Suspended moult of trans-saharan migrants in Ieria

Abstract

Suspended moult of the remiges is a feature of many long-distance migrant species; the authors, after examination of a large sample of birds trapped in Iberia, consider that it has adaptive significance and may help us better to understand how different moult patterns have evolved. They describe the various moult suspension strategies which permit birds to migrate with an unimpaired flight facility, and give particular attention to two remarkable departures from the normal, namely Savi’s Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.