Recoveries by Condition for Red-backed Shrike

Most recoveries are since 2000, mainly during the breeding season and migration - 98% May-Sep. The bulk of recoveries are in C, N & SC Europe (85% in total - 53, 21 & 11% respectively). Recoveries of dead birds have significantly decreased over time: from 76% before 1961 to 4% after 1991. The percentage of recoveres of birds found alive has increased from 18% before 1961 to 95% after 1991. Recoveries of shot birds are now few, although they constituted 26% of all recoveries before 1961 (mainly in the E Mediterranean & N Italy). Nowadays, most of the recoveries are of live birds, both recaptures by ringers and metal rings read in the field.

Shrikes are among the numerous birds illegally trapped and killed annually in the Mediterranean (Brochet et al. 2016).

Annual Movements for Red-backed Shrike

The populations across Europe use remarkably similar migration routes and are highly synchronized in time (Pedersen et al. 2020). Birds start to leave the breeding sites in Jul, but most departures are in Aug-Sep. SE Europe and the E Mediterranean are reached as early as Aug, but mainly in Sep-Oct (with some late records in Nov-Dec). The earliest encounters in E Sahel are in Sep. Birds are in the winter quarters from Oct. Spring migration usually starts in Mar, most encounters in E Africa and Red Sea area are from Apr, Levant - Apr-May. European breeding sites are reached in May. Tracking with geolocators revealed a loop migration of 22,000 km, with the distance travelled in spring being 22% longer than in autumn; duration was longer in autumn, but speed between sites was faster than in spring (Tøttrup et al. 2012).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Red-backed Shrike

Autumn migration is evident from late summer. European breeders are found on the Balkan Peninsula and E Mediterranean regions mostly early to mid-autumn. The wintering sites in E & S Africa are reached as early as mid-autumn, most encounters being from late autumn until early spring. Return movements within Africa take place mostly in early to mid-spring; birds are in the Middle East and Europe in late spring, when the breeding grounds are occupied. Tracking birds using geolocators and GPS tags revealed important staging areas in SE Europe & W Turkey, as well as the E Sahel zone in autumn, and in E Africa in spring; wintering grounds have been identified in S Africa (Pedersen et al. 2020, Tøttrup et al. 2012). A bird tracked from Denmark wintered in the Sahel (Chad), outside the normal winter range (Pedersen et al. 2019).

Recoveries by Condition for Short-toed Treecreeper

Most encounters are obtained since late 1990s. They are generally distributed evenly throughout the year, with prominent peaks in Sep and Oct (ca. 25% combined). The bulk of encounters are recorded in W, SW, C & SC Europe – ca. 99% combined (36, 34, 22 and 7% respectively).

There are very few recoveries prior to 1960. After 1961 most of them (94-99%) are based on alive birds, due mostly to ringing activities. Surprisingly, there are some (just a few, though) recoveries in the past obtained as a result of shooting.

Annual Movements for Short-toed Treecreeper

The species is strictly resident. Post-breeding dispersal movements are extremely limited, usually within several kilometers (less than 50km in most cases). Medium- to long-distant movements are very rare and such are recorded both in juvenile birds (Aug, Belgium – Dec, Portugal, possibly a post-breeding dispersal) and adults (Mar, Spain – May, Mali; May-Jun, Denmark).

As the species is known to be more montane at the southern edge of its range (Harrap 2020), altitudinal migration is not always present in these populations due to a number of adaptations, including behavioural thermoregulation (Carrascal et al. 2001).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Short-toed Treecreeper

Most ringing encounters are recoveries just a few kilometers away from the ringing site. Dispersal movements in juveniles rarely come to extremes, like the one of a bird marked in late summer in Belgium and subsequently encountered wintering in S Portugal in early winter. Adults sometimes perform comparatively long-distance movements as well – either within a single country (late spring to early summer, Denmark) or covering greater distances (from early spring, Iberian Peninsula to late spring, W Africa).

Ringing data from France and SE Europe extremely limited or absent.

