The State of Migratory Landbirds in the East Asian Flyway: Distributions, Threats, and Conservation Needs

Yong, Ding; Heim, Wieland; Chowdhury, Sayam U.; Choi, Chang Yong; Ktitorov, Pavel; Kulikova, Olga; Kondratyev, Alexander V.; Round, Philip D.; Allen, Desmond; Trainor, Colin R.; Gibson, Luke; Szabo, Judit K.

doi:10.3389/fevo.2021.613172

Cited by 48 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 178 publications

(284 reference statements)

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“…When departing the eastern Mongolian breeding site, all four tracks started with a flight westward to a stopover zone in Central Asia. In contrast, routes described for Common Cuckoos (Cuculus canorus; Townshend 2019) and Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis; Clement and Holman 2001; Dixon et al 2011) also originating from eastern Mongolia show how these species initiate autumn migration in a southern direction towards South-East Asia, coinciding with the "mainland" route of the East Asian or East Asian-Australasian flyway (Yong et al 2021). Subsequently, both species turn westwards, to cross the Indian subcontinent and the Indian Ocean before arriving in Eastern Africa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Most long-distance migratory birds breeding in Eastern Asia spend the non-breeding period in the temperate and tropical zones of Southern Asia or Australia, with only few exceptions of species known to migrate from East Asia to Africa instead (Yong et al 2021) such as e.g. Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe; Schmaljohann et al 2017;Bairlein et al 2012) or Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus Sokolovskis et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Migration routes and timing of European Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) breeding in eastern Mongolia

et al. 2022

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The phenology and routes of long-distance migrations of European Nightjars are well described for Western European individuals migrating within the East Atlantic and Mediterranean flyways, while little is known about populations from other parts of the Eurasian breeding range. We describe the route choice and timing of European Nightjars breeding in eastern Mongolia, migrating within the Asia-East Africa flyway to reach wintering destinations in South-East Africa. After covering about 15,000 km during autumn migration, Mongolian nightjars arrived 1 month later in their wintering grounds compared to nightjars breeding in Western Europe. A similar difference was also observed in the timing of their arrival back at their respective breeding grounds illustrating the differences in timing of migration events between the two populations. We identify the steppes of Central Asia and the savannah of the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa as key stopover zones for nightjars associated with the crossing of an ecological barrier formed by the deserts and mountains of the Iranian Plateau and the Arabian Peninsula. Keywords Bird migration • Light-level geolocation • Asia-East Africa flyway • Long-distance migrant • Ecological barrier • Stopover site ZusammenfassungZugrouten und zeitlicher Zugverlauf Europäischer Ziegenmelker (Caprimulgus europaeus) in der östlichen Mongolei. Die Phänologie und die Zugrouten des Europäischen Ziegenmelkers (Caprimulgus europaeus) sind für westeuropäische Populationen, die innerhalb der ostatlantischen und mediterranen Zugrouten wandern, gut beschrieben, während über Populationen aus anderen Teilen des eurasischen Brutgebiets wenig bekannt ist. In dieser Arbeit beschreiben wir die Routenwahl und den zeitlichen Ablauf des Zuges von Europäischen Ziegenmelkern, die in der östlichen Mongolei brüten und innerhalb der asiatisch-ostafrikanischen Zugroute wandern, um ihre Überwinterungsziele in Südostafrika zu erreichen. Nachdem die mongolischen Ziegenmelker während des Herbstzuges etwa 15.000 km zurückgelegt hatten, kamen sie im Vergleich zu den in Westeuropa brütenden Ziegenmelkern einen Monat später in ihren Winterquartieren an. Ein ähnlicher Unterschied wurde auch bei der Ankunft in ihren jeweiligen Brutgebieten beobachtet, was die Unterschiede in der zeitlichen Abfolge der Communicated by N. Chernetsov.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration routes and timing of European Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) breeding in eastern Mongolia

et al. 2022

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“…Habitat loss is a major threat to migratory birds of the world's flyways, including landbird species in the EAAF (Bairlein, 2016; Vickery et al, 2014; Yong et al, 2021). In particular, loss of forest breeding habitat is considered a major concern in the EAAF, because many endangered migratory landbirds are forest breeding birds, including the Fairy Pitta (Birdlife International, 2021).…”

