Bird migration and satellite tagging

Andrew Pierce Philip Round Chukiat Nualsri & Kaset Sutasha Migration

Satellite tracking sparrowhawks • What is migration?

• Why do migrate?

• Why study migration?

• How to study migration What is migration?

• Seasonal movements between breeding and non-breeding grounds

• Mostly from high northern latitudes to tropical or more southerly latitudes

• Also can be from high altitudes to lower ones

• Not the same as dispersal Why do birds migrate?

• Evolved after last ice age

• To exploit food resources

• Vast tracks of land for nesting

• Longer day length – larger clutches Why is it important to study migration

• Every year billions of birds migrate

• 2000 species (20 %) regular seasonal movements

• 40 % of migratory birds declining

• 200 species considered endangered

• In order to conserve birds we have to conserve their habitats in all countries along their flyways Threats to migratory birds

• Habitat loss x 2

• Loss of stopover sites for food/rest Collisions & light pollution

power cables

wind turbines Hunting & trapping 10s of millions per year in Europe & North Africa

5.7 million per year in Egypt alone

Liming Studying migration

• Observations

• Radar

• Ringing

• Geolocators

• Satellites Fishing for swallows? ebird generated map of 128 species Wood Thrush migration Radar Ringing (banding) Ringing studies

Individual numbered rings

Need to ring large numbers

Need to recover dead or alive

Barn Swallow Geolocators

Light-weight 0.5 g

Need to retrap the

Use daylength for location

Less accurate near equator Common Swift Apus apus Studies in Thailand

• Waders – canon-netting and geolocators

• Passerines – mist-netting

• Raptors – counting & ringing Laem Phak Bia

Occasional “falls “of migrants

150 Dusky Warblers ringed in two days, April 2004

54 Siberian Blue Robins on 1-2 October 2006

Large-billed Reed Warbler, 27 March 2006: 2nd record for The World Ko Man Nai, Rayong Eurasian Curlew

Broadbill Sandpiper

Common Redshank tagged in Singapore Tagged in Thailand and re-sighted in Singapore Raptors and satellite-tagging Principle world raptor migration routes East Asian flyways

Khao Dinso ? ? ? Khao Dinsor – Pathio – Chumphon Development of Khao Dinso

• Basic counts – on to systematic counts

• Flyway foundation and local participation

• Bird-ringing

• Satellite tracking Raptors

Sparrowhawks Eagles Buzzards Falcons Black Baza above Chumphon Non-raptor migrants Ringing at Khao Dinso

Japanese Sparrowhawk 294

Chinese Sparrowhawk 97

Shikra 7

Useful biometric & moult data

Ratios of male/female/juveniles

But no retraps

No data on Spring migration Next step….

Satelite-tagging Objectives

• Determine the main routes

• Determine any stopover sites

• Speed of travel (distance per day)

• Wintering areas

• Breeding Grounds Satellite tags • Platform Transmitting Terminal PTT

• Various tags available

• Gps tags

• Solar-powered 5-g tags Satellite tagging

• Testing & calibration

• Get disorientated after long movements

• Make sure data gives correct location How the tags work

• 10 hours ON – 48 hours OFF

• Solar-powered

• Doppler effect

• GPS tags (need larger birds) Catching the bird Birds migrate over the ridge at KD Nets set perpendicular to flight path Birds fly low between trees when windy Fitting tag

Back pack harness – Teflon ribbon

Sewn using braided line

Tight but loose!

Permanent And then they were off… What happened next?

Where did they go?

How long did it take? Chom Apasara Apasara 29 Sep 13 Sep 6 Oct 23 days 2947 km

Sandakan BSBCC

Medan

To Wallace’s Standardwing

Chom 13 Oct 16 days 1582 km

Japanese Sparrowhawk gularis Chom Apasara Apasara 29 Sep 13 Sep 6 Oct 23 days 2947 km

Sandakan BSBCC

Medan

To Wallace’s Standardwing

Chom 13 Oct 16 days 1582 km

Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis Erin 6 Oct Dara 2 Oct Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis

Sandakan BSBCC

Dara To Wallace’s Standardwing 20 Oct 8 Days Erin 937 km 12 Dec 64 days 3 weeks 4046 km

500 km Erin 6 Oct Dara 2 Oct Chinese Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis

Sandakan BSBCC

Dara To Wallace’s Standardwing 20 Oct 8 Days Erin 937 km 12 Dec 64 days 3 weeks 4046 km

500 km Southbound routes – after leaving Khao Dinsor Time spent at wintering sites Habitat of Dara in northern Sumatra

• Picture from Sumatra of Dara’s home Apasara’s wintering site in Borneo

• Pictures from Borneo China Dara 16 May Apasara 39 days Northward 44 days 3598 km routes 4401 km ?

Burma Erin 15 Apr 60 days 6627 km The

Dara 30 Mar Apasara 26 Mar

Sumatra

Funded by: Erin 2 Mar Java

1,000 km China Dara 16 May Apasara 39 days Northward 44 days 3598 km routes 4401 km ?

Burma Erin 15 Apr 60 days 6627 km The Philippines

Dara 30 Mar Apasara 26 Mar

Sumatra

Funded by: Erin 2 Mar Java

1,000 km Chom

51 days

7,813 km

3 April

Stopover sites

• Very few

• Longest by Erin – Sumatra 3 weeks outbound – Java 10 days heading home

• Northern Thailand few days… What next?

• More detailed analysis of habitat used

• More tags – This is just a snap shot – Need more tags to form better picture

Other species – if we can catch them… Other species? Acknowledgements

NSTDA

KMUTT

Flyway Foundation

Tesaban Pathio

Ringers and counters

J. E. Murray