AUTHOR=Phipps W. Louis , López-López Pascual , Buechley Evan R. , Oppel Steffen , Álvarez Ernesto , Arkumarev Volen , Bekmansurov Rinur , Berger-Tal Oded , Bermejo Ana , Bounas Anastasios , Alanís Isidoro Carbonell , de la Puente Javier , Dobrev Vladimir , Duriez Olivier , Efrat Ron , Fréchet Guillaume , García Javier , Galán Manuel , García-Ripollés Clara , Gil Alberto , Iglesias-Lebrija Juan José , Jambas José , Karyakin Igor V. , Kobierzycki Erick , Kret Elzbieta , Loercher Franziska , Monteiro Antonio , Morant Etxebarria Jon , Nikolov Stoyan C. , Pereira José , Peške Lubomír , Ponchon Cecile , Realinho Eduardo , Saravia Victoria , Sekercioğlu Cağan H. , Skartsi Theodora , Tavares José , Teodósio Joaquim , Urios Vicente , Vallverdú Núria TITLE=Spatial and Temporal Variability in Migration of a Soaring Raptor Across Three Continents JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution VOLUME=7 YEAR=2019 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2019.00323 DOI=10.3389/fevo.2019.00323 ISSN=2296-701X ABSTRACT=

Disentangling individual- and population-level variation in migratory movements is necessary for understanding migration at the species level. However, very few studies have analyzed these patterns across large portions of species' distributions. We compiled a large telemetry dataset on the globally endangered Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (94 individuals, 188 completed migratory journeys), tracked across ~70% of the species' global range, to analyze spatial and temporal variability of migratory movements within and among individuals and populations. We found high migratory connectivity at large spatial scales (i.e., different subpopulations showed little overlap in wintering areas), but very diffuse migratory connectivity within subpopulations, with wintering ranges up to 4,000 km apart for birds breeding in the same region and each subpopulation visiting up to 28 countries (44 in total). Additionally, Egyptian Vultures exhibited a high level of variability at the subpopulation level and flexibility at the individual level in basic migration parameters. Subpopulations differed significantly in travel distance and straightness of migratory movements, while differences in migration speed and duration differed as much between seasons and among individuals within subpopulations as between subpopulations. The total distances of the migrations completed by individuals from the Balkans and Caucasus were up to twice as long and less direct than those in Western Europe, and consequently were longer in duration, despite faster migration speeds. These differences appear to be largely attributable to more numerous and wider geographic barriers (water bodies) along the eastern flyway. We also found that adult spring migrations to Western Europe and the Balkans were longer and slower than fall migrations. We encourage further research to assess the underlying mechanisms for these differences and the extent to which environmental change could affect Egyptian Vulture movement ecology and population trends.