Research on bird migration lives in a revolution. Thanks to the rapid development of technology smaller and smaller species can be tracked by means of geolocation. In a new study from CAnMove scientists (Anders Hedenström et al) the hitherto unknown migration of the little ringed plover has been uncoverd. Little ringed plovers breed in gravel pits and inland freshwater habitats (often man-made). By attaching geoplocators, which register the ambient light, to a small number of plovers the migration routes and wintering sites could be detrmined in 6 individuals, and for one individual during two migrations. The plovers initially migrated towards SE, during the autumn and then several changed direction to SW to end up at wintering sites in Africa (from Nigeria in the west to Egypt in the east). However, one of the plovers migrated to India. That individuals from the same local population migrate to such widely separated localitoes as Nigeria and India is new to the scientists. Spring migratiom was more direct and rapid than autumn migration. We now plan to follow up on these results and try to unravel how migration routes are determined in juvenile plovers.
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