Recoveries by Condition for Eurasian Jay

Most old data (nearly 75%) are of birds found dead.  However, the development of demographic studies has increased the number of recoveries, with live recaptures accounting for nearly 90% of recoveries after 1990.

Annual Movements for Eurasian Jay

The migration of the Jay can be described as irruptive (Ulfstrand 1963, Selas 2017), as numbers fluctuate between years. There are therefore unpredictable, with some invasion years, though they generally occur in early autumn when they are obvious, while spring movements are far more discrete.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Eurasian Jay

SW movements of birds breeding in Central Europe are noted from Sep onwards, with increasing recovery distances until Dec. The lack of such recoveries from Feb onwards might be due to the closure of hunting seasons. Sep is the main month where long, directional movements occur - these correspond with changes in food availability and reproductive success within the range.

Recoveries by Condition for Eurasian Skylark

A huntable bird in several regions in Europe: a significant part of the recoveries are due to shooting (30%), even nowadays. This proportion, indeed, has remained rather constant over time. Almost 40% of recoveries due to birds captured alive for ringing; this proportion is increasing, passing from <10% before 1960 to 42% from 1991 to present. In part, this is caused by strong ringing effort in several regions across Europe.  

Annual Movements for Eurasian Skylark

First movements by Sep, with a peak in Oct, when migration is very active. Ringing in SW France suggests a “feed-by-day, fly-by-night’ strategy in autumn (Hargues et al. 2007), which would give rise to relatively slow speeds of migration. Migration in the day, however, also reported (Simms 1992). Return to breeding quarters detected as early as Feb, continues in Mar. By Apr, most skylarks are at their breeding sites. Within-winter movements can happen, especially under harsh conditions, when e.g. British birds can leave the islands and move to continental Europe (Donald et al. 2001).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Eurasian Skylark

Ring-recovery data suggest that Skylarks show rather similar temporal pattern of migration in all Europe. In Oct-Jan, high concentrations of recoveries in W/SW Europe, highlighting the Benelux and SW and SE France, where there is a strong ringing effort. Seemingly funnel effect in Pyrenees, with concentrations in their W and E edges. Skylarks ringed in Apr-Jul in E Europe (up to W Russia) mostly in Italy in winter.

Recoveries by Condition for Red Kite

Overall, most recoveries come from birds seen alive (ca. 70%), often identified from wing tags or PVC rings. Before 1960, however, a very high proportion of recoveries (46%) were shot - fortunately this is now exceptional. Today, however, ca. 20% of recoveries are of birds found dead or sick/wounded. In part this is due to poisoning, a problem in several regions in the winter quarters (Berny & Gaillet 2008, Mateo-Tomás et al. 2020). Electrocution and illegal killing also pose a conservation problem for the species (Smart et al. 2010, Tavecchia et al. 2012).

Annual Movements for Red Kite

Post-breeding (autumn) migration can start as early as Aug (confirmed also by telemetry; Pfeiffer & Meyburg 2009), though normally in Oct or even Nov (Vidcil-Mciteo et al. 2021); the peak arrival in Iberia is in Oct, mostly across the western edge of Pyrenees (Vidcil-Mciteo et al. 2021). Adults depart from Iberia in spring in Feb/Mar, whilst immature birds depart later and within a wider range - Feb-Jun (García-Macía et al. 2021). Migration in spring is faster than in autumn (García-Macía et al. 2021).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Red Kite

N/C European Red Kites leave their breeding areas Sep-Nov, although some birds are resident (Vidcil-Mciteo et al. 2021). The journey to the winter quarters can take from days to weeks, with high individual variability (García-Macía et al. 2021). Exceptionally, some birds move to S/SE Europe rather than to W/SW Europe; these birds seem to show winter site-fidelity (Literák et al. 2018). Passage through Gibraltar reported, though uncommon (Onrubia 2015). Recoveries in Africa exceptional, in Oct in Morocco, in Jan in Côte d’Ivoire. S populations resident, with immature birds showing local movements. Adults from S Europe tend to stay in or close to their breeding sites in winter, and therfore tend not to mix with birds from abroad at communal roosts (Heredia et al. 1991).

