56

Origin of CommonSandpipers A ctitishypoleucos captured in the Iberian peninsula during their autumn migration.

Josd Arcas

Arcas,J. 1999. Origin of CommonSandpipers hypoleucoscaptured in the Iberian peninsuladuring their autumnmigration. Study Group Bull. 89:56 - 59.

82 recoveriesof CommonSandpipers Actitis hypoleucos during autumn migration in the Iberianpeninsula are analysed.Information on the origin of ,phenology of recoveriesand habitatused by birdsis also given.

Arcas,J., Laboratoriode Anatomfa . Departamento de Ecologœay Biolog[a Animal. Facultad de Ciencias,Universidad de Vigo,Apartado 874. 36200 Vigo (Pontevedra)Espafia.

INTRODUCTION METHODS The CommonSandpiper Actiris hypoleucosis oneof the most In the presentstudy a total of 83 recoverycards of Common abundantbreeding in centraland westernEurope Sandpipersringed abroad and recovered (recaptured, found (Piersma1986). Its breedingbiology in Europeis relatively dead,shot, etc.) in the IberianPeninsula are analysed.Data of well known (Lofaldi 1981; Holland et al. 1982a, 1982b; CommonSandpipers ringed in Iberiaduring autumn migration Cramp& Simmons1983; Yalden 1984; 1986a, 1986b, 1992; and recoveredabroad were too scarceto obtainany conclusive Holland & Yalden 1991; Yalden & Holland 1992), but result.All recoverydata for Spainwere providedby the migrationstrategy and routes are poorlyunderstood (Piersma Oficina de Anillamiento de la Direcci6n General de et al. 1997). Conservaci6nde la Naturaleza(74 cardsfrom 1955 to 1995) andby CEMPA/ICN - CentralNacional de Anilhagemfor Informationon CommonSandpipers in Europehas only been Portugal (9 cardsfrom 1957 to 1997). gatheredas part of wider studies(Piersma 1984; Piersma et al. 1987; OAG MOnster 1987; Davidson & Piersma 1988; Smit & All recoveriesmade in theIberian Peninsula between July and Piersma1989). Details of body conditionhave been recorded Octoberwere consideredto be duringautumn migration in a smallnumber of studies(Cramp & Simmons1983; (Cramp& Simmons1983). Any recoverycards containing Hillman et al. 1986; Baccettiet al. 1992; Arcasin prep). erroneousor doubtfuldata were rejected(n= 2).

In the Iberian Peninsula,the populationsof waders(including For dataanalysis the followingaspects were considered:1) the CommonSandpiper) are well known due to censuses countryof origin (i.e. the countrywhere the birdswere developedthrough the decades(e.g. Arafijo & Garcia1974; ringed). Birdswere divided into two differentcategories CEMPA 1981; Ruffno 1989, 1990; Alberto & Purroy 1981, called "native" and "non-native birds" to take into account the 1983; Alberto & Velasco 1986; Velasco & Alberto 1993). date of ringingand the age of birdswhen ringed. Thus,we There havealso been a numberof studiesof phenologywhich assumedthat birdsringed as pulli, juvenilesor as adults includedata on CommonSandpiper (Ruffno 1983; Ruffno & (EURING code1, 3 or 4, 6 respectively)during their breeding Arafijo 1987; Dom/nguez1989; Galarza 1984a, 1984b; season(during May andJune, Cramp & Simmons(1983)) Mart/nez-Vilalta 1985; Dominguez& Maneiro 1988; Ram6n werenative birds. Non-nativebirds were those both juveniles 1989; P•rez-Hurtado & Hortas 1994; Velasco 1992). Some (EURING code3) andadults (EURING code2, 4, 6) tinged informationon CommonSandpiper migration in the Iberian outsidethis period. Juveniles were included in thislast group Peninsulais offeredby Bernis (1966) and more recentlyby becausethese birds may alreadybe on passage. Diaz et al. (1996) but they are basedon datafrom censuses and only a few recoveries. The findinglocation of eachrecovery was mapped. Recoveries further than 30 km from coastline were considered In the presentstudy, recoveries (reports of ringedbirds) of as inland recoveries. foreign-ringedCommon in theIberian Peninsula duringautumn migration are analysed. Informationabout When possible,the habitat where the was recoveredwas origin, recoveryphenology and the habitatfrequented by noted. With the aim of studyingage differences in coast/ recoveredbirds during this period is given. 57

