Island Conservation Society
  • About Us
  • Islands
    • Alphonse
    • Aride
    • Desroches
    • Farquhar
    • Silhouette
    • Other Islands
  • Projects
  • Resources
    • Downloads
    • ICS Products
    • Jobs & Volunteering
    • Videos
    • POSITION PAPERS
  • News
  • Contact Us

Latest News

Updates from ICS

Seychelles Outer Islands: Welcome Rest for Global Travellers

5/2/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
Female Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe taking a break on Alphonse Island. Photo Pep Nogues
​Most visitors from Europe in search of winter sunshine hop on a plane, taking a round trip of 10,000 kilometres or more to reach Seychelles. One small bird may travel three times this distance entirely through its own exertions.
At Alphonse, a pair of Northern Wheatears arrived in mid-January, both remaining for a few days. Seychelles Bird Record Committee has accepted 76 records of Northern Wheatear and around 60% of all records are in January and February, later than any other migratory land species, for which sightings peak in October to December. What could explain the lateness of these sightings?
Picture
Male Northern Wheatear in transition plumage, Alphonse Island Seychelles. January 2018. Photo Kyle Reed
​Northern Wheatears breeding in Western Europe have spread to eastern North America in recent times while the Asian breeding population has spread to Alaska, with four recognized subspecies. However, all populations winter in Africa. To reach western Africa, birds in eastern North America travel via Europe while those breeding in Alaska go the opposite way around the globe and cross the whole of Asia to reach eastern Africa. So the pair on Alphonse Island are most likely to be birds from as far away as Alaska, using the East Asia/East Africa Flyway. Miniature tracking devices have recently shown that the Northern Wheatear has one of the longest migratory flights known - 30,000 kilometres. Birds crossing Siberia and the Arabian Desert are travelling, on average, 290 kilometres per day. This is the longest recorded migration for any songbird.
Picture
A male Northern Wheatear guards the nest while its mate broods. Nome Alaska, June 2017. Photo courtesy Luis Villablanca via Birdshare
​Migration is a feat of extreme endurance, driven primarily by the availability of breeding and feeding opportunities. It involves costs in terms of predation and high mortality. Timing seems to be controlled by changes in day length. The long days of the northern summer provide abundant food, extend time for breeding birds to feed their young, and thus help diurnal birds to produce larger clutches. Northern Wheatears and other migrating species build up fat reserves during this time, some even doubling their body weight, in preparation to head south for the winter. These advantages offset the high stress, physical exertion, and other risks linked to migration.    
​Short migrations are common in many bird species, including those made in response to changes in habitat, weather, food availability, and/or altitudinal migrations on mountains such as the Himalayas, where birds nesting at high altitudes overwinter at lower altitudes. Most birds migrate in flocks, at varying altitudes, to reduce the energy cost. Even penguins migrate,  swimming routes of over 1,000 kilometres. 
​There are many fascinating theories - and equally fascinating questions - about this seasonal, predictable occurrence. Bird migration was first recorded  3,000 years ago by the ancient Greeks.  We now know that birds navigate using celestial cues from the sun and stars, the earth’s magnetic field, and inbuilt genetic “mental maps”.  One theory gaining ground is that birds and many other land species follow a “green wave” of spring plant and insect emergence; however, much is still being learned today. 
PictureBirds lay down fat reserves prior to the long and arduous migration, even to doubling their body weight. Photo Jean Iron (Ontario Canada)

​Alphonse is one of the best places in Seychelles to see rare visiting birds. Its isolated location in the vast Indian Ocean provides an attractive target for tired migrants seeking a stopover to rest and refuel. During recent months, we have recorded many interesting species that included Alphonse Island in their flyway to make their seasonal migration. In fact, it has been surprising to see the diversity of species that passed through. They include Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola and Black-winged Pratincole G. nordmanni, Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava and White Wagtail M. alba, Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus, Amur Falcon Falco amurensis, Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus, Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus, Common Swift Apus apus, and many others. 
Picture
St Francois Island in the Alphonse Group provides a welcome respite stop for migrating birds on their epic journeys across the globe. Photo ICS
1 Comment
Anna Lewis
5/2/2018 15:23:16

Actually the photo is of St Francois

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Alphonse
    Aride
    Desroches
    Farquhar
    ICS
    Silhouette
    St. Francois

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    February 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • About Us
  • Islands
    • Alphonse
    • Aride
    • Desroches
    • Farquhar
    • Silhouette
    • Other Islands
  • Projects
  • Resources
    • Downloads
    • ICS Products
    • Jobs & Volunteering
    • Videos
    • POSITION PAPERS
  • News
  • Contact Us