News / Fair Isle migration study
A LARGE-SCALE study conducted by the Fair Isle Bird Observatory has revealed “dramatic” changes in bird migration from Africa over the last six decades.
Records show that migration in spring has taken place earlier in recent years for a number of species, including the swallow.
However, some species – such as the willow warbler – have migrated later in spring than expected.
The Fair Isle migration project has looked into data collected from the bird observatory over the last sixty years.
The study, conducted by Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust and the University of Aberdeen, will present its initial findings at RSPB Scotland’s Big Nature Festival in Musselburgh on Saturday.
The project shows that the swallow has been arriving on the isle in spring up to three weeks earlier than it did 60 years ago.
Timing of migration in autumn has also changed for many species since the 1950s.
The study also reveals that the number of scarce migrant birds arriving into Scotland from Eastern Europe and Siberia in the autumn has increased “sharply” over the last six decades.
The number of birds such as the barred warbler meanwhile has also increased.
Dr Will Miles, of the Fair Isle Migration Project, said that it is currently unclear exactly why these changes have taken place, but a shift in climate may have had an affect.
“The natural world is changing, including the timing and numbers of birds on migration and a crucial challenge facing scientists is to identify and understand these changes and their causes,” he said.
“It’s too early to say for sure why some birds are arriving so much earlier on Fair Isle, while others seem to be delaying their arrival, but possible causes include changing climate and weather patterns, also changes in the summer breeding range and population size of many species across Europe.”
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