Studying the wintering ecology and migratory behaviour of the Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus) and Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) in southeastern Spain Since winter 2008-2009 we are catching and ringing both species of Snipes aided by mist-nets in southeast Spain (Murcia), from October to February. The study area is located in the mouth of a small creek to the Mar Menor (a small salty lagoon [...]
We have recently published the paper “Individual migration patterns of Eurasian golden plovers Pluvialis apricaria breeding in Swedish Lapland; examples of cold spell-induced winter movements”. You can find the complete article in Journal of Avian Biology, year 2015, Volume 46, Issue 6, Pages 634-642. In the breeding season of 2011 we placed geolocators on golden plovers in our study area located [...]
The Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) is mostly a summer visitor, although the Balearic and Canary Islands populations are resident. Some winter regularly in Peninsular Spain and winter roosts, mainly in Cáceres (Extremadura) and Doñana National Park (Andalusia), have been found since the mid 1980s and the 1990s, respectively. Sánchez et al. (2015) have recently published data on the wintering [...]
The Eurasian Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus) has suffered a long period of decline in the 20th century mainly due to egg exploitation by egg collectors, poison baits and disturbance. However, the spanish population is currently increasing with an estimate of 2440 pairs (de la Puente et al. 2007). In Peninsular Spain, colonies are found in the south west with a unique island colony in Mallorca. With [...]
During the non-breeding season, different species of finches and thrushes from central and northern Europe move in response to harsh weather conditions to southern Europe. On our birding trips at this time of the year we observe these wintering birds sharing the area with resident birds as our beloved Iberian azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cooki). But it is not rare either to see another bird [...]