Locally adapted migration strategies? Comparing routes and timing of northern wheatears from alpine and lowland European populations

The northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe has an almost circumpolar breeding distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, but all populations migrate to sub-Saharan Africa winter. Currently, tracking data suggest two main access routes continents via Middle East and Iberian Peninsula. These would require detours for birds European Alps. Our aim was map migration determine annual schedules Switzerland Austria, using light level geolocators. We compared their patterns with from a lowland population Germany. Birds Alps cross Mediterranean Sea directly heading straight non-breeding sites. In contrast, Germany travelled further west While German initiated autumn relatively early, arrival on wintering sites nearly synchronous across three populations. During spring migration, arrived earlier at grounds than A comparison literature indicated that use own route are among latest arrive spring, showing resemblance phenology of Arctic results indicate cycle Alps-breeding wheatears is influenced primarily by ground conditions, not solely distance.