Researchers have used GPS trackers to disclose how juvenile Whimbrel undertake their first migration to West Africa.
Iceland hosts a excessive proportion of the world’s breeding Whimbrel, with a 2016 estimate placing the variety of breeding pairs within the nation at 256,000.
Juvenile Whimbrel fly continuous throughout the Atlantic to West Africa, however their flight paths are much less direct than these of adults (Alex Penn).
Research over the previous few years has revealed that grownup birds routinely undertake a continuous journey over the ocean between Iceland and the coast of West Africa within the autumn, a distance of as much as 6,000 km. Spring migration may be undertaken with a similiar continuous flight, however the birds normally relaxation for per week or two in a stopover space earlier than finishing the migration.
There have been nonetheless many unknowns concerning the migration of juvenile Whimbrel, so scientists fitted GPS trackers to 13 young birds in 2021 and 2022. The gadgets offered location updates each six hours, revealing an in depth image of the journeys that 11 of the birds undertook.
The information revealed that juveniles make the identical long-distance flight to Africa. However, they set off on their migration later (15 days on common) and comply with a much less direct path. Young birds additionally tended to make stops as soon as they reached the West African coast however earlier than reaching their wintering web site, whereas adults normally headed straight for his or her ultimate vacation spot, leading to a slower total journey pace for juveniles.
The researchers mentioned that Whimbrel presents an ‘distinctive’ alternative to review the individual improvement of migration, as earlier juveniles could possibly be taught from adults in mixed-age flocks of migrants, whereas late departing juveniles are unlikely to learn from the expertise of older birds. Simultaneous monitoring of adults and juveniles could reveal the position of social studying in young birds’ first migration.
Reference
Carneiro, C Gunnarsson, T G, Kaasiku, T, Piersma, T, and Alves, J A, 2023. Icelandic Whimbrel first migration: Non‐cease till West Africa, but later departure and slower journey than adults. Ibis. DOI:
