Assessing the effects of global change on avian migratory pathways: the case of the European Nightjar

Abstract

The overall aim of this study is to gain further knowledge on migration ecology of long-distance migratory birds in light of global change, using the European Nightjar as a study species. I test hypotheses related to Nightjar’s migration ecology, including aspects of route choice, phenology, behavioural strategies, and habitat associations, as well as how these may be impacted by future global change. All these aspects were investigated in order to enable increased effectiveness of future conservation efforts for avian migrants. My findings can be found in this thesis, which is divided into the following parts: Introduction, General Methodology, Ch. 1: Migration routes and phenology, Ch. 2: Migration strategies, Ch. 3: Annual cycle habitat selection, Ch. 4: Future habitat suitability, Conclusions and future perspectives, Preliminary research and References and Annexes.