A comparison of autumn migration strategies in robins erithacus rubecula at a coastal and an inland site in southern sweden

Abstract

The biometrics, age ratio and timing of migration of Robins were compared during autumn migration at an inland and a coastal site 200 km apart. The proportion of adult birds was higher at the inland site. The time of peak of migration differed between the two sites by 9 days. The daily distribution showed that at the coastal site the birds made a land‐fall at dawn, while at the inland site the migration continued during the morning. Robins in the same visual fat class were heavier at the inland site, but their mean fat class was lower than at the coastal site. This would be expected if Robins inland were short‐stage migrants and therefore do not need extensive fuel reserves. At the coastal site a higher proportion of the Robins are probably long‐stage migrants. © 1993 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.