1
1
2
3
S7. Recent shifts observed in breeding and wintering ranges of migrating birds in Europe (and some in northern America), linked at least in part to the global
climate warming.
Region
Breeding N
America
N America
NE Pacific
Breeding N
America
UK
Type of
migration
Number of
taxa
Taxon (species/subspecies)
Short
distance
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescens
Short
distance
Short
distance
Short
distance
Canada Goose
1
Branta canadensis
Black Brant
1
Branta bernicla nigricans
Merlin
1
Falco columbarius richardsonii
Short
distance
Common Redshank Tringa
totanus, Sanderling Calidris
alba, Dunlin Calidris alpina,
Common Ringed Plover
6
Charadrius hiaticula, Grey
Plover Pluvialis squatarola, Red
Knot Calidris canutus
Britain and
Europe
Short
distance
N America
Short
distance
1
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus,
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula, Northern 5 more than
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus,
above (i.e. 8
Purple Sandpiper Calidris
including 3 in
maritima, Dunlin Calidris alpina, common with
Eurasian Curlew Numenius
above)
arquata, Common Redshank
Tringa totanus, Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Rufous Hummingbird
1
Selasphorus rufus
Trend
Range
shift
category
scored *
Period
Remarks
References
Reduction of migration distance (by
up to 1200-1500 km) by winter
A
range shift northward
Recent decades
2
Winter range shift northward
A
Recent decades
3
Winter ranges shift northward and
reduction of migration distance
A
Recent decades
4
Winter range northward expansion A
Recent decades
2
Shift of winter locations northward
toward increasingly warmer winter
climates closer to the northern
breeding sites (shift also
A
longitudinally, to the east, due to WE winter T° gradient); reduction of
migration distance
1969-1970 to
1997-1998
Among the 3 other species
studied, 2 showed no sign
of change (Eurasian
Oystercatcher Haematopus
ostralegus, Bar-tailed
5-7
Godwit Limosa lapponica),
while 1 showed the reverse
trend (Eurasian Curlew
Numenius arquata).
Shift - at least partially - of winter
ranges essentially northward and/or
eastward, up to 119 km, and
A
specifically reduction of migration
distances toward breeding grounds
1984-1985 to
1997-1998 for
Britain; and
between 1980 and
2001 for whole
Europe
The only other species of
the study (Sanderling
Calidris alba) showed no
sign of change.
Shift of winter range northward
Last 30 years
A
8
9
2
Breeding
Short
central Europe distance
N America
Short
(wintering New
distance
Hampshire)
Breeding
Netherlands
Breeding
central/S
Europe
Breeding
France
Short
distance and
partial
Short
distance and
partial
Short and
long
distance
Short
distance
Breeding
Lithuania
Europe
Short
(breeding
distance
central Europe)
Short and
Breeding
long
central Europe
distance
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
1
Shift of winter range northward
from Mediterranean to UK, and
sedentarisation; change in direction, A
and migration distance diminished
by about 30%
Recent decades
Berthold et al.
1992 in ref.
10; refs. 2, 7,
11-13
Additionally 3 other
possible cases (Fox
Sparrow Passerella iliaca,
Song Sparrow Melospiza 14
melodia and Whitethroated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis).
Adriansen et
al. 1993 in ref.
