In my local village in the heart of Europe, white storks\u2014traditionally a long-distance migrant wintering in tropical Sub-Saharan Africa as far south as South Africa\u2014are overwintering in local wetlands in growing numbers instead of making the journey south.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n (function(d,u,ac){var s=d.createElement(‘script’);s.type=’text\/javascript’;s.src=’https:\/\/a.omappapi.com\/app\/js\/api.min.js’;s.async=true;s.dataset.user=u;s.dataset.campaign=ac;d.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0].appendChild(s);})(document,123366,’uifl1zoju5dzvy98iikn’); The same is true as far north as the UK: white storks now overwinter in increasing numbers, feeding on human-generated food sources like landfill waste. Similarly, blackcaps have adapted to eat berries and seeds in urban gardens, allowing them to remain through winter.<\/p>\n In fact, numerous avian species now spend significantly more time on their European breeding grounds, cutting short their stays in North and Sub-Saharan African wintering areas, with widespread consequences.<\/strong><\/p>\n Birds migrate to find the best conditions, moving between breeding and non-breeding areas as seasons change. Migration is typically triggered by environmental cues such as:<\/p>\n In the spring, many avian species travel from wintering grounds in warmer climates to temperate or Arctic regions where abundant food, such as insects and seeds, supports breeding and raising chicks.<\/p>\n In the autumn, as food sources dwindle and temperatures drop, they return to milder climates. This cyclical journey allows birds to exploit seasonal resources while avoiding harsh conditions, making migration a vital strategy for many species’ survival.<\/p>\n With earlier springs and warming temperatures, what has seemed timeless is changing.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A study published in Global Change Biology<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>highlights two key trends in the behavior of long-distance migratory birds: earlier spring arrivals and later autumn departures.<\/p>\n The authors noted that over the past few decades, the duration of stay for many species on their European breeding grounds has increased by more than two weeks, while their presence in African non-breeding areas has decreased by over two months.<\/strong><\/p>\n This phenomenon is particularly evident among species that use the East Atlantic flyway, a migration route used by about 90 million birds annually, passing from breeding areas in North America, Greenland, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and western Europe and on to southern Africa. It is one of the eight major flyways used by waders and shorebirds worldwide.<\/p>\n As growing seasons in Europe extend and food remains abundant for longer, birds like warblers and thrushes find it advantageous to linger on their breeding grounds. In contrast, many African avian habitats face worsening drought conditions and declining vegetation, which deters birds from overwintering there.<\/p>\n A flock of black swifts<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Delayed migration has become increasingly common among UK and European bird species. These delays often occur due to milder autumn and winter temperatures, allowing birds to remain on their breeding grounds longer. Extended food availability and altered environmental cues also contribute to these shifts.<\/p>\n While these changes may illustrate species resilience and even benefit individual species in the short term, they risk creating mismatches with ecosystems that rely on traditional migratory behaviors.<\/p>\n Species Delaying Migration from the United Kingdom include:<\/p>\n These shifts underscore the need for continuous monitoring and adaptive conservation strategies to address the implications of delayed departures for migratory species.<\/p>\n A common quail<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bird migration plays a crucial role in connecting ecosystems across the globe, enabling the flow of nutrients, energy, and organisms between habitats. Migratory birds contribute significantly to ecosystem health by dispersing seeds, pollinating plants, and controlling insect populations.<\/strong><\/p>\n Warblers and thrushes aid in vegetation regeneration by dispersing seeds during their journeys. Predatory birds migrating across continents help regulate prey populations, maintaining ecological balance.<\/p>\n When migration patterns shift or stop altogether, these ecological services are disrupted. <\/strong><\/p>\n The absence of migratory birds in traditional wintering areas can lead to declines in plant regeneration as well as unchecked insect populations. Predators that rely on migratory birds as prey, such as hawks and falcons, may also experience declines.<\/p>\n Fieldfare thrushes, winter visitors in the UK<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The consequences across Africa are profound. Birds that once played key roles in seed dispersal, pollination, and insect control (like warblers and finches) are now largely absent during the dry season, reducing the spread of vegetation.<\/strong><\/p>\n This loss, in turn, impacts soil health and biodiversity, intensifying challenges like desertification and reduced agricultural productivity.<\/p>\n Likewise, birds that no longer migrate concentrate their impacts in a single region, leading to increased competition for food and resources with other resident species. Across Europe, the extended stay of migratory species places additional pressure on food resources and nesting sites, increasing competition with resident species.<\/p>\n Prolonged presence of migratory birds in Europe is straining ecosystems, leading to increased competition with resident species for limited resources. Protecting habitats with new strategies on both continents is essential to maintaining the balance that sustains these interconnected ecosystems.<\/p>\n > Read more from WWF on <\/strong>Why\u00a0Connectivity\u00a0Matters\u00a0to\u00a0Wildlife\u00a0and\u00a0People<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Barn swallows<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Shifts in migration timing can also create mismatches\u2014birds arrive at breeding or feeding grounds too early or late to coincide with peak resource availability, reducing their reproductive success.<\/p>\n Warmer springs mean that caterpillars hatch, grow and pupate earlier. This has consequences for birds that cannot eat caterpillars that have entered the pupal stage\u2014when the food supply runs out earlier in the spring, more and more chicks starve during breeding season.<\/p>\n This is a big problem for migratory birds that spend their summers in Europe and winters in Africa, as they can\u2019t know how early spring will arrive at their destination. Could the problem be solved if the migratory birds simply flew farther north until they found a place with suitably developed caterpillars? Could we help them find those new locations?<\/p>\n To test this idea, Swedish researchers moved a group of\u00a0pied flycatchers<\/a> that had arrived prior to breeding in the Netherlands. The birds were driven 373 miles to an area of pine forests outside Lund in Skane, Sweden, and released. The peak of caterpillar availability in Sk\u00e5ne is about two weeks later than in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n Flock of Waders on Saltmarsh on Essex Coast<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The birds that were given a lift from the Netherlands to Skane synchronized very well with the food peak:<\/p>\n The number of small birds, particularly migratory birds, has decreased dramatically throughout Europe. Relocating this population kept them in tune with needed food resources, bringing hope that robust populations of pied flycatchers and other small birds like them can be maintained, even though springs are arriving ever earlier.<\/strong><\/p>\n Where else could similar conservation initiatives support species resilience?<\/p>\n >> For more examples, check out <\/strong>Climate Change Complexities of Bird Migrations<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Redshanks landing, Slimbridge, England<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/p>\nWhy and when do birds migrate?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nShorter Journeys, Longer Stays: Long-Distance Bird Migrations<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nDelayed Departures: Shifting Bird Migration Timelines<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nConsequences for Ecosystems Across Continents<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nConservation Intervention for Migrating Bird Populations<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nSlimbridge Wetland Center: A Sanctuary for Birds<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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