A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Autumn migration tracks of Helopsaltes grasshopper-warblers from Northeast Asia support recent taxonomic assignments




AuthorsSleptsov Yuri, Ktitorov Pavel, Round Philip D., Heim Wieland

PublisherWILEY

Publication year2023

JournalEcology and Evolution

Journal acronymECOL EVOL

Article number e9932

Volume13

Issue3

Number of pages7

ISSN2045-7758

eISSN2045-7758

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9932

Web address https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.9932

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/179477669


Abstract

Migration strategies are genetically inherited in most songbirds, and closely related species can exhibit markedly contrasting migration programs. Here, we investigate the autumn migration of one Helopsaltes grasshopper-warbler from a population near Magadan, North East Russia, based on light-level geolocation. Although often considered to belong to Middendorff's Grasshopper-warbler H. ochotensis, recent genetic studies suggest that birds from this population are more closely related to Pallas's Grasshopper-warbler H. certhiola. We compare the migratory behavior of the Magadan bird with two Pallas's Grasshopper-warblers tracked from populations in the Kolyma River valley and the Amur region, Russia. We found similar migration patterns in all three tracked individuals, with stopover sites in eastern China and wintering sites in mainland Southeast Asia, within the known range for Pallas's Grasshopper-warbler. Furthermore, based on morphological data compiled during bird ringing, we were able to confirm the presence of potential "Magadan grasshopper-warblers" during spring and autumn migration in Thailand. Our scant data provide further evidence that Magadan Helopsaltes, notwithstanding their morphological resemblance to Middendorff's Grasshopper-warbler, constitute a population of Pallas's Grasshopper-warbler.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.





Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 21:55