Recoveries by Condition for Eastern Imperial Eagle

Almost no recoveries before 1990, of mostly dead birds. Half of recoveries are of live birds after 1990, with an increase in recovery numbers in the 2000s.

Annual Movements for Eastern Imperial Eagle

Imperial Eagle. Six adult birds tagged on their wintering grounds in Saudi Arabia migrated to Russia (4), Kazakhstan and China. The distances between the summer home ranges and the wintering areas ranged between 3,900 and 5,000 kilometres (Meyburg and Meuburg 2010).

Juvenile Spanish Eagles often move to Morocco during post-fledging dispersal, and tracking data might document this.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Eastern Imperial Eagle

Imperial Eagle. Recoveries on the wintering grounds range from November to March, though there are numerous recoveries within the breeding range all along the year. Recoveries outside the usual flyway, in West or South-West Europe, have been obtained in September and October.

Spanish Eagle. Most recoveries are of juveniles dispersing at short distances from their nest within a few months after fledging.

Recoveries by Condition for European Roller

Most old recoveries are of dead birds, even until 1990. Afterwards, a classical shift towards live recoveries is observed (~75%), including reads of colour rings and live recaptures. There are also unusual numbers of dead recoveries of electrocuted individuals.

Annual Movements for European Roller

Rollers display a broad-front migration across the Mediterranean Basin in autumn and eastern populations visit the Arabian Peninsula in spring. Autumn movements were, on average, in a more southerly direction for juveniles than adults, which were more easterly.

Connectivity by Month by Region for European Roller

Most en route recoveries are from April and September in North Africa and the Middle East. Breeding sites are occupied from May to August, though there are some dispersal movements at the end of the summer before the start of the southward migration at the end of the August / beginning of September. Birds from Central Europe, where most of the ringing effort occurred, are in northern Egypt as early as the last days of August. In the Middle East, most spring recoveries are obtained in the second half of April. The juveniles seem to leave the breeding range later than the adults. Recent tracking data provide more detailed phenology of migration.

Recoveries by Condition for Long-tailed Skua

The one bird was encountered dead.

Annual Movements for Long-tailed Skua

Long-tailed Skuas migrate away from the breeding grounds in July-August to an important stopover in the middle of the Northern Atlantic, which is utilized during September (Davies et al. 2021). From October onwards, birds migrate to the wintering grounds and can use multiple areas during a single winter. Migration towards the breeding grounds is initiated in late April.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Long-tailed Skua

The one bird was ringed in July and recovered in August during southward migration.

Recoveries by Condition for Little Gull

Overall, half of this species recoveries (ca.49%) are due to birds found dead, sick or wounded, and 35% are birds seen alive (ringing recoveries). The proportion of dead recoveries has always been high, no less than 47% in any of the three chief time periods. The proportion of ringing recoveries reached a peak in 1961-1990 time period (ca. 40%), then decreasing to 18% from 1990 to present, where the alive recoveries other than from ringing or identified by other means, increased up to 30%.

Annual Movements for Little Gull

First-year birds start to migrate earlier than adults (already in Jul, peaking mid Aug/mid Sep). Post-breeding migration starts in late Aug until early Nov, according to literature, concentrations at specific moulting places before resuming their autumn S/SW-ward movements (Olsen & Larsson 2004). Arrival back to breeding sites in Finland / Baltic area in late Apr/ May. Spring migration takes place very rapidly (Schwemmer & Garthe 2006).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Little Gull

Phenological pattern similar to all populations; see then the 'Annual movements' section. 

Recoveries by Condition for Pygmy Cormorant

Currently protected species in Europe. Most encounters are obtained after 2013 (ca. 36%). They are spread throughout the whole year but the majority are from the breeding season (in Jun ca. 33%). Due to colour-ringing projects the number of encounters increased considerably over the years – 77% of all are based on alive birds after 1991 (primarily from Hungary). The encounters based on dead birds (primarily as a result of shooting) markedly decreased from 100% before 1960 and 70% in 1961-1990 to ca. 20% after 1991. The level of importance of drowning in fishing nets as a negative factor was previously considered unknown (Crivelli et al. 1996), but ringing encounters could be of use providing additional data (ca. 6% of all cases after 1991).

The overall sample size contains very limited number of encounters.

