Revealing patterns of nocturnal migration using the European weather radar network

Cecilia Nilsson; Adriaan M. Dokter; Liesbeth Verlinden; Judy Shamoun-Baranes; Baptiste Schmid; Peter Desmet; Silke Bauer; Jason Chapman; Jose A. Alves; Phillip M. Stepanian; Nir Sapir; Charlotte Wainwright; Mathieu Boos; Anna Górska; Myles H. M. Menz; Pedro Rodrigues; Hidde Leijnse; Pavel Zehtindjiev; Robin Brabant; Günther Haase; Nadja Weisshaupt; Michal Ciach; Felix Liechti

doi:10.1111/ecog.04003

Revealing patterns of nocturnal migration using the European weather radar network

Cecilia Nilsson, Adriaan M. Dokter, Liesbeth Verlinden, Judy Shamoun-Baranes, Baptiste Schmid, Peter Desmet, Silke Bauer, Jason Chapman, Jose A. Alves, Phillip M. Stepanian, Nir Sapir, Charlotte Wainwright, Mathieu Boos, Anna Górska, Myles H. M. Menz, Pedro Rodrigues, Hidde Leijnse, Pavel Zehtindjiev, Robin Brabant, Günther HaaseNadja Weisshaupt, Michal Ciach, Felix Liechti

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Abstract

Nocturnal avian migration flyways remain an elusive concept, as we have largely lacked methods to map their full extent. We used the network of European weather radars to investigate nocturnal bird movements at the scale of the European flyway. We mapped the main migration directions and showed the intensity of movement across part of Europe by extracting biological information from 70 weather radar stations from northern Scandinavia to Portugal, during the autumn migration season of 2016. On average, over the 20 nights and all sites, 389 birds passed per 1 km transect per hour. The night with highest migration intensity showed an average of 1621 birds km–1 h–1 passing the radar stations, but there was considerable geographical and temporal variation in migration intensity. The highest intensity of migration was seen in central France. The overall migration directions showed strong southwest components. Migration dynamics were strongly related to synoptic wind conditions. A wind‐related mass migration event occurred immediately after a change in wind conditions, but quickly diminished even when supporting winds continued to prevail. This first continental‐scale study using the European network of weather radars demonstrates the wealth of information available and its potential for investigating large‐scale bird movements, with consequences for ecosystem function, nutrient transfer, human and livestock health, and civil and military aviation.

Original language	English
Journal	Ecography
Volume	42
Issue number	5
Pages (from-to)	876-886
ISSN	0906-7590
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04003
Publication status	Published - 3-May-2019

Taxonomic list

perching birds (songbirds) (Passeriformes)

Geographic list

Europe

Technological

biometry

Free keywords

avian migration
weather radar
migration flyways

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10.1111/ecog.04003Licence: CC BY

Nilsson_et_al-2018-EcographyFinal published version, 554 KBLicence: CC BY

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LifeWatch
Desmet, P. (Project leader), Milotic, T. (Project leader), Aelterman, B. (Cooperator), Azijn, K. (Cooperator), Casaer, J. (Cooperator), Cools, N. (Cooperator), De Dobbelaer, T. (Cooperator), Fostier, C. (Cooperator), Goossens, C. (Cooperator), Huybrechts, P. (Cooperator), Noé, N. (Cooperator), Oldoni, D. (Cooperator), Pauwels, I. (Cooperator), Pollet, M. (Cooperator), Reyserhove, L. (Cooperator), Spanoghe, G. (Cooperator), Stienen, E. (Cooperator), Van Hoey, S. (Cooperator), Van den Bergh, E. (Cooperator), Verhelst, P. (Cooperator) & Wouters, J. (Cooperator)
1/01/12 → 30/12/24
Project: Evinbo

1 A1: Web of Science-article

bioRad: biological analysis and visualization of weather radar data
Dokter, A. M., Desmet, P., Spaaks, J. H., van Hoey, S., Veen, L., Verlinden, L., Nilsson, C., Haase, G., Leijnse, H., Farnsworth, A., Bouten, W. & Shamoun-Baranes, J., 3-May-2019, In: Ecography. 42, 5, p. 852-860
Research output: Contribution to journal › A1: Web of Science-article › peer-review

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Nilsson, C., Dokter, A. M., Verlinden, L., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Schmid, B., Desmet, P., Bauer, S., Chapman, J., Alves, J. A., Stepanian, P. M., Sapir, N., Wainwright, C., Boos, M., Górska, A., Menz, M. H. M., Rodrigues, P., Leijnse, H., Zehtindjiev, P., Brabant, R., ... Liechti, F. (2019). Revealing patterns of nocturnal migration using the European weather radar network. Ecography, 42(5), 876-886. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04003

