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GPS-telemetry reveals individual plasticity in the movements of Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata during a cold spell

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Pages
195 – 203

Published
1 January 25

Authors
Heinz Düttmann, Steffen Kämpfer, Helmut Kruckenberg, Thomas Fartmann

DOI
10.18194/ws.00356

Correspondence
Heinz Düttmann
heinz.duettmann@mu.niedersachsen.de
Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie und Klimaschutz, Archivstr. 2, D-30169 Hannover, Germany

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Based on GPS tracking, we describe short-distance movements of two Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata from the breeding population in northwest Germany during a cold spell that lasted about 10 days in February 2021. One bird wintering on the Dutch Wadden Sea moved towards its traditional wintering site on the Welsh coast, but stopped on the east coast of England. At the same time, another individual moved from its traditional wintering site in the Rhine-Meuse-Delta to the Bay of Veys in northern France. Such movements were not observed in the absence of cold spells in the following year. Before the movements, both birds were primarily found in coastal farmland. We suggest that the frozen soil adversely affected foraging activities of Eurasian Curlews wintering in these habitats. Our observations suggest behavioural plasticity that can enable Eurasian Curlews to withstand extreme weather events, such as cold weather.