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

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Mainly migratory, especially in North America E of Rocky Mts. Many apparently migrate to larger N wetlands for post-breeding moult. Winters in Pacific and Atlantic coastal states N to British Columbia and Maryland; most winter in S USA and Mexico. Birds rings in Alberta winter mainly in California and W Mexico; those from Saskatchewan and Manitoba mainly E Mexico to Louisiana, some reaching Caribbean islands. All populations mix in Gulf states in winter. Birds nesting more to S move furthest S in winter, e.g. 32% of recoveries of those ringed in Iowa found in Cuba. Winters throughout Central America S to Panama and possibly Colombia; small numbers reach larger Hawaiian islands in winter. Migrates at night, singly or in loose flocks, probably on broad front; birds often hit powerlines. Males and non-breeders congregate in late summer and move S ahead of females and juveniles. Autumn passage late Aug to Dec; peaks in Mississippi flyway late Oct; wintering birds present Louisiana and Mexico Oct-Mar, Costa Rica Oct-Apr, and Panama Oct to late Apr. Spring migration occurs late Feb through to mid-May; males and older birds migrate first; birds arrive on N breeding grounds from late Mar. Many cases of birds wandering N of breeding range in summer and autumn, as far as Newfoundland, Labrador, Franklin and S Greenland; vagrant to Iceland. Numbers increase in Colombia Oct- Apr, but origins of birds involved not clear.   (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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