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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Patterns of migration and wintering of RobinsErithacus rubeculain northern Iberia

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description

The aim of this study was to analyse the patterns of migration and wintering of European Robins Erithacus rubecula in northern Iberia (Plaiaundi Ecological Park, Irun, N Spain). Overall, 185 Robins were ringed at weekly trapping sessions from September 2004 to April 2005. The temporal distribution of abundance and recaptures indicated that the autumn migration period lasted from September to November, the winter period from November to February, and the spring migration from March to April. Some wintering Robins arrived earlier than most of the migrants which passed through the area in autumn, whilst most left the area before the majority of spring migrants appeared. First‐winter Robins were always more abundant than older birds, and females more abundant than males. Morphological traits varied only in relation to sex, and it was not possible to distinguish between migrating and wintering Robins from measurements. Overall, body mass and fuel load were low during both the autumn and spring migrations, supp...