Recoveries by Condition for Ortolan Bunting

Poaching of ortolan buntings in western Mediterranean countries (France, Italy, Spain) provided most of ring recoveries of harvested buntings before the 2000s. Poaching stopped in 2018 in France, and conditions of recoveries largely heterogeneous along time periods. Most live recovery from actively migrating individuals along the flyways. Large ringing effort on last Norwegian population provided most of the recoveries along the western flyway.  Recent migration connectivity unravelled by light loggers (Selstam et al. 2015; Jiguet et al. 2019).

Annual Movements for Ortolan Bunting

Spring migration starts during the last decade of March / first decade of April. In the North, birds mostly resighted on breeding grounds in May, in active migration in April. In the South-West, breeders are back on territories second half of April. No ringing data to inform the movements of birds using the eastern flyway, but light loggers data indicate a return to breeding sites mainly during the first decade of May in European Russia (Jiguet et al. 2019). In autumn, departures from breeding grounds mainly during the second half of August in the North and the East. Arrivals on wintering grounds mainly during the first decade of October. Hence nearly 6 months spent on wintering grounds.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Ortolan Bunting

Pattern known mainly from the western flyway, though tracking data suggest similar phenology along the eastern flyway. Along the western flyway, autumn migration starts mid-August and peaks during second decades of September in France. Desert crossing (Sahara, Arabia) occurs mid-April in spring, second half of September in autumn (Jiguet et al. 2019).

Recoveries by Condition for Squacco Heron

Overall, most recoveries due to birds found dead, with more or less similar proportions between those dead by shot and those found sick/wounded. An also remarkable proportion (28%) of recoveries is associated to unknown causes, but most of these might be due to birds found dead. From the decade of 1990 onwards, the proportion of recoveries by shot has decreased up to less than 4%, whilst recoveries of birds found alive have increased to 26%. Note, however, that these stats are based in very small sample sizes.

Annual Movements for Squacco Heron

Autumn migration to Africa patent in Sep, might start earlier at least in some populations. Recoveries in Africa from Oct to Mar. Some birds, still a minority, overwinter in Europe

Connectivity by Month by Region for Squacco Heron

Recoveries in Africa of SE European populations in Aug, Dec and Mar. Recoveries in Europe, mostly across a NE-SW axis connecting breeding to winter quarters, from Mar to Sep; some recoveries also in Dec, hence some birds overwinter in Europe. Recoveries N to ringing site in Aug, which might reveal some N-ward after-breeding dispersal before the autumn migration to Africa. Very similar pattern to SC Europe, though in this case no recoveries in Africa. Many recoveries in spring (mostly in Apr) in SC Europe belong to herons ringed in SE Europe or, more exceptionally, in SW Europe (e.g., a bird ringing in Doñana in Jun recovered in C Italy in Apr).

Recoveries by Condition for Spotted Redshank

Most encounters are obtained between the early 1960s and mid-1970s. They come mainly from the autumn migration – 64% in Aug-Sep, when juveniles have primarily been ringed. Majority of encounters are recorded in N, C and W Europe (29, 24 and 23% respectively). The encounters based on dead birds decreased from 97% pre-1960 to 28% after 1991; those based on alive birds markedly increased over time – from practically none before 1960 to 71% after 1991. The latter is mostly due to ringing recoveries. Shooting was an important factor in the past (78% of all pre-1960 recoveries) but still it is currently responsible for 18% of all cases.

Most of the distant (>=50 km) recoveries are less than 2000km away (but at least one is more than 6000km). Ringing recovery data from SE & E Europe are very limited.

Annual Movements for Spotted Redshank

Due to the species breeding system (short-lived pair-bonds, males incubate and take care of the broods largely alone) females leave the breeding grounds first – in Jun, males – in Jul, and juveniles – mostly in Aug-Sep (Van Gils et al. 2020).