Recoveries by Condition for Western Osprey

Overall, most recoveries are due to birds seen alive identified by metal ring read (54%). A quarter of all recoveries are due to birds found dead other than by shooting. A remarkable decrease of recoveries associated to deaths by shot with time (from ca. 70% before 1960, to less than 5% from 1990-present). Studies with tracking data show that mortality rate is about six times higher during migration season, especially in spring during the Sahara crossing (Klaassen et al. 2014).

Annual Movements for Western Osprey

Autumn migration starts in Aug/Sep. Arrival to winter quarters in Africa in Oct/Nov. Some individuals remain in winter in Europe, with recoveries in Jan/Feb. Spring migration starts in Mar/Apr; arrival to breeding quarters is fast. Most immatures, also some non-breeding adults, summering in Africa. Adults seem to be more stationary at their wintering sites, whilst juveniles tend to be more mobile when reach these sites in Africa (Hake et al. 2001).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Western Osprey

Most recoveries come from N populations, which start to migrate in Aug, arriving to Africa in Oct/Nov. Passage over S Europe and the Mediterranean, mostly in Sep/Oct. Recoveries in Africa all year due to ‘summering’ birds. Return to breeding quarters stats in Feb/Mar. Passage over S Europe patent in Apr. Populations from NW, W and C Europe show similar temporal pattern, but passage though S Europe mostly across Iberia. Few data from E Europe, recoveries in Africa from Jan to Mar. Overall, adults show straight migratory routes, whilst young birds tend to show more variability (Hake et al. 2001).

Recoveries by Condition for Red Knot

Before 1961 recoveries were scarce with very few found alive (2%) and over 73% of all recoveries were of shot birds. By contrast, only 4% of recoveries are of dead/sick/wounded birds since 1991, due to huge efforts in ringing and colour-ringing since 2007.

Annual Movements for Red Knot

Siberian canutus winter mainly on the Banc d’Arguin in Mauritania and stage in the Bay of Biscay and the Wadden Sea in spring (Leyrer et al. 2009), while islandica winter around the N sea. Published data on multiple-tracked rufa show they leave the Arctic in three waves: females mid-Jul, males about two weeks later, and juveniles in  late Aug (Loring et al. 2018) - it seems likely that canutus and islandica follow the same pattern. Juveniles are encountered in S Scandinavia and the European wintering range in Aug, and juveniles wintering  in W Africa arrive anout a month after the adults (Bocher et al. 2011). In W France, the first islandica arrive for winter while canutus are still staging on the same sites en route to Africa (Bocher et al. 2011).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Red Knot

Red Knot ringed in NW Europe are found there throughout the year and in Iceland, Greenland and arctic Canada May-Oct. Islandica stage in Iceland and N Norway in spring, return to the Wash and Wadden Sea to moult in autumn, then move to wintering sites in the British Isles and the atlantic coast.  Unfortunately, there are no recoveries from the Siberian breeding grounds to document the timing of presence there. In the Bay of Biscay, analysis of isotopes from feathers show that adult canutus are present in Aug and early Sep (Bocher et al. 2011), while islandica arrive later and are mostly juveniles.

Recoveries by Condition for Common Firecrest

Until 1994 annual numbers of encounters were below 80. Then numbers increased to around 500 between 2003 and 2013. After 2013 numbers increased further to around 1000 with a maximum of 1408 in 2015. In spring, most encounters are between 22 March and 11 April, in fall the peak lies between 18 October and 17 November.
over 95% of re-encountered birds are ring recoveries. Shot birds are virtually absent after 1991, but made up 38% prior to 1960 and 15% between 1960 and 1990.

