Satellite tracking of the migratory pathways of the first-year Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus departing from the breeding grounds of different subspecies

Klemens Pütz, Carsten Rahbek, Pertti Saurola, Kjeld T. Pedersen, Risto Juvaste, Andreas J. Helbig

Abstract

The migratory behaviour of two Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus subspecies, fuscus and intermedius, was studied using satellite telemetry. To this end, first-year birds were equipped with satellite transmitters and released either at their natal site, or after transferring to a breeding site of the other subspecies. In addition, first-year birds from cross-breeding experiments between the two subspecies (fuscus x intermedius) were also equipped with satellite transmitters. In total, eleven first-year birds were successfully tracked during their initial autumn migration, at least one from each study group. First-year birds from the Danish intermedius subspecies migrated either southwest along the coast of the North Sea or through central Europe to Algeria. By contrast, first-year birds from the Finnish fuscus subspecies migrated on a south-southeastern course towards Ukraine and the Bosporus, Turkey. Only one of the transferred gulls could be tracked long enough to accurately determine the migratory behaviour: this bird from the intermedius subspecies left Finland on a south-southeasterly course towards the Ukraine, where transmission ceased. Thus, this gull resembled the migratory behaviour of the fuscus subspecies. One bird from the cross-breeding experiments wintered in Libya, but the migratory behaviour remained unknown due to the lack of positional data. 

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftVogelwelt
Vol/bind128
Udgave nummer3
Sider (fra-til)141-148
Antal sider8
ISSN0042-7993
StatusUdgivet - 2007

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