Bird migration has and continues to be one of the main lines of ornithological research. Birds employ a surprising variety of strategies to move across the planet, from short-distance movements that are often unpredictable in their timing, to long-distance migrations that are highly synchronized among the members of a population. Our understanding of the patterns of movement and underlying mechanisms responsible for those movements has led to deeper insights into the evolution and ecology of these birds, as well as information vital to conserving their populations.
Bird migration research is primarily focused on birds that breed in the Northern Hemisphere (Europe and North America), whereas the migration of birds that breed in the Southern Hemisphere continues to be understudied. Such a gap in research is unfortunate, given that bird diversity is higher at tropical and austral latitudes than at boreal/northern latitudes, suggesting that we are missing a large fraction of the diversity of migration strategies employed by birds across the planet. In this Research topic, we hope to fill in some of these gaps by presenting recent research on the movements of birds in these understudied systems.
This Research Topic is focused on research on the movements of birds that breed in Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. Research can include studies that employ any type of methodology, from citizen science to the use of tracking technology. Research on different migration types is also welcome, including classical migration, dispersive migration (i.e., lacking directionality during the non-breeding period), and nomadism. Overall, the primary goal of this Research topic is to further our understanding of how and why birds migrate in relatively understudied species and regions.
Keywords:
migration, ornithology, dispersive migration, nomadism, classical migration, tracking technology
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Bird migration has and continues to be one of the main lines of ornithological research. Birds employ a surprising variety of strategies to move across the planet, from short-distance movements that are often unpredictable in their timing, to long-distance migrations that are highly synchronized among the members of a population. Our understanding of the patterns of movement and underlying mechanisms responsible for those movements has led to deeper insights into the evolution and ecology of these birds, as well as information vital to conserving their populations.
Bird migration research is primarily focused on birds that breed in the Northern Hemisphere (Europe and North America), whereas the migration of birds that breed in the Southern Hemisphere continues to be understudied. Such a gap in research is unfortunate, given that bird diversity is higher at tropical and austral latitudes than at boreal/northern latitudes, suggesting that we are missing a large fraction of the diversity of migration strategies employed by birds across the planet. In this Research topic, we hope to fill in some of these gaps by presenting recent research on the movements of birds in these understudied systems.
This Research Topic is focused on research on the movements of birds that breed in Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. Research can include studies that employ any type of methodology, from citizen science to the use of tracking technology. Research on different migration types is also welcome, including classical migration, dispersive migration (i.e., lacking directionality during the non-breeding period), and nomadism. Overall, the primary goal of this Research topic is to further our understanding of how and why birds migrate in relatively understudied species and regions.
Keywords:
migration, ornithology, dispersive migration, nomadism, classical migration, tracking technology
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.