Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-grxwn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-12T11:14:23.410Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The distribution and local movements of shorebirds within the Moray Firth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

F. L. Symonds  and
D. R. Langslow
F. L. Symonds
Affiliation:
Chief Scientist Directorate, Nature Conservancy Council, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA, U.K.
D. R. Langslow
Affiliation:
Chief Scientist Directorate, Nature Conservancy Council, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA, U.K.
Get access

Synopsis

The shorebird populations of the Moray Firth mudflats were studied between 1981 and 1985. Peak numbers of waders were found in midwinter when the total population may exceed 36,000 birds. More than 1% of the total northwest European population of oystercatchers (Haematopus osiralegus), redshank (Tringa totanus), bar-tailed godwit (Limosa tapponica) and knot (Calidris canutus) were recorded. Wildfowl reach peak numbers in October and November (approximately 45,000); numbers decline gradually thereafter as some birds move on to wintering sites elsewhere in Britain. Ringing and colour-marking studies showed that turnstone (Arenaria interpres), curlew (Numenius arquata), ringed plover (Charadrius hialicula), oystercatcher and redshank remained loyal to selected feeding areas within the Moray Firth while bar-tailed godwit, knot and dunlin (Calidris alpina) ranged widely throughout the winter.

These observations are discussed in relation to the value of the Moray Firth to shorebirds and the problems posed by the reclamation of intertidal habitats and pollution of the intertidal areas.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Section B: Biological Sciences , Volume 91: The Marine Environment of the Moray Firth , 1986 , pp. 143 - 167
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, K. R., & Minton, C. D. T., 1978. Origins and Movements of Oystercatchers on the Wash. British Birds 71, 439–47.Google Scholar
Anderson, S. S., 1971. Nigg and Udale Bays: A survey of Intertidal Invertebrates. Nature Conservancy Council, unpubl. report.Google Scholar
Bainbridge, I. P., & Minton, C. D. T., 1978. The migration and mortality of the Curlew in Britain and Ireland. Bird Study 25, 39–50.Google Scholar
Boere, G. C., 1976. The significance of the Dutch Wadden Sea in the annual life cycle of arctic, sub-arctic and boreal waders. Part 1. The function as a moulting area. Ardea 64, 210–291.Google Scholar
Boyle, P. R., & Goodman, K. S., 1977. Munlochy Bay Littoral Invertebrate Survey. Nature Conservancy Council, unpubl. report.Google Scholar
Boere, G. C., & Raffaelli, D., 1981. A survey of the Marine Intertidal Invertebrates of Wigg and Udale Bays, Moray Firth, Scotland. Britoil plc, unpubl. report.Google Scholar
Branson, N. J. B. A., Ponting, E. D., & Minton, C. D. T., 1978. Turnstone migrations in Britain and Europe. Bird Study 25, 181–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clapham, C., 1979. The Turnstone populations of Morecambe Bay. Ringing and Migration 2, 144–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, N. A., 1982. The effects of the severe weather in December 1981 and January 1982 in Britain. Wader Study Group Bulletin 34.Google Scholar
Dare, P. J., 1970. The movements of Oystercatchers visiting or breeding in the British Isles. Fishery Investigations Series II 25 (9).Google Scholar
Dick, W. J. A., Pienkowski, M. W., Waltner, M. A., & Minton, C. D. T., 1976. Distribution and Geographical origins of Knots (Calidris canutus) wintering in Europe and Africa. Ardea 64, 22–47.Google Scholar
Dugan, P. J., 1979. Inter-Estuarine Movements of Shorebirds. Wader Study Group Bulletin 27, 19.Google Scholar
Dugan, P. J., 1981. Seasonal movements of shorebirds in relation to spacing behaviour and prey availability. Ph.D., thesis. University of Durham.Google Scholar
Evans, P. R., 1976. Energy balance and optimal foraging strategies in shorebirds: some implications for their distributions and movements in the non-breeding season. Ardea 64, 117–39.Google Scholar
Evans, P. R., 1980. Movements of wader populations between estuaries: some questions raised by studies at Teesmouth. Wader Study Group Bulletin 29, 6.Google Scholar
