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

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Migratory. Chief winter quarters in Africa; huge concentrations in Sahel zone, e.g. Senegal delta, Niger inundation zone in Mali, Sokoto region in Nigeria, Yobo Delta in Niger and Nigeria, Nile system in Sudan. In autumn, flies in broad front SW across Europe, following route farther E in spring; Scandinavian breeders probably virtually all stage in Wadden Sea region from late Apr-mid-May; W movement of E breeders in autumn to wards Europe; E & S African winterers come from Siberia, migrating via Caspian and Black Seas; smaller numbers fly across easternmost Asia. Autumn migration starts late Jun to early Jul (males), mid-Jul (females) and late Jul to Aug (juveniles), crossing temperate Europe mainly late Jul to mid-Sept, and SE Asia Sept; at least in Britain juvenile females precede juvenile males; important staging and moulting areas lie around North Sea, W Germany and N Caspian Sea; arrives Senegal from mid-Jul (earliest males) and tropics mainly late Aug to Sept. Females winter farther S than males and juveniles move S gradually. Spring migration starts mar, but mainly Mar to mid-May, males starting a month earlier than females; some non-breeders remain in winter quarters; breeding grounds reoccupied from mid-Apr in W Europe, but progressively later to N & E, mid-May to Jun in Siberia. Migrates in large groups, of hundreds or thousands.   (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,
• Copyright: GROMS/BfN - www.groms.de
  
  (A digitised version of this map is published in GIS shape format on the GROMS CD).