Data from: Migration routes and strategies of Grey Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) on the East Atlantic Flyway as revealed by satellite tracking ...

• Main Authors: Exo, Klaus-Michael, Hillig, Franziska, Bairlein, Franz
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Movebank Data Repository 2019
• Subjects: Pluvialis squatarola; animal movement; animal tracking; Argos; avian migration; East Atlantic Flyway; grey plovers; satellite telemetry; wading birds; Kara Sea; Pechora; Pechora Sea; Taimyr
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5441/001/1.vv0ft02m; https://www.datarepository.movebank.org/handle/10255/move.783

Background: While the general migration routes of most waders are known, details concerning connectivity between breeding grounds, stopover sites and wintering grounds are often lacking. Such information is critical from the conservation perspective and necessary for understanding the annual cycle. Studies are especially needed to identify key stopover sites in remote regions. Using satellite transmitters, we traced spring and autumn migration routes and connectivity of Grey Plovers on the East Atlantic Flyway. Our findings also revealed the timing, flight speed, and duration of migrations. Methods: We used ARGOS satellite transmitters to track migration routes of 11 Grey Plovers that were captured at the German Wadden Sea where they had stopped during migration. Birds were monitored for up to 3 years, 2011‒2014. Results: Monitoring signals indicated breeding grounds in the Taimyr and Yamal regions; important staging sites on the coasts of the southern Pechora Sea and the Kara Sea; and wintering areas that ...