spatial assignments match directly tracked non-breeding residences, especially for migratory songbirds. We here compare assignments of stable isotopes from feathers of Palaearctic Barn swallows Hirundo rustica with their African non-breeding residence sites tracked by geolocation.Assignments based on δ2H, δ13C and δ15N isotope compositions delineate three main non-breeding regions: a main cluster in central Africa, a second in West Africa, and the third cluster in Northern Africa.

SUBMITTER: Seifert N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6138371 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature