Callum Macgregor

A long-distance migratory passerine which breeds in most of Europe (except the farthest N and S latitudes) to C Asia and winters in C/E Africa (BirdLife International 2022). Insectivorous,with fruit also being taken outside of the breeding season.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendIncreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		39200000-59200000,47800000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Common Whitethroat

There are relatively few recoveries in Africa, but they show some main patterns of migration. There appears to be high connectivity:  W European populations winter in W Sahel, and N and E European birds in E Sahel. Spring migration occurs over a broad front, with birds migrating across open sea and deserts. In Europe, passage through Iberia is mostly of birds from NW and W Europe which winter in W Africa (Senegambia). Birds from the W part of C Europe, up to W Scandinavia, move SW, passing through Iberia or C Mediterranean. Birds from E Europe and the Baltic region move SE, passing through C Mediterranean across to SE Europe/E Mediterranean. In autumn, these birds tend to return via N Egypt (Fransson et al. 2005).

Recoveries by Condition for Common Whitethroat

Overall, most (>95%) recoveries are of birds captured alive, usually recaptures by ringers. However, most recoveries before 1961 were of birds found dead (shot 15%, other dead, sick or wounded ~40%). This pattern clearly changed during 1961-1990, and from 1991 to present very few birds are found dead, with 97% of recoveries being of birds recaptured alive in ringing programs.

Annual Movements for Common Whitethroat

Autumn migration starts in Aug and is widespread across Europe in Aug-Sep, with fewer encounters in Europe in Oct. In S Europe/N Africa, birds gain enough fuel to cross the Sahara (Schaub & Jenni 2000). Encounters in the sub-Saharan belt are mostly from Nov-Apr (some even in May). Spring passage in Europe is cledar in Apr, continuing into May. Birds arrive on the Scandinavian breeding quarters in May, but arrive several weeks earlier in S Europe.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Common Whitethroat

W populations pass over W France in Aug and Iberia in Aug-Sep, with recoveries in W Africa mostly in Sep-Apr. Encounters suggest a loop migration, with a more W flyway in autumn, and more E (E Iberia, W Mediterranean) in spring, a relatively common phenomenon in other trans-Saharan migrants. Scandinavian birds concentrate in SE Europe/N Egyptian coast in Sep-Oct, but there are many more recoveries in C Mediterranean in spring, mostly Apr-May, which would also suggest loop migration, but opposite to what is seen for the W European populations.

Juan Arizaga

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
BirdLife International 2022 . Species factsheet: Sylvia communis.
Fransson, T., Jakobsson, S., Kullberg, C.2005 . Non-random distribution of ring recoveries from trans-Saharan migrants indicates species-specific stopover areas. Journal of Avian Biology 36: 6–11
Schaub, M., Jenni, L.2000 . Body mass of six long-distance migrant passerine species along the autumn migration route. Journal of Ornithology 141: 441–460

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