were alsorecovered. These countries represent the northern limit of its distributionarea in Europe(Hayman et al. 1986) and thus40% of birds ringed in this region were identified as nativebirds. All the remainingrecoveries came from southern Europesuch as France(6%) and Switzerland(3.6%). Only 1.2% of recoveriescame from eastemEurope (the Czech Republic). Czech Republic 1.2% Location of recoveries Figure 2 showsthe locationand numberof recoveriesmade of CommonSandpipers in the IberianPeninsula during autunm migration. 51.8% of recoverieswere at inland sites,whereas 48.2% wereon the coast.From the first group,39.5% werein Figure 1. Origincountries of CommonSandpipers recaptured in the fresh water habitats such as reservoirs, lakes and rivers. There Iberianpeninsula during autumn migration. ' was no significantdifference in the abundanceCommon inlanduse by CommonSandpipers during autumn migration Sandpipersat the coastaland inland sites (x 2 = 1.1; p> 0.05). in the Iberian Peninsula,we consideredadults (i.e. aged as 4, Adultswere significantlymore abundantthan juveniles at both 6) andjuveniles (aged as 3). Unknownage birds (EURING coastalsites (x 2 =4.84; p < 0.05) anda highly significant code2) werecounted separately because this kind of code differencebetween the numberof adultsand juveniles using includesboth unidentifiedjuveniles and adults(fully-grown inlandlocations when migrating (x 2 =6.8; p < 0.01). birds). Springor winterrecoveries of CommonSandpipers were not analysed,because they were too scarce. Phenologyof recoveries Most recoveriesoccurred during August (52.7%) and RESULTS September(27%) (Figure3) thesebeing the months when Origin of CommonSandpipers recovered in Iberia autumnmigration of CommonSandpipers reaches its two Figure 1 showsthe countriesof originof CommonSandpipers consecutivepeaks (Dominguez 1997). 27.4% of recoveries recoveredin Spainand Portugal on autumnmigration. 50.6% werebirds caught and released by a finger,August being the of recoverieswere adults,19.2% juvenilesand 28.9% monthwhen most tinging effort occurs, at leastin Spain fully-grownbirds (of unknownage). Most of the recoveries (Cantos& Fernfindez1994). The proportionof recoveriesin camefrom northemand westem Europe, e.g. Germany(29 othermonths was 10.8% and9.5% in July andOctober %), Belgium(13.2%), Sweden(13.2%) andUnited Kingdom respectively.Owing to the small size of the dataset,it is not (12%). A small number of recoveriescame from Poland clearwhether there are differences in the durationof juvenile (1.2%). Thesefigures are not unexpectedconsidering that it is andadult autunm migration periods (Figure 3). in thesecountries that most Common Sandpipers are caught andringed (see Table 1). A smallerproportion came from DISCUSSION Denmark(9.6%), Norway (7.2%) andFrance (6%). Most of Mostof theCommon Sandpipers that use the IberianPeninsula the recoveredbirds are non-native birdsin the countrywhere as a migratorypathway to the African continentcome from they were originallyringed (84.3%) andtherefore it is possible western(France, Belgium, U.K.) andnorthern (Germany, that they camefrom othercountries in morenortherly Denmarkand Scandinavia) Europe. Individuals come by one latitudes.Although fewer in number(26.4%), birdsringed in routefrom westernEurope (France, Belgium, United the ScandinavianPeninsula (Finland, Norway and Sweden) Kingdom)and by anotherfrom northerncountries (Germany, Denmark and Scandinaviancountries). The low number of recoveriesof birdstinged in easternEurope (one bird from the CzechRepublic), confirms the ideathat birds follow different migratorypathways to Africa dependingon their origin. Cramp& Simmons(1983) suggestthat birds tinged in Finland, eastGerman regions and the CzechRepublic are recovered mainlyin Italy,whereas birds tinged in northwestEurope are fromFrance, the Iberianpeninsula (Spain and Portugal) and Morocco. Bemis (1966) notesa very similarbehaviour in WoodSandpipers glareola that cross Europe during autumnmigration, and called these routes the "Italianway" andthe "France-Iberia-Morocco way" respectively.

Figure 2. Locationand number of recoveriesof CommonSandpipers Phenologyof recoveriesis coincidentwith that of other in the Iberianpeninsula during autumn migration. speciesin the Iberianpeninsula during post-nuptial migration, 58

Table 1. CommonSandpipers inged in some Europeancountries and Arafijo, J. & Garcia- Rfa, A. E. 1974. E1 censoespafiol de recovered in the Iberian Peninsula, limicolas de Enero de 1973. Ardeola 20: 151-159.

