The European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur has experienced a significant decline in population size since the 1980’s, leading to its vulnerable status according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This species is an intercontinental migrant using different flyways from its breeding grounds towards its wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. While habitat loss and hunting are known to pose significant threats, unders...

Accelerometers capture rapid changes in animal motion, and the analysis of large quantities of such data using machine learning algorithms enables the inference of broad animal behaviour categories such as foraging, flying, and resting over long periods of time. We deployed GPS-GSM/GPRS trackers with tri-axial acceleration sensors on common woodpigeons ( Columba palumbus ) from Hesse, Germany (forest and urban birds) and from...

Migration is used by many species as a strategy to deal with a seasonally changing environment. For some species, migration patterns can vary across different or even within the same breeding area. The Common Woodpigeon Columba palumbus , an abundant and widespread Palearctic species, exhibits three migratory strategies (strictly migratory, partially migratory and resident) across its European breeding grounds. Based on ring r...

Conservation of migratory birds requires knowledge of breeding and nonbreeding ranges and the connections between them. European turtle doves ( Streptopelia turtur ) are Palearctic-African long-distance migrants with wintering areas in the Sub-Saharan belt that are classed as vulnerable due to strong population declines. However, detailed non-breeding locations of individuals from different migratory flyways are unknown. To id...

Populations of migratory bird species have suffered a sustained and severe decline for several decades. Contrary to non-migratory species, understanding the causal mechanisms proves difficult (for migratory bird species) as underlying processes may operate across broad geographic ranges and stages of the annual cycle. Therefore, the identification of migration routes, wintering grounds, and stopover sites is crucial for the de...