TY - JOUR

T1 - Spring nocturnal migration of Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus: Departure, landing and body condition

AU - Bolshakov, Casimir

AU - Bulyuk, Victor

AU - Chernetsov, Nikita

PY - 2003/1/1

Y1 - 2003/1/1

N2 - Nocturnal migration of Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus was studied by trapping with 'high nets' on the Courish Spit (Eastern Baltic) during spring 1998-2000. In spring, Reed Warblers left the stopover site between 45 and 240 rain after sunset (median 84 min), although 85% of birds took off between 45 and 120 rain after sunset. Birds did not arrive until the fifth hour after sunset; 67% of birds ended their nocturnal flights in the penultimate hour before sunrise, i.e. at dawn. At the moment of migratory departure, the average Reed Warbler body mass was 12.79 ± 0.66 g (n = 60). Average body mass of birds ending migratory flight was 11.69 ± 0.67 g (n = 18). The difference was highly significant. However, more than half of the birds completed migratory flights with a considerable fuel load, and some even had energy stores sufficient for a migratory flight on the next night. The spring migratory strategy of Reed Warblers over Central and Northern Europe probably includes a succession of short migratory flights (4-6 h) during several subsequent nights with 1-day stopovers.

AB - Nocturnal migration of Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus was studied by trapping with 'high nets' on the Courish Spit (Eastern Baltic) during spring 1998-2000. In spring, Reed Warblers left the stopover site between 45 and 240 rain after sunset (median 84 min), although 85% of birds took off between 45 and 120 rain after sunset. Birds did not arrive until the fifth hour after sunset; 67% of birds ended their nocturnal flights in the penultimate hour before sunrise, i.e. at dawn. At the moment of migratory departure, the average Reed Warbler body mass was 12.79 ± 0.66 g (n = 60). Average body mass of birds ending migratory flight was 11.69 ± 0.67 g (n = 18). The difference was highly significant. However, more than half of the birds completed migratory flights with a considerable fuel load, and some even had energy stores sufficient for a migratory flight on the next night. The spring migratory strategy of Reed Warblers over Central and Northern Europe probably includes a succession of short migratory flights (4-6 h) during several subsequent nights with 1-day stopovers.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037242243&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1046/j.1474-919X.2003.00128.x

DO - 10.1046/j.1474-919X.2003.00128.x

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0037242243

VL - 145

SP - 106

EP - 112

JO - Ibis

JF - Ibis

SN - 0019-1019

IS - 1

ER -