Aim Animal movement is an important determinant of individual survival, population dynamics and ecosystem structure and function. Nonetheless, it is still unclear how local movements are related to resource availability and the spatial arrangement of resources. Using resident bird species and migratory bird species outside the migratory period, we examined how the distribution of resources affects the movement patterns of both large terrestrial birds (e.g., raptors, bustards and hornbills) and waterbirds (e.g., cranes, storks, ducks, geese and flamingos). Location Global. Time period 2003–2015. Major taxa studied Birds. Methods We compiled GPS tracking data for 386 individuals across 36 bird species. We calculated the straight‐line distance between GPS locations of each individual at the 1‐hr and 10‐day time‐scales. For each individual and time‐scale, we calculated the median and 0.95 quantile of displacement. We used linear mixed‐effects models to examine the effect of the spatial arrangement of resources, measured as enhanced vegetation index homogeneity, on avian movements, while accounting for mean resource availability, body mass, diet, flight type, migratory status and taxonomy and spatial autocorrelation. Results We found a significant effect of resource spatial arrangement at the 1‐hr and 10‐day time‐scales. On average, individual movements were seven times longer in environments with homogeneously distributed resources compared with areas of low resource homogeneity. Contrary to previous work, we found no significant effect of resource availability, diet, flight type, migratory status or body mass on the non‐migratory movements of birds. Main conclusions We suggest that longer movements in homogeneous environments might reflect the need for different habitat types associated with foraging and reproduction. This highlights the importance of landscape complementarity, where habitat patches within a landscape include a range of different, yet complementary resources. As habitat homogenization increases, it might force birds to travel increasingly longer distances to meet their diverse needs.

Animals typically adjust their behaviour to their changing environment throughout the annual cycle, modulating key processes such as the timing of breeding and the onset of migration. Such behavioural changes are commonly manifested in the movements and the energetic balance of individuals in relation to their species-specific physiological characteristics, habitat attributes and the environmental properties of their distribution ranges. We used GPS and acceleration data collected using transmitters on free-ranging birds to quantify annual movement patterns and estimate energy expenditure of the Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, a large, soaring avian species which performs short-distance migration and spends its entire annual cycle in mid-latitudes. To assess the representativeness of our results, the transmitter effect was also tested. We found that daily trends in the overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA; a proxy for energy expenditure) differed among seasons, with the highest values occurring during spring and the lowest during winter. Long inter-lake flights were very rare in winter, and the number of flights and ODBA during spring was higher than during summer, suggesting greater motivation to move in spring. Although transmitters may have affected the birds, as none of the tagged birds bred, we found seasonal differences in behaviour and activity level. The observed patterns in differences in activity levels, long-distance flights and flight characteristics between seasons suggest an annual rhythm of energy expenditure. These findings allow a better understanding of bird phenology, specifically regarding adaptations to wintering in a cold climate by reducing movement-driven energy expenditure. Finally, the identification of periods with high and low energy expenditure may guide future conservation efforts by adjusting conservation plans in accordance with changing needs during the annual cycle.

In this expansion, the species has begun to occupy commercial plantations of Pinus radiata, an introduced North American conifer. This pine was extensively planted during the th century in the Spanish Basque region, and comprises % of the forest in this area. Pinus radiata plantations are intensively managed, and timber is harvested in - year cycles. It is unclear whether this habitat provides good quality resources for the black woodpecker, or is a sink, with woodpecker numbers sustained by immigration. Demographic parameters support the latter hypothesis, but the evidence is inconclusive. Research on how species tolerance can buffer pressures in human-made habitats has practical implications for adaptive conservation and for the compliance of commercial forestry practices with biodiversity requirements.

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