New insights into Nightjar migration
05 May 2017
Nightjars are one of the most secretive birds breeding in Britain and Ireland, most frequently detected by the males' distinctive 'churring' song. The migration routes used by Nightjars, as well as their precise wintering areas, were virtually unknown, but a new study by BTO researchers and others has shed light on this.
Attaching tiny GPS tags to birds breeding in Britain, Belgium and France has shown that they winter in the savannah in southern Congo, as well as highlighting key stop-over sites. The study also showed differences in the routes of spring and autumn migration, with birds favouring a western route in spring. Further work is ongoing to see how these fascinating findings relate to other European populations of Nightjar.
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