15; refs. 2, 10
Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis 1
Winter range shift northward
A
Recent decades
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps
cristatus
Increasing proportion of residents
on breeding range
B
Recent decades
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 1
Starting wintering on breeding
range
B
Recent decades
11
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
1
Increasing proportion of residents
on breeding range
B
Since the 1980s
2
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons
1
B
essentially 19712000
1
Red Kite Milvus milvus
1
B
Recent decades
2, 10
Ruff Philomachus pugnax
1
B
Recent decades
2
Increasing numbers becoming
resident on breeding range toward
B
the northern part of the total range,
i.e. partial shift of winter range
Recent decades
10
Increasing numbers wintering in
central Europe on breeding range
Recent decades
11
1
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus
fuscus, European Greenfinch
Short
Europe
Carduelis chloris,
3
distance
Yellowhammer Emberiza
citrinella
Short
White Wagtail Motacilla alba,
Breeding
distance and Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis, 3
central Europe
partial
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Increasing proportion of residents
on breeding range
Increasing numbers becoming
resident in central Europe on
breeding range
Increasing numbers wintering in
central Europe on breeding range
B
3
Breeding
central Europe
Europe
(breeding
central and W
Europe)
Breeding
central Europe
Short
distance
Common Stonechat Saxicola
torquata
1
Short
distance
Common Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybita
1
Partial
Firecrest Regulus ignicapillus
1
Breeding Spain
Long
distance
Great Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus arundinaceus
1
Breeding
Lithuania
Short
distance
Mute Swan Cygnus olor
1
Europe
(breeding
Netherlands)
Short
distance
Greylag Goose Anser anser
1
Breeding
Lithuania, and Short
other parts of N distance
Europe
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
1
Breeding
Lithuania
Common Merganser Mergus
merganser, Smew Mergellus
albellus, White-winged Scoter
Melanitta fusca, Long-tailed
Duck Clangula hyemalis
4
Short
distance
Increasing numbers wintering in
B
central Europe on breeding range
Increasing numbers wintering on
breeding range toward the northern
B
part of the total range (central and
W Europe)
Increasing numbers wintering in
B
central Europe on breeding range
Some now wintering on breeding
B
range in Spain
Reduction of migration distance (by
ca 450 km) by winter range shift
northward; and increasing
C
proportion of residents on breeding
range
Winter range shift northward (from
Spain to Netherlands), and
reduction of migration distance; and C
new resident population in the
northern breeding range
Reduction of migration distance
(shortened by 350 km) by winter
range shift northward; and
C
increasing numbers become resident
toward the northern part of the total
range
Shortening of migration route:
winter quarters coming closer to
breeding sites; and increasing
C
proportion of residents on breeding
range
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
2, 7, 10
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
2
essentially 19712000
1, 2
Recent decades
2, 10
Recent decades, at
least since 1936,
and most
pronounced 19712000
1, 2, 10
essentially 19712000
1
4
Breeding
Europe
Short
distance
Breeding
Partial
central Europe
Breeding
central and N
Europe
Common Crane Grus grus
Eurasian Skylark Alauda
arvensis, European Robin
Erithacus rubecula, Winter Wren 4
Troglodytes troglodytes,
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Short
Common Starling Sturnus
distance and
vulgaris
partial
Europe
(breeding
Partial
central Europe)
1
Eurasian Bullfinch Pyrrhula
pyrrhula
Short and
long
UK
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
distance and
partial
Eurasian Collared-dove
Central Europe Partial
Streptopelia decaocto
Laughing Dove Streptopelia
Turkey
Partial
senegalensis
1
1
1
1
1
N Europe
Short
distance and Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
partial
1
Breeding
central and N
Europe
Short
Eurasian Blackbird Turdus
distance and
merula
partial
1
Increasing numbers wintering in
Germany; increasing numbers
becoming resident toward the
northern part of the total range; and
C
globally shift of winter range
northward (e.g. Middle East, S
Europe), with reduction of
migration distance
Recent decades
2, 10, 16
Increasing numbers becoming
resident; reduction of migration
distance; shift of winter ranges
northward
Recent decades
11
Recent decades,
notably 19662001
2
Recent decades
10, 11
Recent decades
7, 10
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
11
Recent decades
2, 10, 11
C
Increasing numbers wintering in
central Europe; shortening or
C
migration route, winter quarters
becoming closer to breeding sites
Increasing numbers becoming
resident toward the northern part of
the total range; reduction of
C
migration distance; shift of winter
ranges northward
Colonisation of UK by breeders,
