Density dependence in vital rates is key to population regulation. Rather than being constant, the strength of density dependence may vary throughout the year, but empirical evidence is limited. Based on 22 years of data of color‐banded birds from a recovering population of Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia leucorodia , we show, for the first time, seasonal variation in density dependence in survival of a long‐distance m...