Section: Regional Conservation Implications In East Asiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A lack of population trend and threat assessments is putting the migratory landbirds of the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway (EAAF) under threat (Kim et al, 2021; Ueta & Uemura, 2021; Yong et al, 2021). Although it is highly species diverse, supporting the highest number of threatened species among the five global highways (Kirby et al, 2008), very little is known about the population trends of EAAF migratory landbirds (Kim et al, 2021; Newton, 2007; Yong et al, 2021). Such an information gap can result in the late detection of severe population decline (Stanton, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of breeding habitat loss on a threatened East Asia migratory forest bird

Chang²,

Lin³

et al. 2022

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Migratory landbird population trends and threats in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) are poorly understood. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the effect of breeding habitat loss on the population trend for the Fairy Pitta (Pitta nympha), a migratory forest-breeding bird in the EAAF categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It has been assumed that this species is declining rapidly due to deforestation in its breeding range in Taiwan. We analyzed the change in Fairy Pitta population density across Taiwan from 2001 to 2017, and tested the effect of forest cover change on the species' abundance. We detected an average of 4.32 (95% CI: 1.96-6.68) individuals per km 2 in 2001, which has declined at an average annual rate of À8.31% (95% CI: À15.50%-À1.16%) during the study, and a minor change in forest cover (À0.22%) in Taiwan during this period. We found no significant effect of the forest cover trend on the population trend of the Fairy Pitta. This suggests that the drivers of population decline may not be related to deforestation in the breeding range, but potentially to breeding habitat degradation, habitat loss in the non-breeding range, or factors unrelated to habitat loss. Further studies are required to assess the major threats to this globally threatened species.

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“…The easternmost breeding range of pekinensis overlaps with two other migratory swifts, i.e. the Pacific Swift ( Apus pacificus ), and the White-throated Needletail ( Hirundapus caudacutus ), whose migratory paths have been recently elucidated by light-level geolocators [ 16 , 17 ], virtually following the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A 30,000-km journey by Apus apus pekinensis tracks arid lands between northern China and south-western Africa

Zhao

Wu³

et al. 2022

Mov Ecol

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Background As a widely distributed and aerial migratory bird, the Common Swift (Apus apus) flies over a wide geographic range in Eurasia and Africa during migration. Although some studies have revealed the migration routes and phenology of European populations, A. a. apus (from hereon the nominate apus), the route used by its East Asian counterpart A. a. pekinensis (from hereon pekinensis) remained a mystery. Methods Using light level geolocators, we studied the migration of adult pekinensis breeding in Beijing from 2014 to 2018, and analysed full annual tracks obtained from 25 individuals. In addition, we used the mean monthly precipitation to assess the seasonal variations in humidity for the distribution ranges of the nominate apus and pekinensis. This environmental variable is considered to be critically relevant to their migratory phenology and food resource abundance. Results Our results show that the swifts perform a round-trip journey of ca 30,000 km each year, representing a detour of 26% in autumn and 15% in spring compared to the shortest route between the breeding site in Beijing and wintering areas in semi-arid south-western Africa. Compared to the nominate apus, pekinensis experiences drier conditions for longer periods of time. Remarkably, individuals from our study population tracked arid habitat along the entire migration corridor leading from a breeding site in Beijing to at least central Africa. In Africa, they explored more arid habitats during non-breeding than the nominate apus. Conclusions The migration route followed by pekinensis breeding in Beijing might suggest an adaptation to semi-arid habitat and dry climatic zones during non-breeding periods, and provides a piece of correlative evidence indicating the historical range expansion of the subspecies. This study highlights that the Common Swift may prove invaluable as a model species for studies of migration route formation and population divergence.

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The State of Migratory Landbirds in the East Asian Flyway: Distributions, Threats, and Conservation Needs

Cited by 48 publications

References 178 publications

Migration routes and timing of European Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) breeding in eastern Mongolia

Migration routes and timing of European Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) breeding in eastern Mongolia

Effects of breeding habitat loss on a threatened East Asia migratory forest bird

A 30,000-km journey by Apus apus pekinensis tracks arid lands between northern China and south-western Africa

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