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Dispersal of little egrets Egretta garzetta from northern Spanish Atlantic colonies

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 01:47 authored by Galarza, A, Arce, F, Navedo, JG, Arizaga, J
We studied the movements of little egrets Egretta garzetta from breeding colonies in northern Spanish Atlantic estuaries using sighting data of colour-ringed birds. Data on 304 resightings of 95 out of 457 little egrets ringed as chicks in two colonies on the southern Bay of Biscay were analysed. Most egrets (68.9%) were observed less than 50 km from their natal colonies and thus exhibited low dispersal, supporting the view that these birds belong to a resident population breeding along the coasts of the Bay of Biscay. Nearly all resightings (95.5%) occurred in estuaries across an east-west axis corresponding to the Atlantic coast of northern Spain and had a west-biased dispersal direction. We suggest that the recently formed northern Atlantic Spanish population is a consequence of a westward colonisation pattern originating in the French Atlantic colonies.

History

Publication title

Ardeola

Volume

63

Pagination

375-382

ISSN

0570-7358

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Sociedad Espanola Ornitolgia

Place of publication

Melquiadas Biencinto 34, Madrid, Spain, E-28053

Rights statement

Copyright unknown

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Coastal or estuarine biodiversity

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