Long-distance Dispersal of the Afro-Eurasian Glossy Ibis From Ring Recoveries

Simone Santoro (1) , Jocelyn Champagnon (2) , Sergey P. Kharitonov , Leo Zwarts , Dieter H. Oschadleus , Manuel Mañez , Boudjéma Samraoui , Riad Nedjah , Stefano Volponi , Luis Santiago Cano-Alonso

1 Dept. Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering. University Pablo de Olavide
2 Institut de recherche de la Tour du Valat

The Glossy Ibis is among the most widespread bird species in the world. However, the Glossy Ibis erratic occurrence and distribution makes it a difficult species to study, and we know little about its dispersal and metapopulation dynamics. This study summarises previously-scattered and unpublished information by collating, in a single database, the largest number of longdistance recoveries ever reached for this species (190 individuals). Our findings suggest that (i) according to old records (about 1910 - 1995) the dispersal from the breeding grounds in East Europe was directed towards the Sahelian floodplains, North-East Africa, the Middle East and India; (ii) West and East Europe populations are probably connected; (iii) the recently (about 1995 onwards) increasing and spreading populations in West Europe do not tend to migrate south and overwinter in Sub-Saharan Africa; and, (iv) the genetic distance between geographically distant populations might be low considering the records of long-distance flights with the most impressive, and unpublished, one being that of an individual moving from Spain to the Virgin Islands (> 6,000 Km). Overall, these findings highlight the need for a research network capable of dealing with the frequent changes in the distribution and dispersal dynamics of the Glossy Ibis and its fast responses to environmental changes.

Mots clés: migratory flyways; Eurasia; Africa; bird ringing programmes; gene flow; Glossy Ibis; Plegadis falcinellus

Domaines: Environnement et Société; Biodiversité et Ecologie; Milieux et Changements globaux

Simone Santoro, Jocelyn Champagnon, Sergey P. Kharitonov, Leo Zwarts, Dieter H. Oschadleus, et al.. Long-distance Dispersal of the Afro-Eurasian Glossy Ibis From Ring Recoveries. Stork, Ibis and Spoonbill (SIS) Conservation, 2019. ⟨hal-02405412⟩