Winter warbler mystery solved
An international collaboration of conservation groups has finally figured out exactly where rare aquatic warblers go during the winter – a national park in northwestern Senegal. In what the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has described as the solution to the last remaining ornithological mystery, the discovery will substantially bolster efforts to conserve the species.
“Because this bird spends less than half its time in Europe, it is essential that we know more about where it spends the winter and whether these sites are threatened too,” said the RSPB’s Lars Lachmann, who helped organised field work in Senegal.
This small migratory bird is threatened by the loss of its preferred wetland habitat; its global population totals just 15,000 pairs. During the summer, the birds nest in marshland areas
of eastern Europe – in Belarus, Poland and Ukraine – and in the autumn, they can be spotted in parts of southern England as they head for their wintering grounds in western Africa. But up until now, no-one knew just where that was.
The research team solved the mystery by conducting isotope analysis on feathers collected at the birds’ European nesting sites. The scientists then looked for patterns that matched isotope maps of Africa. This method led researchers to an area just south of the Sahara Desert, which was then pinpointed to the banks of the Senegal River using computer models that identified potentially suitable climatic conditions. This was then corroborated with field work in Senegal, where the team spotted an estimated 5,000–10,000 birds within a 100-square-kilometre area of Senegal’s Djoudj National Park.
“Because this bird spends less than half its time in Europe, it is essential that we know more about where it spends the winter and whether these sites are threatened too,” said the RSPB’s Lars Lachmann, who helped organised field work in Senegal.
This small migratory bird is threatened by the loss of its preferred wetland habitat; its global population totals just 15,000 pairs. During the summer, the birds nest in marshland areas
of eastern Europe – in Belarus, Poland and Ukraine – and in the autumn, they can be spotted in parts of southern England as they head for their wintering grounds in western Africa. But up until now, no-one knew just where that was.
The research team solved the mystery by conducting isotope analysis on feathers collected at the birds’ European nesting sites. The scientists then looked for patterns that matched isotope maps of Africa. This method led researchers to an area just south of the Sahara Desert, which was then pinpointed to the banks of the Senegal River using computer models that identified potentially suitable climatic conditions. This was then corroborated with field work in Senegal, where the team spotted an estimated 5,000–10,000 birds within a 100-square-kilometre area of Senegal’s Djoudj National Park.
|
FIND OUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON TWITTER:
| |
 |
