Species fact sheet by Global Register of Migratory Species - www.groms.de

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Variable. N temperate birds mainly migrate Aug-Oct to tropical and warm temperature regions, staging en route in high numbers, e.g. in Netherlands. Roughly one third of Atlantic seaboard population migrates to sub-Saharan Africa, but average of over 10,000 birds each winter in both France and Iberian Peninsula, with up to 11,000 birds on Tagus Estuary, Portugal. Return movements in Mar-May, with many African migrants using Banc D' Arguin, Mauritania, as brief stopover. Some local wintering elsewhere in W Europe. Patterns in Asia poorly documented, but wintering birds occupy Persian Gulf, NW India and SE China, presumably from C Asia breeding grounds. One-year-old migrant birds possibly remain on wintering grounds over following summer. E & S African birds sedentary or locally dispersive. Contrary to some reports, species is mere vagrant to Cape Verde Is, with only c. 3-4 records.   (del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (eds), 1996)

• digitised by GROMS, after del Hoyo J A Elliott; J Sargatal (eds) (1996) - www.hbw.com,
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