Large Birds can Migrate Fast: The Post-Breeding Flight of the Purple Heron Ardea purpurea to the Sahel

Ardea

P.W. van Horssen¹  J. van der Winden¹  M.J.M. Poot¹ 

[1] 1 Bureau Waardenburg, Section Bird Ecology, P.O. Box 365, 4100 AJ, Culemborg, The Netherlands

关键词: Conservation;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie/Netherlands Ornithological Union

【 摘 要 】

Largeandheavybirdsusuallyusesoaringflightduringlong-distancemigrationormakeregularstopoversenrouteforsubstantialrefuelling.PurpleHeronsarelarge,long-distancemigrants.Becauseoftheirsize,largeheronsmigratingsouthwardsfromEuropetoAfricawereexpectedtomakeoneormorestop-overstorefuel.However,datafromsevenPurpleHerons,fittedwithsatellitetransmitters,showedthattheheronswereabletocoverthedistanceintotheSahelofabout4000kmwithin5–7days.Oneindividualevenflew5600kmnon-stop,mostlyoversea.Theheronsmigratedmostlyatnightandpartlyduringthedaywithahightravelspeedindicativeofflappingflight.TheheronsmadefewdiurnalstopsinEuropeandNorthAfrica.Substantial‘stopover’timewaslimitedentirelytoaperiodofseveralweeksbeforedeparture,andafterarrivalsouthoftheSahara.Weassumethatthisisenergeticallypossibleforbirdswithamaximumwingloadof4–5kgbodymassperm2ofwingsurface.LargerwingloadsasinstorksorraptorsprescribesoaringorrefuellingwiththeconsequencethatmostmigratoryjourneystoAfricanwinteringgroundsthentakeatleastamonth.Theresultsemphasizetheconservationimportanceofabundantandhigh-qualityfeedinghabitatnearthebreedingareasforpre-migratoryfuellingofthisspecies.Furthermore,arrivalhabitatislikelytobemoreessentialthanpreviouslyexpected.WesuspectthatthelackofsuitablearrivalhabitatmightexplaintheobservedhighadultmortalityindrySahelperiodsbetterthan‘winter’survival.

【 授权许可】

Unknown