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Recording Year
Seasonal movements
Some species that we think of as residents also undertake
movements at certain times of year. Often in the winter, migrants
from other populations in Europe boost populations in Britain
and Ireland. These movements are often related to severe periods
of weather or a shortage of food.
Lapwing is a good example of a species that can be affected
by severe cold weather, causing populations on the Continent
to evacuate their traditional wintering areas and move westwards
to Britain and Ireland in search of milder conditions. They
usually return when the conditions improve, often before the
spring. Lapwings breeding in Britain and Ireland are partial
migrant, with many remaining through the winter close to their
breeding grounds whilst others migrate. Information from ringing
shows that Lapwings from the north and northwest of Britain
move westwards in the autumn, with some going to Ireland and
others into France and Iberia. Lapwings from the southeast
part of Britain move mainly southwards to France and Iberia.
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From late summer, migrant Starlings
from as far as Scandinavia, the Baltic States, the Low
Countries, Germany, Poland and Russia join our residents.
By mid-winter the population can be huge with upto half
a million roosting in some places. The map shows the
movement of Starlings from a broad geographical area
into Britain and Ireland. |
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Siskin that breed in Britain and Ireland generally
winter near to their breeding areas, although some movements
are made on a north-south axis, depending on food supplies
and weather conditions. A few of our breeding birds
go as far as the Low Countries, France and Iberia to
winter.
Information from ringing shows that during the winter,
large numbers of Siskins from Scandinavia join our population.
The pattern of ringing recoveries suggest that some
birds from Scandinavia move south to the Low Countries
before crossing to England and some will continue towards
Iberia and even as far as the Mediterranean and Central
Europe. |
Birds on passage
 Some
species pass through Britain and Ireland in the spring and
autumn but do not linger here to breed. Classic passage species
are Little Gull, Black Tern, Pomarine Skua and Long-tailed
Skua. These species breed further east in eastern Europe,
Scandinavia and into Russia yet their migration route brings
them through Britain and Ireland. The weather plays an important
role too and periods of easterly winds in the spring are more
likely to bring Little Gulls and Black Terns to us. Small
numbers of Little Gull also winter off our coastline but it
is primarily a passage species.
During the spring and autumn many waders pass through Britain
and Ireland on their way from breeding grounds in the high
Arctic to wintering grounds further south. For some wader
species like Dunlin, Sanderling, Grey Plover, Turnstone part
of their population chose to winter here whilst another part
of the population will continue south and winter in Africa.
The two maps below show the different strategies taken by
two species of wader; Turnstone and Ruff. The map shows two
populations of Turnstone; those breeding in Greenland and
arctic Canada will winter in Britain and Ireland (green arrows)
whilst those from Scandinavia will pass through Britain but
will continue south to winter along the coast of West Africa.
A very small number of Ruff breed in England so most of the
birds we see are passage migrants. Numbers in spring are quite
low but the autumn passage is much bigger and a few even stay
here all winter. Ruff breeding in Scandinavia and Arctic Russia
pass through Britain and the Low Countries on a broad front
and winter in Africa from Senegal east to Mali.
Your birdwatching records will help us to look at these seasonal
movements in more detail. By submitting your records regularly
to BirdTrack we hope to be able to pick up movements relating
to severe cold weather and food shortages.
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