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A comparison of migratory strategies of partial migratory raptors from Germany

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Abstract

The phenomenon of partial migration in birds in which some individuals of a population are migratory while others stay in the breeding area is of increasing scientific interest. The strategies of partial migratory raptors from Central Europe are, however, unclear for most species. We analysed ring re-encounter data of Eurasian Sparrowhawks Accipter nisus and Common Buzzards Buteo buteo ringed in Germany in terms of distances and directions between ringing and re-encounter sites. We investigated possible differences between sexes (only in Sparrowhawks) and age classes, as well as effects of ringing region, seasonal weather (in the form of North Atlantic Oscillation indices) and long-term temporal changes (including climate change) on migratory strategies by means of generalized linear models. We found that, in both species, migration is mostly conducted by juveniles, although migratory adults were also found. In general, male Sparrowhawks tend to migrate less than females. Sparrowhawks from different regions showed no differences in migration activity and no responses to long-term temporal changes. They did not respond to seasonal weather either. Buzzards showed strong responses to winter weather (‘winter escapes’) predominantly in highland regions, and a reduction of migratory intensity probably due to global warming. We compared our results to ones for Common Kestrels Falco tinnunculus and found most similarities between Kestrels and Sparrowhawks.

Zusammenfassung

Ein Vergleich der Zugstrategien partiell ziehender Greifvögel aus Deutschland

Das Phänomen des Teilzugs bei Vögeln, bei dem ein Teil der Individuen einer Population zieht, während der andere Teil im Brutgebiet verbleibt, rückt immer stärker in den Fokus der Wissenschaft. Die Zugstrategien teilziehender Greifvögel aus Mitteleuropa sind jedoch für die meisten Arten noch unbekannt. Wir haben Ring-Wiederfunddaten von in Deutschland beringten Sperbern Accipiter nisus und Mäusebussarden Buteo buteo in Bezug auf Entfernung und Richtung analysiert. Wir untersuchten dabei mithilfe von Generalisierten Linearen Modellen mögliche Unterschiede zwischen den Geschlechtern (nur bei Sperbern) und Altersklassen, sowie den Einfluss von Beringungsregion, saisonalem Wetter (in Form von NAO-Indices) und Langzeitveränderungen (einschließlich des Klimawandels) auf die Zugstrategien. Wir fanden heraus, dass in beiden Arten hauptsächlich Jungtiere Zugvögel sind, es jedoch auch ziehende Adulte gibt. Generell ziehen männliche Sperber seltener als Weibchen. Sperber aus unterschiedlichen Regionen zeigen keine Unterschiede in der Zugaktivität und es gab keine Anpassungen an Langzeitveränderungen in unserer Studie. Auch eine Reaktion auf saisonales Wetter gab es nicht. Mäusebussarde hingegen zeigen eine starke Reaktion auf Winterwetter (‚Winterflucht‘) vorwiegend in den Mittelgebirgsregionen und einen Rückgang der Zugaktivität vermutlich aufgrund des Klimawandels. Wir verglichen unsere Ergebnisse mit denen, die bereits bei Turmfalken Falco tinnunculus gefunden wurden, und stellten die meisten Übereinstimmungen zwischen Turmfalken und Sperbern fest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vogelwarte Hiddensee, Zoological Institute and Museum, Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany

    Daniel Holte & Angela Schmitz-Ornés

  2. Hiddensee Bird Ringing Centre, State Office for Environment, Nature Conservation and Geology (LUNG) Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, An der Mühle 4, 17493, Greifswald, Germany

    Ulrich Köppen

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  1. Daniel Holte
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  2. Ulrich Köppen
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  3. Angela Schmitz-Ornés
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Correspondence to Daniel Holte.

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Communicated by N. Chernetsov.

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Holte, D., Köppen, U. & Schmitz-Ornés, A. A comparison of migratory strategies of partial migratory raptors from Germany. J Ornithol 158, 579–592 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1419-2

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