Habitat availability influences migration speed, refueling patterns and seasonal flyways of a fly-and-forage migrant.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite our understanding of the principal factors that shape bird migration strategies, there is conflicting evidence regarding the role of habitat in shaping migration routes and schedules, including day and night activity and differences between autumn and spring. For fly-and-forage migrants, we predict that habitat characteristics might guide migration speed, route selection and migrating schedules.

Methods

We use solar-powered GPS transmitters, obtaining high accuracy data, to monitor the migratory movements of Eleonora's falcon breeding in Cyprus, which is the easternmost breeding population of the species. We tested for potential preferences in habitat characteristics along the migration routes, separately for the northern, drier part and the more vegetated

SUBMITTER: Hadjikyriakou TG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7017632 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature