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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, JWe 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
ArdeolaVolume
63Pagination
375-382ISSN
0570-7358Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Sociedad Espanola OrnitolgiaPlace of publication
Melquiadas Biencinto 34, Madrid, Spain, E-28053Rights statement
Copyright unknownRepository Status
- Restricted