Regional-scale movements in three migratory passerine species on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea during autumn migration

Abstract

Much evidence suggests that some passerines during seasonal migrations can perform regional-scale movements, both in the migratory and in the reverse direction. The scale of such movements exceeds the scale of typical stopover movements, but is usually smaller than most migratory flights. We studied regional-scale movements during autumn migration in short-distance migrants of three passerine species: European Robin (Erithacus rubecula Linnaeus, 1758), Goldcrest (Regulus regulus Linnaeus, 1758), and Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus Linnaeus, 1758), by analyzing ringing and recapture data from 7 sites on the southeastern Baltic coast at a distance of 11–132 km from each other. The number of birds involved in regional movements varied significantly between species. Long-tailed Tits migrate during the day, and the proportion of birds performing regional-scale movements was one to two orders of magnitude higher than in European Robins (nocturnal migrants) or Goldcrests (migrants with a mixed migratory rhythm). In all three species, the average dates of their regional-scale movements over short distances did not differ significantly between individuals that moved in the migratory and the reverse direction. Regional-scale movements often occurred under headwinds, which suggests that these movements could be caused by aborting migratory flights and (or) by drifting in such winds.