@article{ec8d6dacdeb0440eb0f18a38f214692c,

title = "Revealing patterns of nocturnal migration using the European weather radar network",

abstract = "Nocturnal avian migration flyways remain an elusive concept, as we have largely lacked methods to map their full extent. We used the network of European weather radars to investigate nocturnal bird movements at the scale of the European flyway. We mapped the main migration directions and showed the intensity of movement across part of Europe by extracting biological information from 70 weather radar stations from northern Scandinavia to Portugal, during the autumn migration season of 2016. On average, over the 20 nights and all sites, 389 birds passed per 1 km transect per hour. The night with highest migration intensity showed an average of 1621 birds km–1 h–1 passing the radar stations, but there was considerable geographical and temporal variation in migration intensity. The highest intensity of migration was seen in central France. The overall migration directions showed strong southwest components. Migration dynamics were strongly related to synoptic wind conditions. A wind‐related mass migration event occurred immediately after a change in wind conditions, but quickly diminished even when supporting winds continued to prevail. This first continental‐scale study using the European network of weather radars demonstrates the wealth of information available and its potential for investigating large‐scale bird movements, with consequences for ecosystem function, nutrient transfer, human and livestock health, and civil and military aviation.",

author = "Cecilia Nilsson and Dokter, {Adriaan M.} and Liesbeth Verlinden and Judy Shamoun-Baranes and Baptiste Schmid and Peter Desmet and Silke Bauer and Jason Chapman and Alves, {Jose A.} and Stepanian, {Phillip M.} and Nir Sapir and Charlotte Wainwright and Mathieu Boos and Anna G{\'o}rska and Menz, {Myles H. M.} and Pedro Rodrigues and Hidde Leijnse and Pavel Zehtindjiev and Robin Brabant and G{\"u}nther Haase and Nadja Weisshaupt and Michal Ciach and Felix Liechti",

year = "2019",

month = may,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1111/ecog.04003",

language = "English",

volume = "42",

pages = "876--886",

journal = "Ecography",

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Nilsson, C, Dokter, AM, Verlinden, L, Shamoun-Baranes, J, Schmid, B, Desmet, P, Bauer, S, Chapman, J, Alves, JA, Stepanian, PM, Sapir, N, Wainwright, C, Boos, M, Górska, A, Menz, MHM, Rodrigues, P, Leijnse, H, Zehtindjiev, P, Brabant, R, Haase, G, Weisshaupt, N, Ciach, M & Liechti, F 2019, 'Revealing patterns of nocturnal migration using the European weather radar network', Ecography, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 876-886. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.04003

TY - JOUR

T1 - Revealing patterns of nocturnal migration using the European weather radar network

AU - Nilsson, Cecilia

AU - Dokter, Adriaan M.

AU - Verlinden, Liesbeth

AU - Shamoun-Baranes, Judy

AU - Schmid, Baptiste

AU - Desmet, Peter

AU - Bauer, Silke

AU - Chapman, Jason

AU - Alves, Jose A.

AU - Stepanian, Phillip M.

AU - Sapir, Nir

AU - Wainwright, Charlotte

AU - Boos, Mathieu

AU - Górska, Anna

AU - Menz, Myles H. M.

AU - Rodrigues, Pedro

AU - Leijnse, Hidde

AU - Zehtindjiev, Pavel

AU - Brabant, Robin

AU - Haase, Günther

AU - Weisshaupt, Nadja

AU - Ciach, Michal

AU - Liechti, Felix

PY - 2019/5/3

Y1 - 2019/5/3

N2 - Nocturnal avian migration flyways remain an elusive concept, as we have largely lacked methods to map their full extent. We used the network of European weather radars to investigate nocturnal bird movements at the scale of the European flyway. We mapped the main migration directions and showed the intensity of movement across part of Europe by extracting biological information from 70 weather radar stations from northern Scandinavia to Portugal, during the autumn migration season of 2016. On average, over the 20 nights and all sites, 389 birds passed per 1 km transect per hour. The night with highest migration intensity showed an average of 1621 birds km–1 h–1 passing the radar stations, but there was considerable geographical and temporal variation in migration intensity. The highest intensity of migration was seen in central France. The overall migration directions showed strong southwest components. Migration dynamics were strongly related to synoptic wind conditions. A wind‐related mass migration event occurred immediately after a change in wind conditions, but quickly diminished even when supporting winds continued to prevail. This first continental‐scale study using the European network of weather radars demonstrates the wealth of information available and its potential for investigating large‐scale bird movements, with consequences for ecosystem function, nutrient transfer, human and livestock health, and civil and military aviation.

AB - Nocturnal avian migration flyways remain an elusive concept, as we have largely lacked methods to map their full extent. We used the network of European weather radars to investigate nocturnal bird movements at the scale of the European flyway. We mapped the main migration directions and showed the intensity of movement across part of Europe by extracting biological information from 70 weather radar stations from northern Scandinavia to Portugal, during the autumn migration season of 2016. On average, over the 20 nights and all sites, 389 birds passed per 1 km transect per hour. The night with highest migration intensity showed an average of 1621 birds km–1 h–1 passing the radar stations, but there was considerable geographical and temporal variation in migration intensity. The highest intensity of migration was seen in central France. The overall migration directions showed strong southwest components. Migration dynamics were strongly related to synoptic wind conditions. A wind‐related mass migration event occurred immediately after a change in wind conditions, but quickly diminished even when supporting winds continued to prevail. This first continental‐scale study using the European network of weather radars demonstrates the wealth of information available and its potential for investigating large‐scale bird movements, with consequences for ecosystem function, nutrient transfer, human and livestock health, and civil and military aviation.

U2 - 10.1111/ecog.04003

DO - 10.1111/ecog.04003

M3 - A1: Web of Science-article

SN - 0906-7590

VL - 42

SP - 876

EP - 886

JO - Ecography

JF - Ecography

IS - 5

ER -

Revealing patterns of nocturnal migration using the European weather radar network

Abstract

Taxonomic list

Geographic list

Technological

Free keywords

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Projects

LifeWatch

Research output

bioRad: biological analysis and visualization of weather radar data

Cite this