A documented case of
resident Eurasian Wryneck
Alessio Pietro Chiusi1, Daniele Baroni2,
Rudy Valfiorito3
1 Via al
Piemonte, 108/2, 17031 - Leca d’Albenga (SV) Alessio Pietro Chiusi (chiusialessio4@gmail.com)
2 Via
Gaspare Buffa 4, 16158 – Genova Voltri (GE)
3 Strada Gomba,
7,18036 - Soldano (IM)
Eurasian
Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) is a small migratory woodpecker. Its European
populations are assumed to winter mainly in the Sahelian West Africa, and only
to a very small extent in the Mediterranean area. Here, overwintering sites are
described both in Europe (Spain, Portugal and southern France), and in Africa
(Algeria and Morocco) (Glutz von Blotzheim and Bauer 1966; Cramp 1985; Fry et
al. 1988).
Moreover,
Wrynecks show notable variations at the subspecies level in their migratory
behaviour. While all the northern and eastern populations of the nominate form
are assumed to be migratory, the Mediterranean subspecies J.t. tchusii is partially migratory and the African J.t. mauretanica is resident. Autumn
migration’s directions indicate that west-European populations are likely to
winter in western Africa, while central- and east-European Wrynecks probably
winter more in the east (Reichlin et al.,
2009).
An
understanding of Wryneck migratory and wintering patterns and behaviour is
critically important in assessing its conservation status and needs. Indeed,
conservation strategies for endangered migratory species must be developed on
the basis of a deep knowledge of their breeding, stopover and wintering areas.
Eurasian Wryneck underwent one of the largest declines among farmland bird
species, with an estimated decline rate of -57% in the period from 1980 to 2013
in Europe (http://www.ebcc.info/ trends2015.html), and with a 56% in a 10-year
period only in Italy, where it has been classified as Endangered (LIPU &
Rete Rurale Nazionale, 2011; Peronace et
al., 2012). Unfortunately, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of
breeding habitat losses from a reduced survival due to changed conditions in
stopover and wintering areas.
Marixe ringing station (Albenga, Liguria)
We still need to better define the location of wintering areas and to quantify the role of Mediterranean wintering areas at the population level. The amount of wintering birds in this area is quite difficult to estimate because severe climate conditions in winter may lead to high mortality rates and/or late movements towards southern wintering areas. For these reasons, e.g. along the coast of Lazio, the amount of observation in December is significantly higher than that observed in January and February (Brichetti & Fracasso, 2007). Moreover, the identification of subspecies is quite difficult, even if it is central to understanding the migration ecology of Wrynecks because of their strikingly different strategies.
Eurasian
Wryneck male ringed on 4th January 2015.
We still need to better define the location of wintering areas and to quantify the role of Mediterranean wintering areas at the population level. The amount of wintering birds in this area is quite difficult to estimate because severe climate conditions in winter may lead to high mortality rates and/or late movements towards southern wintering areas. For these reasons, e.g. along the coast of Lazio, the amount of observation in December is significantly higher than that observed in January and February (Brichetti & Fracasso, 2007). Moreover, the identification of subspecies is quite difficult, even if it is central to understanding the migration ecology of Wrynecks because of their strikingly different strategies.
Also,
more recently, it has been demonstrated that our knowledge of Wryneck’s
migrating and wintering strategies is quite partial, supposing that birds
wintering in Sahelian Africa mainly belong to northern populations, while the
amount of birds overwintering in the Mediterranean region would be
underestimated. Data collected using geolocators showed that Wrynecks from two
Central European populations migrated only relatively short distances to the
Iberian Peninsula and north-western Africa (c. 1500 km and 3000 km,
respectively), compared with a minimum distance of about 4500 km to Sahelian
Africa (Van Wijk et al., 2013). On
the other hand, the existence of
permanently resident populations is not easy to be proved.
In
Liguria, Wrynecks are rarely found in winter, even if also some historical data
exist (Durazzo 1846; Carazzi 1887; Giglioli 1890; Spanò e Podestà 1981; Spanò e
Truffi 1987; Spanò et al., 1998). The
amount of wintering birds seems to be limited yearly to few birds, which are
found in olive tree, vineyards, orchards, open woodland, and urban park along
the costal area at no higher altitude than 200 m a.s.l. In particular, the most
favourable habitats for wintering Wrynecks in Liguria is in the following
localities, where most of observations have been made: La Spezia, Chiavari,
Albenga and Imperia. Actually, in these sites both early and late migrants may
occur and it has not been proved that the observed wrynecks spent there the
whole winter. On the other hand, wintering birds may be heavily underestimated
due to the shyness of Wrynecks, because outside the breeding season they are
silent most of the time.
Ringing
data may provide useful information about actual migration routes, stopover
sites and location of wintering area. In this note, we present a case of a
sedentary Wryneck, which we trapped in wintering and subsequently breeding
seasons in Liguria.
During
the bird ringing “MonITRing” project activities at the Marixe station, located
at Albenga - SV (44o3’N, 8o8’E), we trapped a Wryneck J.
t. tschusii on 4th January 2015 (Fig.1a). Because of a mild climate in
winter 2014/2015, we were in doubt whether it was a late migrant. Luckily, we
re-trapped this bird 40, 112 and 196 days later, throughout the entire breeding
season. We sexed it as a male in April. The same year, on 10th May we trapped a
female (Fig.1b), which we caught again 35, 70 and also 370 days later. When we re-trapped
the female on 14th May 2016, a singing male was present but we have not been
able to discern if it could be the same ringed in the year before. Our data
confirm a case of resident Wryneck and suggest that males, as seen in other
species, may be more prone to remain on their own territory all year while
female may leave breeding territory to return in spring. The habitat where
these observations have been made (Fig.1c) is characterized by Mediterranean
woodland of Pinus maritima, Erica arborea, Arbutus unedo, Myrtus
communis, Pistacia lentiscus,
interspersed with vineyards and cultivated fields. It is the same kind of
habitat selected by wintering wrynecks in Spain, confirming the role of
Mediterranean woodland providing shelter and suggesting that this species is
dependent from extensive agricultural landscapes all year-round (Van Wijk &
Tizón, 2016).
Western
Liguria is one of the main wintering areas for non-aquatic birds in Northern
Italy (Bonifacino et al., 2015).
Further studies are needed to better define the role of this area for conservation purposes on European birds wintering in Mediterranean region and
to
evaluate to what extent Wrynecks are sedentary.
References:
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M., Baroni D., Sartirana F. & Feletti M., 2015. Diversità delle comunità di
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D., 1887. Materiali per una avifauna del Golfo di La Spezia e della Val di
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C., 1846. Gli Uccelli. In: Aa. Vv. Descrizione di Genova e del Genovesato. Vol.
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& Rondinini C., 2012. Lista Rossa 2011 degli Uccelli Nidificanti in Italia.
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Didascalie:
Fig.
1. (a): Male ringed on 4th January 2015. (b): Female ringed on 10th
May 2015. (c): Marixe ringing station (Albenga, Liguria).
Eurasian
Wryneck female ringed on 10th May 2015.