Flight altitude dynamics of migrating European nightjars across regions and seasons.

ABSTRACT: Avian migrants may fly at a range of altitudes, but usually concentrate near strata where a combination of flight conditions is favourable. The aerial environment can have a large impact on the performance of the migrant and is usually highly dynamic, making it beneficial for a bird to regularly check the flight conditions at alternative altitudes. We recorded the migrations between northern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa of European nightjars Caprimulgus europaeus to explore their altitudinal space use during spring and autumn flights and to test whether their climbs and descents were performed according to predictions from flight mechanical theory. Spring migration across all regions was associated with more exploratory vertical flights involving major climbs, a higher degree of vertical

SUBMITTER: Norevik G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8601712 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature