Individual variation in the over-summering areas of immature short-toed snake eagles circaetus gallicus

Abstract

Satellite tracking is an invaluable tool in the study of bird movements. However, the normally small sample size it involves makes it difficult to obtain data spanning the entire range of migratory behaviour found in particular populations. We recently reported that Spanish immature Short-toed Snake Eagles leave their winter quarters in sub-Saharan Africa to occupy summering areas in northern Africa (north of the Sahara), in contrast to previously reported behaviour of a young French eagle which remained during the summer in the sub-Saharan wintering range. A more recent increase in the sample size of tracked young snake eagles further extends our knowledge of the summering behaviour of this species with one immature reaching the European range but occupying four widely-separated areas during the course of the summer. In the short-term, technology progress may provide the normal use of representative samples to increase accuracy in movement ecology studies.