Lots of birds ringed during Jul-Aug in S Fennoscandia, Denmark and Germany are encountered mainly in C Europe and along the coasts of W Europe and the C & W Mediterranean in Sep-Nov, with some records of apparently overwintering birds until Feb-Mar. The encounters from N and NW Africa are from Oct-Feb, and from the wintering grounds in W Africa and Sahel zone – from Jan-Mar. Return migration starts in Mar (locally can be delayed until mid-May; Van Gils et al. 2020) and the breeding sites are reached mostly in May.

Small number of birds are known to oversummer in the tropics (W Africa) (Van Gils et al. 2020).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Spotted Redshank

Post-breeding dispersal and autumn migration movements start in early to mid-summer, adults preceding juveniles which migrate mostly late summer to early autumn. Lots of encounters have been generated by birds marked in late summer and early autumn in S Finland, S Sweden, Denmark and C Europe – mostly in the W European and Mediterranean coastal zones, during early to late autumn. The encounters from Africa are not numerous, most of them from N & NW Africa (mid-autumn do mid-winter) and fewer from the wintering grounds further S (mid-winter to early spring). Breeding grounds are occupied back mostly in late spring. Spring migration is fairly rapid (Hildén 1979, Delany et al. 2009).

Migration data analyses from Germany suggest earlier arrival in spring and delayed departure in autumn, presumably in response to climate change (Anthes 2004).

Recoveries by Condition for Western Capercaillie

Capercaillie is legally hunted in a number of European countries. Most recoveries are after 2000, with about half of them (ca. 52%) occuring in Apr-May. The vast majorinty (ca. 91%) of recoveries are in N & C Europe - 64 and 27% respectively. The percentage of recoveries which are of dead birds has decreased from 100% pre-1961 to 39% after 1991, while recoveires of live birds have from 0% to 54%. The causes of mortality are shooting (f57% pre-1961, 5% after 1991), power lines (11 to 2%) and road traffic (rather stable - ca. 4-5%) etc. Recoveries as a result of metal rings being read in the field i increased from 5.5% in 1961-90 to 24% after 1991.  There is a very limited number of distant recoveries (>=50 km).

Annual Movements for Western Capercaillie

In C Europe, post-breeding dispersal of birds is marked in Jun (adult male) and Aug (juvenile female) resulted in same-year encounters in Oct and Nov respectively. In Estonia, a full-grown female moved ca. 120km in less than a month at the beginning of the breeding season and similar movements of females have been recorded  in Scotland (Moss et al. 2006). Some distant recoveries (>=50 km) from Norway, Sweden and Finland show no clear pattern of movement. It has been suggested, based on ringing data in Finland, that the fragmented habitat drive longer movements in S Finland (more fragmented forests) compared to Finnish Lapland (less fragmented habitats; Saurola et al. 2013).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Western Capercaillie

Local movements are usually tosearch for food and gastroliths (Gizard stones; Potapov & Flint 1987). Post-breeding dispersal (mostly of juveniles) in C Europe and Fennoscandia is marked in summer leading to within-country or neighbouring country encounters 3-4 months later during mid- to late autumn short distances away. A pre-breeding movement of a female bird early- to mid-spring has been recorded in Estonia. The remaining distant recoveries (>=50 km) from Scotland and Fennoscandia are too few to help understand general movements.

Recoveries by Condition for Bearded Vulture

No ring-recovery data.

Annual Movements for Bearded Vulture

No ring-recovery data. Juvenile dispersal starts in summer time, but most birds remain close to their natal areas, rarely leaving natal mountain range.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Bearded Vulture

No ring-recovery data.

Recoveries by Condition for Cinereous Vulture

Data only from 1991 to present. Limited amount of data (47 recoveries). Overall, 53% found alive (mostly with leg ring(s), color marks or other means), 43% dead. A 11% of dead recoveries caused by electrocution.

Annual Movements for Cinereous Vulture

European population is resident, with just some juvenile dispersion. This dispersion occurs from Jul onwards. Complementary bibliographic data state that there are two main patterns of dispersal: those birds which leave their natal sites soon and fly long distances, and those which remain close to these natal sites and then move progressively farther away (Del Moral & De la Puente, 2017).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Cinereous Vulture

See ‘Annual movements’.