and increasing numbers becoming
resident in UK
D
Shift of breeding range and
D
wintering range northward
Shift of breeding range and
D
wintering range northward
Shift of breeding range northward to
Greenland (end of 1940s), followed
D
by increasing sedentarisation of new
northern populations
Increasing proportion of residents
toward the northern part of the total
D
range; and also shift northward of
breeding range to northern Europe
5
Breeding
central and W
Europe
Short
Black Redstart Phoenicurus
distance and
ochruros
partial
1
Breeding
central and N
Europe
Short
Hedge Accentor Prunella
distance and
modularis
partial
1
N Europe
Short
distance and European Serin Serinus serinus
partial
1
Europe
Bering Sea
Islands
Russia
Morocco and
Spain
Turkey
N Europe
America
N Europe
UK
Short
distance
Short
distance
Short
distance
Long
distance
Long
distance and
partial
Short
distance
Long
distance
Long
distance (to
S Asia)
Long
distance
Breeding N
Short
Europe (Baltic) distance
4
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus
1
himantopus
Glaucous-winged Gull Larus
1
glaucescens
Yellow-legged Gull Larus
1
cachinnans
White-rumped Swift Apus caffer 1
Little Swift Apus affinis
1
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 1
Cerulean Warbler Dendroica
cerulea
1
Colonisation of UK by new
breeders; and also recent increasing D
numbers wintering in central Europe
Increasing numbers wintering in
central Europe, and also shift of
D
breeding range northward to N
Europe
Shift of breeding range northward,
followed by increasing
D
sedentarisation of new northern
populations
Shift of breeding range northward,
E
and increasing migration distance
Shift of breeding range northward
E
Shift of breeding range northward,
E
and increasing migration distance
Shift of breeding range northward,
E
and increasing migration distance
Shift of breeding range northward,
E
and increasing migration distance
Shift of breeding range northward,
E
and increasing migration distance
Breeding range shift toward northE
east
Recent decades
2, 7, 11
Past century
2, 11
Recent decades
2, 10
Recent decades
2
Past century
17
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
2
Recent decades
18, 19
Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus
1
trochiloides
Shift of breeding range northward to
E
N Europe
Past century
11
Eurasian Golden-oriole Oriolus
1
oriolus
Colonisation of UK by new
breeders
E
During XXth
century
7
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis 1
Shift of breeding grounds
southward, closer to the winter
grounds, by at least 1200 km
F
Recent decades,
essentially since
ca 1984
2, 10
6
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
*A, winter range shift northward and decrease of migration distance; B, increasing proportion of residents on breeding range (reflecting mean decrease of
migration distance); C, winter range shift northward with decrease of migration distance, and increasing proportion of residents on breeding range; D, winter
range shift northward and breeding range shift northward; no or unknown change in migration distance; E, breeding range shift northward and increase of
migration distance; F, breeding range shift southward and decrease of migration distance.
These categories are derived from the data in column ‘Trend’, summarising the observations in the corresponding references.
The range shifts recorded are essentially latitudinal, although some winter range shifts have an important longitudinal component, due to the SW-NEoriented winter temperature gradient in NW Europe [ref. 6].
This record excludes:
-Uncertain instances of range shift (e.g. winter range shift northward of Anser brachyrhynchus in Europe; ref. 10).
-Range shifts of LD migrants documented only by change in distribution; in such cases absence of northward winter range shift would be artificial since they
are hampered by the barrier of the Sahara Desert. On the other hand, range shifts documented by changes in proportions of residents are included.
-Cases where the shift of one range is documented while no information is available concerning the other range (for instance the winter range of many LD
and other migrants is too poorly monitored); in such cases changes in mean migration distance are unknown.
-Shifts following anthropic introduction, or presumably natural colonisation, of populations in a new area, such as:
Carpodacus mexicanus into the N American East Coast [ref. 20],
Bubulcus ibis into the New World [refs. 2, 10],
Sturnus vulgaris into N America [ref. 2].
In such cases the observed shifts directly depend on the new conditions encountered, rather than climate change. In addition, the response of such
populations to local climatic conditions encountered depend on what part of the natural range the colonising individuals come from. For instance, shifts are
likely to depend on whether the new population comes from the non-migrant tropical part, or the migrant temperate part of a source range.
1.
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6.
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