Joint flight bouts but short-term association in migrating Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata

• Published in: Bird Study
• Main Authors: Jiguet, Frédéric, Bocher, Pierrick, Kruckenberg, Helmut, Kämpfer, Steffen, Debenest, Etienne, Lorrillière, Romain, Rousseau, Pierre, Szajda, Maciej, Düttmann, Heinz
• Other Authors: Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Numenius arquata
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03443789; https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2021.1962805

International audience CapsuleMigration associations by Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata are temporary and last for single flight bouts between stopover sites.AimsMigrant shorebirds are known to initiate migration communally, with groups of birds departing simultaneously from wintering or post-breeding fuelling sites, though the duration of such migratory associations is not known.MethodsWintering and breeding adult Eurasian Curlews, and some hand-reared juveniles, were equipped with GPS tags to record their migration.ResultsWe describe four cases of joint migration by tagged Eurasian Curlews which provided the opportunity to study the duration of migration associations.ConclusionsMigration associations lasted for one flight bout only, with separate departures from the subsequent stopover site. This implies that associations might involve individuals that are ready to leave at the same time but not those sharing a final destination. Our observations suggest that migratory groups are temporary associations, reminiscent of the dynamics of a fission-fusion society.