Annual Movements for Pygmy Cormorant

Birds from the N Italian population have been encountered wintering - mostly Dec-Feb (range Oct-Mar), close to and N from their colonies. Hungarian breeders have been encountered between Aug and Jan within the country, as well as in some neighbouring countries during autumn (Oct, Slovenia) and spring migration (Apr, Croatia). Birds breeding in Serbia along the Danube have been encountered (1) further SE downstream (Sep, Romania) and W Bulgaria (Apr), (2) or W upstream Sava River (Oct) and (3) further S, in Albania (Dec). Danube Delta breeders take SW routes to overwinter along the Adriatic coast (Nov, Montenegro) or inland (Dec, Doiran Lake). Birds breeding in Dagestan (Russia) and Azerbaijan overwinter mostly locally – along the SW & S Caspian coast or on inland wetlands (Ilichev 1978).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Pygmy Cormorant

Post-breeding dispersal and autumn migration are evident from late summer, the wintering sites are normally reached in late autumn – early winter.

The movements towards the wintering sites on the Balkan Peninsula (both along the coasts and inland wetlands) could follow SW, S & SE directions to lower latitudes. On the opposite, in N Italy migration further N from the breeding grounds has been recorded. The Caspian Sea region involves migratory movements mostly along the N-S axis. Breeding sites are occupied normally early- to mid-spring.

Birds marked in just four countries responsible for the small number of encounters (Hungary, Italy, Serbia and Azerbaijan).

Recoveries by Condition for Booted Eagle

Mostly dead recoveries, obtained after 1960, while live recoveries represent 3% before 1990, 20% after. So the observed pattern rely on birds that failed to survive or were killed.

Annual Movements for Booted Eagle

Concerning long-distance migratory individuals, tracked Spanish birds took three to four weeks to reach the wintering grounds; from mid-September to mid-October in autumn, and mainly in March in spring (Urios et al. 2017). After passing the straits of Gibraltar, the migration routes are continental, crossing the Sahara across a large belt, from eastern Mauritania to western Niger, wintering from Mali to Chad, north of the tropical forest belt (Urios et al. 2017). A breeding female from France migrated to the same Nigerian region in successive years, arriving and initiating migrations at similar dates, shifting from a first to a second wintering range during the winter (Chevallier et al. 2010).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Booted Eagle

Recoveries of South-West birds in Sahelian Africa range from December to April, while there are recoveries in Iberia all along the year, attesting the residency or short-distance movements of some individuals. But long-distance movements are not the majority because their detectability if far lower. There are two unusual recoveries in Africa in July. There is no preferential months for recoveries of Spanish just across the Straits of Gibraltar, so the potential migration timing there is hidden by short-distance dispersal along the year.

Recoveries by Condition for Eurasian Bittern

Majority of encounters are of dead birds, one quarter shot, mainly in France. Dead, sick or wounded birds mainly in Netherlands, presumably wintering birds found or taken in during cold weather. Very few ringing recoveries. Proportion live re-encounters higher after 1991, almost one-third refers to birds alive, identified by other means.

Annual Movements for Eurasian Bittern

From November to February all encounters concentrated in low countries, UK, France, occasionally Central Europe. From end March first movement towards NE apparent with scattered encounters in Fennoscandia and Baltic states. By May, many encounters in E Germany and Poland, stretching into June, when also most encounters in Fennoscandia are concentrated. In August and early September scattered encounters all over Europe, possibly due to post-breeding (natal) dispersal. Few encounters in September, southernmost locations reached in October.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Eurasian Bittern

Birds in June, July in N Europe predominantly re-encountered in December in UK, France, Spain and Italy. Few birds that move South re-encountered in Aug-Oct in Russia, suggesting passage with wintering areas in Middle East and Africa, where undetected. Birds in June, July in C. Europa in low countries and France in December. Birds outside breeding season in N. and C Europe re-encountered close-by in winter. UK breeders remain in UK. Birds in S.C. in winter all re-encountered in June in C. and N. Europe. Birds in W. Europe in June, July in France and UK Oct-Jan, or close-by in all months, but tracking study revealed some birds cross Sahara (van der Winden et al 2020). Birds in winter in W. Europe re-encountered in June in Sweden, Finland, few C. and E. Europe. Shorter winter movements within region.