Country Period Ringed Birds Baccetti,N., De Faveri,A. & Serra,L. 1992. Springmigration andbody conditionof CommonSandpipers Actitis hypoleucos Czech Republic 1934-1980 7454 on a small Mediterraneanisland. Ringing & Migration 13: Denmark 1928-1997 6448 90-94. Finland 1913-1997 10324 France 1911-1990 11515 Bemis, F. 1966. MigracirSnen aves.Tratado te6rico y pr•cuco Germany 1909-1996 12612 S. E. O. Madrid. U.K. 1909-1991 16426 Norway 1914-1982 4510 Cantos,F. & Femfindez,A. 1994.Phenology and distribution Portugal 1976-1983 57 of wadersringed in Spainfrom the schemeMadrid Museode Spain 1973-1996 4413 Sweden 1960-1983 13935 Ciencias.Wader Study Group Bull. 73: 55-60. Switzerland 1924-1997 1946 CEMPA. 1981. Contagensde avesaquaticas. Janeiro de 1981. Publ. Servi9oEstudos Ambiente. Lisboa.

Cramp,S. & Simmons,K. E. L. 1983. Handbookof the Btrds of Europe,the Middle East and North Africa: The Birds of the Western Palearctic. Volume III. Waders to . Oxford University Press.Oxford.

Davidson, N. C. & Piersma, T. 1988. International wader migrationstudies along the EastAtlantic flyway: plansfor spring1988. WaderStudy Group Bull. 51: 5-7. J A S O

Figure 3. Phenologyof recoveriesof CommonSandpipers in Spain. Diaz, M., Asensio, B. & Teller/a, J. L. 1996. Aves Ib•ricas. I Censusdata from NW Spain(author's unpublished data). No Paseriformes.J. M. Reyero(Ed.). Madrid. Augustbeing the monthwhen highest numbers of counted birdsoccur (Ruffno 1984; Mart/nez-Vilalta 1985; Dominguez Dom/nguez,J. 1988. Taxocenosisde lim[colas-Charadrii-de & Maneiro 1988; Hem•ndez & Velasco 1990; Galarza 1984a, las rfasgallegas; con especial referencia alas deArosa y 1984b; Diaz et al. 1996). Some studies(e.g. M•inster 1987) Ortigueira.Tesis doctoral. Universidad de Santiago. have shownthat juveniles tend to be foundinland and adults tendto be found on the coast. Suchsegregation has to do with Dom/nguez,J. 1990. Distributionof estuarinewaders the use of coastallocations by adultsand inland ones(lakes, wintering in the Iberian Peninsulain 1978 - 1982. Wader reservoirs,rivers, etc.) by juveniles. Furtherstudies of age StudyGroup Bull. 59: 25-28. differencesduring migration and an increasein ringing effort of this speciesin Iberia would be of interestfor a better Dom/nguez,J. & Maneiro,J. C. 1988.Dinfimica y fenologia understandingof thisspecies migratory behaviour. de Calidrismar/tima y Actirishypoleucos en la costade Pontevedra. Thalassas 6: 9-13. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I'm very gratefulto Mfirio Silva andRui Rufino (CEMPA), Dom/nguez,J. 1997.Invernada y migraciSnde limœcolasen el Guy Jarry(C. R. B. P. O.), FranciscoCantos (Oficina de litoralAtldntico Ibgrico. In: Lasaves iimicolas en Espafia. Anillamientode la D.G.C.N.), Phillip Holland and an Andr•s Barbosa(Coord.). Ministerio de Medio Ambiente. anonymousreferee for their considerablehelp. Colecci6n T•cnica.

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Alberto,J. L. & Purroy,F. J. 1983.Datos del censo invernal de Galarza,A. 1984a. Fenologiade las aves acu•ticas en el limicolasen Espafia (1981-1982). Ardeola 30: 93-98. estuariode Gemika (Golfo de Vizcaya). Ardeola 31:17 - 25.

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P•ersma,T 1987. Hink, stapof sprong?Reisbeperkingen van Yalden, D.W. 1992. The influence of recreational disturbance arctischesteltlopers door voedselzoeken,vetopbouw en on commonsandpipers Actiris hypoleucos breeding by upland vhgsnelheid.Limosa 60:185-194. reservoir,in England.Biological Consensation 61: 41-49.

Piersma, T, Beintema, A. J., Davidson, N.C., Mtinster, O.A.G. Yalden, D.W. & Holland, P. K. 1992. Relative contributions of & Pienkowski,M. W. 1985. Wadermigration systems in the CommonSandpiper Actiris hypoleucos parents to guarding EastAtlantic. Wader StudyGroup Bull. 49. Suppl./IWRB their chicks.Ringing & Migration 13: 95-97. SpecialPublication 7: 35-56.

Piersma,T, Wiersma, P. & Van Gils, J. 1997. The many unknownsabout and sandpipers of the world: •ntroductionto a wealth of researchopportunities highly