Swallow/House martin migration (1 Viewer)

[john billington]

Good evening
Just a quickie can anyone point me in the right direction.
Im trying to find a detailed flight path for swallows and house martins.
From the uk to there wintering grounds in Africa.
Any help would be appreciated.
Ive tryed Google but without success.

Thanks

Final thought do they take the same route back as they take down.

 

[YourBirdOasis]

I'm sorry that I can't help you with European birds, but an article was published a year ago in Science on the migratory patterns of purple martins in the US. It shows how variable these patterns can be..
Popular science article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090212141152.htm
Actual article:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/323/5916/896

 

[john billington]

Thank you very much for your reply.

 

[dantheman]

Er, how much do you/don't you know already??

Since they migrate by day, and use regular communal roost sites etc, I'd imagine they could navigate by landmarks, and so use the same general route down. On the other hand, since they fly at low level at times (often just above ground level), feeding, it could be that they don't, but just head generally south/north.

A lot of birds avoid the Sahara by flying to the west or east of it.

Sand Martins congrete in fairly large numbers over College Reservoir down here near Falmouth in the spring - hundreds, which is fairly unusual for the area - presumably they use it as part of a migration route?

Ringing recoveries must be hard to come by, although places like Portland Bird Obs have specifically trapped hirundines before.

(Just some random thoughts since you haven't received any specific replies to uk hirundines)

 

[ANdy5551]

There is a book from the BTO on migration which includes what maps are avilable for these birds migration, its called time to fly.

It seems Swallows and Martins fly through France, Spain across into North africa, some heading west to skirt the coast avoiding the shara but many just go straight across. The ringed birds recovered along the coast being a small proportion of those originally ringed. There is no estimate of those that make the direct crossing due to the area being uninhabited so ring recoveries just dont happen.

Swallows use mass communal roosts on their migration which seem to be used time and again. House martins tend not to do this and so are much harder to track.

I believe ringing recoveries for the swallow are much more numerous due to their mass roosts, whereas the martins are very sparse in their ring recoveries, in fact only one of the several hundred thousand ringed in the UK has ever been found south of the sahara in Nigeria!

Swallows are seen frequently in great numbers in Southern Africa, all the way down to the very Southern tip. Martins are quite rarely seen in any numbers anywhere in Africa and it is still a matter of conjecture as to just where the vast majority of our House Martins actually spend their winters.

Heres hoping the very small data loggers fitted to other small migratory birds can be used to tell us more.

 

[christineredgate]

Interesting.I often where my little Swallows are flying,after they leave the old outhouse.Even more incredible is that the same pr return to the same nesting site each year,amazing little birds.

 

[MJB]

In the BTO's The Migration Atlas: movements of the birds of Britain and Ireland, The Barn Swallow species account is on pp462-464; there are 3 maps, one Aug-Oct, one Nov (most birds in South Africa) and one Mar-May, all from ringing recoveries. The House Martin account follows. You should be able to access this book through your local library, possibly in the Reference section.
MJB

 

[Stephen Fletcher]

Quite a few House martins appearing here this week.

 

[Aegitalos]

For if it helps, here send a link of the birds recovered abroad in Spain on all species where data appear Riparia riparia in these years:
http://www.mma.es/portal/secciones/biodiversidad/oficina_especies_migratorias/informes_oem/
Regards, Fernando Gavilan.

 

[MJB]

Aegitalos,
Is 'Gavilan' your real name or your 'birdy' name? Just curious...
MJB

 

[Aegitalos]

Dear M.J.B. Greetings: Yes, it's funny, my real name is Fernando Gavilan.
Birding stating that I have friends who affectionately call me Fernando Accipiter nissus ...
I think I was born, and was bringing in genes that birds captured, only to scientific use.
Greetings, Fernando Gavilan.
http://birdringal-andalus.blogspot.com/

 

[MJB]

Dear M.J.B. Greetings: Yes, it's funny, my real name is Fernando Gavilan.
Birding stating that I have friends who affectionately call me Fernando Accipiter nissus ...
I think I was born, and was bringing in genes that birds captured, only to scientific use.
Greetings, Fernando Gavilan.
http://birdringal-andalus.blogspot.com/

Fernando,
Splendid! New Scientist coined the term, 'nominative determinism' whereby the name of the person is reflected in their job or interest. As a young boy, I knew a Jack Lamb the butcher, and I've encountered many others eg Julie Sheldrake used to be the secretary at the BTO!
MJB

 

[alve1986]

Just a bit of a side note: why not try reading 'A Single Swallow' by Horatio Clare. Its about the author who is from Wales who travels to South Africa and travels along the suspected route of the swallows all the way back to the U.K. An interesting read regardless.