Evans, P. R., 1981. Migration and dispersal of shorebirds as a survival strategy. In Feeding and survival strategies of estuarine organisms, ed. Jones, N. V., & Wolff, W. J., pp. 275–90. New York and London: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Furness, R. W., 1973. Wader populations at Musselburgh. Scottish Birds 7, 275–281.Google Scholar
Furness, R. W., & Baillie, S. R., 1981. Age ratios, wing length and moult as indicators of the population structure of Redshank wintering on British Estuaries. Ringing and Migration 3, 123–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Furness, R. W., & Galbraith, H., 1980. Numbers, passage and local movements of Redshanks Tringa totanus on the Clyde estuary as shown by dye-marking. Wader Study Group Bulletin 29, 19–22.Google Scholar
Hale, W. G., 1973. The distribution of Redshank Tringa totanus in the winter range. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 50, 199–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardy, A. R., & Minton, C. D. T., 1980. Dunlin migration in Britain and Ireland. Bird Study 27, 81–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leslie, R., & Lessels, C. M., 1978. The Migration of Dunlin Calidris alpina through northern Scandinavia. Ornis Scandinavica 9, 84–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meltofte, H., 1980. Fugle I., Vadehavet. Vadefuglegruppen, Dansk Ornithologisk Forening (English Summary).Google Scholar
Minton, C. D. T., 1975. The waders of the Wash – ringing and biometric studies. Report of Scientific Study G, Wash Water Storage Scheme Feasibility Study to the Natural Environmental Research Council.Google Scholar
Myers, J. P., 1980. Sanderlings (Calidris alba) at Bodega Bay; facts, inferences and shameless speculations. Wader Study Group Bulletin 30, 26–32.Google Scholar
Pienkowski, M. W., 1979. Differences in habitat requirements of Plovers and Sandpipers as investigated by studies of their feeding behaviour. Proceedings of the IWRB Feeding Ecology Symposium, Gwatt, Switzerland, 1977. 23.Google Scholar
Pienkowski, M. W., 1980. WSG co-operative project on movements of wader populations in western Europe. Wader Study Group Bulletin 29, 7.Google Scholar
Pienkowski, M. W., 1981. How foraging plovers cope with environmental effects on invertebrate behaviour and availability. In Feeding ami survival strategies of estuarine organisms, ed. Jones, N. V., & Wolff, W. J., pp. 179–92. New York and London: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Pienkowski, M. W., 1982. Diet and energy intake of grey and ringed plovers, Pluvialis squatarola and Charadrius hiaticula, in the non-breeding season. Journal of Zoological Research, London 197, 511CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prater, A. J., 1981. Estuary Birds of Britain and Ireland. Calton: Poyser.Google Scholar
Rafaelli, D., & Boyle, P. R., 1982. A survey of the marine intertidal invelebrates by Nigg Bay, Moray Firth, Scotland, Report to Britoil plc.Google Scholar
Smit, C. J., & Wolff, W. J., (eds.). 1981. Birds of the Wadden Sea. Rotterdam: A. A., Balkema.Google Scholar
Sphere Consultants. 1981. Zostera spp. and other plant communities. Nigg Bay 1981. Report to Britoil plc by Sphere Consultants, London.Google Scholar
Swann, R. L., 1985. Highland Ovstercatchers. Ringing & Migration (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Symonds, F. L., Langslow, D. R., & Pienkowski, M. W., 1984. Movements of Wintering Shorebirds within the Firth of Forth: Species Differences in Usage of an Intertidal Complex. Biological Conservation 28, 187–215.Google Scholar
Symonds, F. L., & Langslow, D. R., 1984. The Geographical Origins and Movements of Shorebirds using the Firth of Forth. Ringing and Migration 5, 145–152.Google Scholar
Townshend, D. J., 1985. Decisions for a lifetime: establishment of spatial differences and movement patterns by juvenile Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola). Journal of Animal Ecology 54, 267–274.Google Scholar
Wells, J. B. J., & Boyle, P. R., 1973. Dornoch Firth Littoral Invertebrate Survey, April 1973. Report to Nature Conservancy Council.Google Scholar
Wells, J. B. J., & Boyle, P. R., 1974. Moray Firth Littoral Invertebrate Survey. Report to Nature Conversancy Council.Google Scholar
Wells, J. B. J., & Boyle, P. R., 1975. Loch Fleet Littoral Invertebrate Survey. Report to Nature Conservancy Council.Google Scholar