Movements of Grey Herons Ardea cinerea to and within the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Island

Full article

Published:

Volume 48(2), December 2001. Pages 209-215.

Language:

English

Keywords:

Ardea cinerea, Balearic Islands, Grey Heron, Iberian Peninsula, metapopulations, movements, ringing recoveries

Abstract:

The movements of European Grey Herons are described on the basis of 585 ringing recoveries in the Iberian Peninsula, both before (1910-1975) and after (1976-1998) the legal protection of the species in Spain. The age-specific recovery rate, the time distribution of ringing recoveries and the causes of death did not vary after legal protection. Herons ringed in eastern Europe mostly moved towards the eastern side of the Iberian Peninsula. Those ringed in western Europe dispersed throughout the whole Peninsula. Grey Herons born in western Spain mostly moved within the western half of the Iberian Peninsula whereas those born in eastern Spain (Mediterranean coasts) moved all over the Peninsula. These data suggests the existence of two different metapopulations of breeding Grey Herons in Spain.