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Breeding dispersal directions in the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) are affected by spring migration routes

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Abstract

We examined breeding dispersal directions in the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), a migratory bird breeding in large parts of Europe. We asked whether and how the direction of the major spring/autumn migration route (from south-east to north-west and vice versa) affects breeding dispersal directions. Breeding dispersal directions were clearly nonrandomly distributed and were influenced by the major spring migration direction, leading to a bias toward south-eastward and north-westward breeding dispersal.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff at the Hiddensee Bird Ringing Centre for help with data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Eco-Ethology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2a, 14469, Potsdam, Germany

    Naomi Itonaga & Dieter Wallschläger

  2. Landesamt für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Beringungszentrale Hiddensee, Badenstr. 18, 18439, Stralsund, Germany

    Ulrich Köppen

  3. Department of Ecology and Evolution, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Siesmayerstr. 70-72, 60054, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Martin Plath

Authors
  1. Naomi Itonaga
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  2. Ulrich Köppen
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  3. Martin Plath
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  4. Dieter Wallschläger
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Correspondence to Naomi Itonaga.

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Itonaga, N., Köppen, U., Plath, M. et al. Breeding dispersal directions in the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) are affected by spring migration routes. J Ethol 28, 393–397 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-010-0204-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-010-0204-6

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