Recoveries by Condition for Glossy Ibis

Overall, most (>55%) recoveries are due to the identification of birds with leg ring(s). For instance, from 1996 to 2011 more than 15000 chicks were ringed in Doñana (Spain), and almost 10000 of these birds were resighted (Santoro et al. 2013). Recoveries before 1990, however, mostly came from shooting or unknown conditions. From 1990 to present, ca. 70% of the recoveries are due to leg rings. This difference between periods (before/after 1990) is also due to the fact that the population was very small until recent times. Thus, the increase and expansion of the population and the generalization of the use of leg rings in many breeding colonies is allowing the collection of a very high number of recoveries throughout much of the breeding and non-breeding range of the species in Europe and, to a lesser extent, Africa as well.

Annual Movements for Glossy Ibis

Dispersal begins in Jul/Aug and does not vary between age classes or sexes; in SW Europe, dispersal is reported to increase with droughts (Santoro et al. 2013). Resident strategies also detected.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Glossy Ibis

The C/E European birds start their post-fledging/post-breeding movements in Jul, and the winter destinations are reached already from Sep. Movements to breeding sites detected from Mar. In Apr-May, birds can still remain in NE Africa (Nile Valley). Starting of the post-fledging/post-breeding dispersals of SW birds shows a pattern similar to that observed for the C/E European populations. Recoveries in NW Africa or as far as UK or some places from C/E Europe from Aug onwards. Some relatively distant recoveries in summer indicate natal dispersal which supports some degree of genetic flow between W and E populations (Santoro et al. 2019).

Recoveries by Condition for Great White Pelican

As for most species, old recoveries are mainly of dead birds (44%), a proportion that decreased to 22% after 1990, as recovery numbers bumped after 2010 due to colour ringing projects.

Annual Movements for Great White Pelican

European migratory great white pelicans move southward by the straits of Bosphorus, to further fly along the Mediterranean coast of the Middle East, before following the Nile river to reach the large inland lakes in Kenya and Tanzania. There are however numerous winter recoveries along the way, though it is not possible to decide if these are attesting regular wintering along the route, or unusual records obtained because of high recovery probability due to observation effort.

The migration routes of pelicans tagged in Israel were similar, especially when crossing the Gulf of Suez and along the Nile River, though one bird made a long stopover at the Nile Delta west of the main route (Efrat et al. 2019). The pelicans migrated 3 days over the desert before reaching the Nile River, and then followed the river south until it bends west, where they crossed the desert again.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Great White Pelican

Some pelicans stay in South East Europe, Turkey or Israel in winter, but migrants are on the move in September. There is no useful ringing recovery to document the spring migration.

Recoveries by Condition for Northern Hawk-Owl

Currently protected species in Europe. Just three encounters prior to 1960. About 16% of all encounters were obtained in a single year (1976), during an influx. The bulk of encounters (mostly juveniles) come from May-Jun – 29% (nestbox ringing), and from Sep-Nov (42%, autumn dispersal/ irruptions). N Europe holds the majority of encounters (92%).

Those based on dead birds did not change much over time – from 42% in 1961-1980 (10% shot) to 35% after 1991 (no shot birds, other reasons only), neither those based on alive birds – 54 and 59% respectively (the latter mostly due to ringing encounters and metal ring read in the field). Traffic is among the currently important negative factors (8%).

Quite limited number of distant recoveries (>=50 km).

Annual Movements for Northern Hawk-Owl

Post-natal/ autumn dispersal is particularly evident in juveniles – starting from Sep but encountered until Dec, some tens or hundreds of kilometers away from the breeding sites. Several extreme cases involve encounters of birds in W Siberia, almost 3000km E from their breeding sites.

In prey-rich years many birds stay resident, overwintering in their breeding territories; in prey-poor years they disappear in Oct and in years of rodent population minimum owls migrate even earlier – in Aug. Those birds which had travelled away to overwinter return to their breeding sites in Mar-Apr (Noskov et al. 2016).

Irruptions involve large number of juveniles (85%) (Cramp 1985) or consist entirely of juvenile birds (Duncan, Duncan 2020).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Northern Hawk-Owl

Species density and population trend highly dependent on the geographically asynchronous fluctuations of microtine populations which peak every 3-5 years (Duncan, Duncan 2020).

All encounters are located within N Europe (N & E regions) – Fennoscandia and Russia: mostly within-country movements and small amount of short-distance movements across neighbouring countries.

Post-breeding movements in juveniles are evident from early autumn and last until late autumn or early winter. Depending on the prey availability populations can be resident or partly migratory (the birds leaving their breeding sites in mid-autumn or even in late summer). The breeding territories are occupied back in early- to mid-spring (Noskov et al. 2016).