Annual Movements for Common Firecrest

Birds in November - March in the UK and the Low Countries are partly residents and partly migrants from C and E Europe. In March - April the migrants leave to their Eastern breeding areas. In the UK, residents mainly stay in SE. In September - October migrants return . Also in Spain and Italy there is a mixed population of residents and migrants from November - March. In Spain, migrants start leaving in March to the breeding areas in W and C Europe. In Italy migration to C Europe starts a bit later in April. In September - October birds move back to winter in Spain and Italy.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Firecrest

Birds from Denmark and S Sweden are found in the Low Countries in September and November. UK birds mainly move within the UK itself. There are also connections with France and the Low Countries from September - January and again in April - May. Also with Germany in April and September. Central European birds mainly move to South- and West-Europe where they are found from October to December and March - April. There are also connections with the UK in March and November. Easternmost connections for Central European birds are with Lithuania in October and April.  Birds breeding in West Europe are found in France, Spain and even Morocco in winter. Birds on autumn passage in Sep-Dec reach France and UK in winter, or Northern Central and Eastern Europe in April.

Recoveries by Condition for Common Snipe

Most recoveries were in the 1960s and 1970s, with around half those annual numbers after 1980. As for other game species, most recoveries are of dead birds, half of them declared as shot, although after 1990 recaptures by ringers have increase and nowjust over 50% of recoveries are of live birds.

Annual Movements for Common Snipe

The movements of wintering snipes tagged in France and Italy (Movebank) indicate they summer in C, N and E Europe, with the majority in Russia, but ranging to the Netherlands and Norway. A bird which migrated to Russia left during the second half of Apr, with stopover(s) of a few days en route, and arrived on breeding grounds in early May. In Poland, birds migrating along the Baltic coast wintered at more N locations than those ringed in S Poland, supporting the existence of parallel autumn routes, while early migrants wintered further N than later migrants, making a leap-frog migration (Minias et al. 2010).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Snipe

Birds breeding in the N return to SW wintering groundsbetween early August and mid-November, when recoveries in Scandinavia become rare until the second dekad of Apr. Recoveries indicate similar dates for birds breeding in the NW, while in the E the last autumn recoveries are from the end of Oct. There are few data for faeroensis, but they indicate that they are on the breeding grounds Jun-Aug.

Recoveries by Condition for Fieldfare

From 1950 the annual number of recoveries has fluctuated around 300, with some years around 200 and a maximum of 867 in 2013. Most recoveries are from 21 May to 10 Jun with many in Oct-Nov and Jan. Until 1960 about 85% of recoveries were dead birds, with 35% shot. The percentage of dead recoveries remained high in 1961-990  (83%), with an increase in the percentage shot (42%). After 1990 about 45% of recoveries were dead birds, with 21% shot. The hotspots of shot birds were in Belgium, N, SW and S France, N and C Italy; with many birds also shot in S Norway, Finland, Portugal, N Spain, S Italy and SE Europe.

Annual Movements for Fieldfare

From May-Aug most birds are in Fennoscandia and C, E Europe. In Sep the first birds leave Fennoscandia. In Oct most birds have left N Scandinavia and Finland, hotspots are in S Norway, the Low Countries, SE France and N Italy. Also many birds are reported in the British Isles. In Nov-Feb there are few birds in Fennoscandia and E Europe, numbers in the hotspots are increasing and there is a new hotspot in C Italy with many in the British Isles and also some in Spain, S Italy and SE Europe and a few in Turkey and Georgia. In Mar birds move N with hotspots in Belgium and S UK and there are recoveries in France, Italy, SE and C Europe. In Apr many birds have reached the breeding areas, but some are on migration in NW Europe and the British Isles.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Fieldfare

Birds from Fennoscandia are generally reported in S France and N Italy from Oct-Apr; there are also many recoveries in Oct-Apr in the British Isles, W France, the Low Countries and Iberia. There are a few recoveries in SE Europe, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan in Nov-Mar, two in Iceland in Nov-Dec and one in Lebanon in Feb. Birds from E Europe are mostly found in N and C Italy and S France from Oct-Mar; with some reports in the British Isles, the Low Countries, S Italy and SE Europe. There were two encounters in Lebanon in Jan-Feb and one in Mallorca in Dec. There are many encounters in C Europe in S France and N and C Italy in Oct-Apr, with a few in Nov-Feb in W and SE Europe, one in Portugal (Dec) and one Sardegna (Nov).