Researchers offer new insights on bird migration

During their seasonal migration, birds typically travel between breeding and non-breeding grounds along migratory routes grouped into major flyways, such as the Indo-European flyway between Europe and the Indian subcontinent. In a new study published in the Journal of Biogeography, investigators used modelling and tracking techniques to identify potential migratory barriers and corridors within the Indo-European flyway, as well as birds’ adaptive behaviors that help with navigation along the route.

“For me, the study started years ago on the coast of the German Baltic Sea. Together with two of my co-authors Roland Neumann and Benjamin Metzger, we caught and tracked Common rosefinches aiming to reveal their exact wintering locations,” said lead author Simeon Lisovski, PhD, of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, in Germany. “Years later, we found out that other researchers from across Europe did the same and that putting the tracks in perspective can yield more in-depth ecological insights than each single study could provide. Merging these tracks with flyway-wide datasets on climate and habitat has been a super insightful and exciting collaborative experience.”

###

World Migratory Bird Day is May 8, 2021.