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

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Palearctic birds move S late Aug to Oct, returning in Mar-Apr. European birds pass quickly down NW Africa coasts to winter in W & S Africa; a few may remain off Iberia. Northmost breeders winter further S. abundant migrant in NE Africa, mainly from Europe, with some inland migration through Rift Valley. Birds from Black Sea have been recovered in Somalia. Nominate race common in winter along W coast of S Africa, and a few also reach W Australia. C Asian birds winter on coasts of Indian subcontinent, and SC Asian tibetana winters from E India to Malaysia, a few reaching Natal. Chinese breeders migrate to coasts of China and SE Asia, and NE Asian birds move through Japan and Philippines to New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia. North American birds migrate along Atlantic coast , though West Indies reaching the Guianas in late Oct, and wintering mostly from Brazil to Argentina; others move to Pacific coast of C America and S to S Peru, some wintering as far as N as Gulf of California. Nearctic breeders do occasionally cross the Atlantic: one ringed on Long I, New York, was recovered in W Africa.   (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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