Bird populations are known to be affected by climate and habitat change. Here we assess on a continental scale the relationship of a bird population index for the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) with spatially explicit long-term climate data. For 1971-2001 and using multiple linear regression and AIC selection methods for candidate models we found that log-transformed 30 year long-term fal...

During the autumn migration of many waterfowls, body mass is lowest upon arrival at the wintering area and gradually increases during the winter. Consequently, body mass is highest before the spring migration. We studied the pattern of body mass changes in the Black-Headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) from December 2010 to December 2016 in the Shinhama area of Chiba, Japan. Based on 327 captured ani...

--Despite considerable evidence that juvenile shorebirds experience significantly higher annual mortality rates than adults, identification and quantification of the sources of mortality have received little attention. We found that the proportion of juvenile Dunlins (Calidris alpina) in the kills of a Merlin (Falco columbarius) one winter at Bolinas Lagoon, California was greater than the prop...

Understanding the patterns, extent, and phenology of migration is important for estimating potential influences of habitat or climate changes on populations of migratory birds. We used satellite telemetry of 100 individual King Eiders (Somateria spectabilis) tagged in northwestern North America in 2002–2006 to describe the timing and extent of their migration and winter movements in the Bering ...

The coastal waters off the southeastern United States (SEUS) are a primary wintering ground for the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), used by calving females along with other adult and juvenile whales. Management actions implemented in this area for the recovery of the right whale population rely on accurate habitat characterization and the ability to predict whale di...

Long-distance migration is a behavior that is exhibited by many animal groups. The evolution of novel migration routes can play an important role in range expansions, ecological interactions, and speciation. New migration routes may evolve in response to selection in favor of reducing distance between breeding and wintering areas, or avoiding navigational barriers. Many migratory changes are li...

In migratory birds, the place and time of pair formation are important parameters for population structure and dynamics. Geese are not only migratory but also exhibit long-term monogamy, and therefore the first pairing event in a bird’s lifetime is of particular importance. Through behavioural observations of young, known-age, marked birds conducted on the wintering grounds during three winter ...

Patterns of migration including connectivity between breeding and non-breeding populations and intraspecific variation in the distance travelled are important to study because they can affect individual fitness and population dynamics. Using data from 182 band recoveries across North America and 17 light-level geolocators, we examined the migration patterns of the northern flicker (Colaptes aur...