Migration routes, breeding areas and between-winter recurrence of nominate Redwings Turdus iliacus iliacus revealed by recoveries of winter ringed birds

Abstract

Winter ringed Redwing Turdus iliacus recoveries in European/Asian wintering and breeding regions are analysed. Same-winter recoveries were on three migratory routes; a north/west continental Europe route via the North Sea coast and Maas-Seine to Atlantic France/Iberia, a south/east continental Europe route via Po-Danube to west Mediterranean, and a North Sea/British route, often via West Norway, with some birds moving on to west Iberia via a second sea crossing over the Bay of Biscay. Few same-winter recoveries moved from one route to another. Most subsequent-winter recoveries (56%) were also on the route where they were ringed (7% within 20 km of their ringing site). The majority of recoveries (59%) were in ten dense clusters with a total area of approximately 13% of suitable low-lying land in the winter range. Few birds ringed on the two continental Europe routes moved to another route in later years. Most subsequent-winter recoveries in Britain & Ireland (77%) were also originally ringed in Britain & Ireland (6% within 20 km of the ringing site), but 6% of British ringed Redwings recovered in subsequent winters were 2, 500–4, 000 km away in the Aegean-Caspian area. No birds ringed in Po-Danube/West Mediterranean were recovered in this eastern region. Many Fennoscandia/Baltic breeding Redwings winter in Italy/southeast France but no birds ringed in Italy/southeast France were found in this breeding region. Siberian Redwings wintering in this southern region may form the overwhelming majority of birds. Ringing in Britain & Ireland produced 59% of all recoveries in the Russian, but not Siberian, breeding region, as well as 60% of all those in the Aegean-Caspian area, suggesting that these may form parts of a the same population. © 2003 British Trust for Ornithology.