Abstract
The Wadden Sea is an important resting site on the East Atlantic Flyway for Eurasian Curlews (Numenius arquata). However, there is currently little information regarding the connectivity between breeding, staging, and over-wintering sites. We equipped four Curlews with GPS-data loggers and recorded their migration patterns during 2014–2015. Curlews left the Wadden Sea during April and migrated to their breeding grounds in (north-) eastern Russia within 2–4 days. All individuals remained in the breeding area for 51–53 days, and then returned to the same place in the Wadden Sea where they had been caught, indicating high site fidelity.
Zusammenfassung
Zugwege von im östlichen Wattenmeer rastenden Brachvögeln ( Numenius arquata ), ermittelt durch GPS-Telemetrie
Das Wattenmeer ist ein wichtiges Rastgebiet für Große Brachvögel (Numenius arquata) auf dem Ostatlantischen Zugweg. Derzeit gibt es jedoch nur wenige Informationen über die Konnektivität zwischen Brut-, Rast und Überwinterungsgebieten. Wir rüsteten vier Große Brachvögel mit GPS-Datenloggern aus und zeichneten deren Zugmuster in den Jahren 2014–2015 auf. Die Brachvögel verließen das Wattenmeer während des Aprils und zogen innerhalb von 2–4 Tagen zu ihren Brutgebieten in (Nord-) Ost Russland. Alle Individuen blieben für 51–53 Tage im Brutgebiet und kehrten dann an den gleichen Ort im Wattenmeer zurück, an dem sie gefangen wurden. Dies deutete auf eine hohe Ortstreue hin.
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Acknowledgments
The Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz provided permission to enter the protection zones for catching. Permission to attach GPS-data loggers and for feather sampling were given by the Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und Ländliche Räume [File Number V 312-7224.121-37(42-3/13)]. We thank our colleagues for assistance in bird catching. S Furness provided assistance with English. The study was funded by the project STopP (BMBF, FKZ 03F672B). Catching, treatment of birds, and sampling complied with current EU and German laws.
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Communicated by F. Bairlein.
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Schwemmer, P., Enners, L. & Garthe, S. Migration routes of Eurasian Curlews (Numenius arquata) resting in the eastern Wadden Sea based on GPS telemetry. J Ornithol 157, 901–905 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1338-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1338-2