Recoveries by Condition for Pallas's Gull

Most recoveries due to birds found dead, sick or wounded (ca. 40%) or shot (25%). By regions, it is seen that recoveries in Russia mainly come from birds found dead, sicj or wounded, whilst recoveries from abroad (comprising a minority from the total) come mostly from birds seen alive, identified from leg ring(s) or other marks. This is particularly evident in Israel or countries from E Europe like Ukraine or Poland.

Annual Movements for Pallas's Gull

Soon after breeding birds perform short-range movements, of up to some hundreds of kilometers, concentrating in roosts before the autumn migration (Olsen & Larsson 2004). Recoveries from E Europe from (mostly) Jun to Sep respond to this behavior. Recoveries in winter quarters like Israel mostly in Jan-Feb. Movements to breeding sites start in Feb/Mar.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Pallas's Gull

See ‘Overall connectivity patterns’.

Recoveries by Condition for Short-toed Snake Eagle

Scarce recoveries, few and only dead recoveries before 1990, then only 30% of live recoveries, for a sample of less than 100. Dead recoveries are mainly from southern France and Spain.

Annual Movements for Short-toed Snake Eagle

First-summer birds from South-West Europe mostly stay in Africa, usually moving north of the Sahara (Mellone et al. 2011) are rarely returning to Europe (Yáñez et al. 2014), more rarely staying in Sahel (Jiguet et al. 2012). On the eastern flyway, tracked birds reached Africa during the last decade of September, and returned over the Sinai by mid-March. Winter quarters are reached in less than a week. 

Connectivity by Month by Region for Short-toed Snake Eagle

Ringing recoveries are obtained mostly in Europe, Iberia, mainly in summer months, but also in other seasons. These unseasonal records are linked to a higher probability of recovering a bird in Europe rather than a major sedentary strategy. This is also obvious as tracked individuals are migratory. The few recoveries along the flyways, in North Africa or in the Middle East, are from March-April and October.

Recoveries by Condition for Lesser White-fronted Goose

Most recoveries obtained from visual resightings of colour marked individuals (~90%), even for the 1960-1990 period, but still some dead recoveries even in the recent period (6.5%).

Annual Movements for Lesser White-fronted Goose

There is not a lot to extract from less than 100 winter recoveries of mainly captive-bred and released individuals, beyond the general pattern described in the connectivity by month. There are a few records of Scandinavian birds moving to the east in the fall migration, recovered in Russia (Krasnodar) and even Kazakhstan. There are very few re encounters of ringed birds, most being of juveniles in the North and during the summer, so linked to reinforcement schemes. The natural annual movements of the species might be better understood from tracking mature individuals.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Lesser White-fronted Goose

Very few ring recoveries to document the overall temporal connectivity pattern. Most recoveries in the Netherlands are from November to February. Birds of North Europe are still on the winter quarters in March, on the move in April and arrive on breeding grounds in May, while they return to the wintering sites in September and October.

Recoveries by Condition for Lesser Spotted Eagle

Mostly dead recoveries before 1990 (85-88%), then over 80% of live recoveries, with a large increase in recovery numbers from 2007 onwards.

Annual Movements for Lesser Spotted Eagle

A tracked male from Slovakia (Meyburg et al. 2004) reached the Bosphorus at the end of September, and the Sahara was crossed during the second decade of October, with slower movements from Uganda southwards to South Africa, arriving there mid-November. In spring, the migration started at the end of February or early March, to enter Europe in early April. Two immatures tracked during the spring migration left Namibia at the end of February and the end of March, and flew to their respective summer quarters in Hungary and the Ukraine, arriving there 2.5 and 1.5 months later than the breeding adults (Meyburg et al. 2001). There is also some migration of juvenile birds via Gibraltar to West Africa (Nigeria, Mauretania) (Meyburg 2021).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Lesser Spotted Eagle

Recoveries in southern Africa are mainly from November to February (few in October and March), and birds are clearly on the move across the Middle East and Europe in April, even in early May. Autumn migration starts early September, and is over in Europe by the end of October. Tracking data provide phenologies of individual migrations. By default, winter recoveries within Europe are considered valid, though there is the possibility that they concern hybrids not identified as such.