Common Terns on the East Atlantic Flyway: temporal–spatial distribution during the non-breeding period
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- 作者：Peter H. Becker ; Heiko Schmaljohann ; Juliane Riechert…
- 关键词：Migration ; Wintering ; Light ; level geolocation ; Saltwater contact ; Sterna hirundo
- 刊名：Journal of Ornithology
- 出版年：2016
- 出版时间：October 2016
- 年：2016
- 卷：157
- 期：4
- 页码：927-940
- 全文大小：1,060 KB
- 刊物类别：Biomedical and Life Sciences
- 刊物主题：Life Sciences
Zoology
Animal Ecology
Evolutionary Biology - 出版者：Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
- ISSN：2193-7206
- 卷排序：157
文摘
We studied the temporal–spatial distribution of Common Terns Sterna hirundo along the East Atlantic Flyway. In 2009 and 2010 experienced adults from a colony on the German North Sea coast were tagged with geolocators recording light intensity and saltwater contact. Main objectives were the inter-individual temporal–spatial variation of migration routes and wintering areas, wintering site fidelity, and time spent at sea across the annual cycle. Geolocators had no effects on various traits of breeders, but their reproductive output suffered from egg breakage. This can be avoided by artificially incubating the eggs. Twelve routes of nine individuals were tracked. Transponder readings at the breeding site showed that birds left the colony 4 weeks before starting autumn migration. In spring and autumn, Common Terns stopped over around the Canary Islands. Main wintering distribution was the upwelling seas alongside the West African coast and similar between years, but different among individuals. Three females wintered further north and more offshore than six males. Pair mates wintered at different locations. Spring migration was longer (56 ± 8 days) than autumn migration (37 ± 17 days). During both migration and wintering the terns spent more time on salt water than during breeding and post-breeding. In most individuals saltwater contact was higher during the day than at night, reduced at sunrise and sunset likely due to foraging, and peaked about noon possibly related to resting or thermoregulation. Detailed ecological and behavioral studies of common terns during wintering are needed to clarify the results based on geolocators.