Site‐level connectivity identified from multiple sources of movement data to inform conservation of a migratory bird
Authors: Beal Martin , Nightingale Josh , Belo João R. , Batey Chris , Belting Heinrich , Bocher Pierrick , Burgess Malcolm , Craft Taylor B. , Crockford Nicola , Delaporte Philippe , Donaldson Lynda , Gélinaud Guillaume , Gill Jennifer A. , Gunnarsson Tómas G. , Þórisson Böðvar , Gutiérrez Jorge S. , Hooijmeijer Jos C. E. W. , Howison Ruth A. , Hunke Philip , Jomat Loïc , Lemke Hilger , Ludwig Jürgen , Majoor Frank A. , Marlow Christopher , Masero José A. , Melter Johannes , Nicholson Ian , Parejo Manuel , O'Mahony Barry , Pasanen Esko , Pessa Jorma , Piersma Theunis , Rocha Afonso D. , Robin Frederic , Roodbergen Maja , Rousseau Pierre , Salewski Volker , Schmidt Luis , Smart Jennifer , Staneva Anna , Tibbitts T. Lee , Timonen Sami , Alves José A. , Dias Maria P. 
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Migratory birds depend on a suite of sites across their annual cycles, making them vulnerable to a wide variety of anthropogenic pressures. Current area‐based conservation measures have been found inadequate to safeguard migratory birds, in part due to a lack of consideration for the connectivity between sites mediated by the movements of individuals.

To address this issue, we develop a network analysis integrating different types of individual movement data for a migratory shorebird, the Black‐tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), across the East Atlantic Flyway. Leveraging metal‐ring recoveries, colour‐ring re‐sightings and satellite tracking from over 10,000 individual godwits, we quantify variation in connectivity between sites across the migratory range, using two weighted metrics to address sampling biases.

Colour‐ring re‐sightings provided the largest number of sites (70%) and links (60% and 43% per season) overall, followed by tracking data (50% of sites, 49% and 63% of links per season) and ring recoveries (25% of sites, <1% of links per season), with clear regional variation in datatype contributions. Sampling completeness of the network structure varied with longitude, with information particularly lacking in central and eastern countries of both Europe and Africa.

We identified 49 sites playing a disproportionate role in the site network, each with direct connections to 48 (interquartile range 32–84) other sites, on average. Just 23 (47%) top sites are formally recognized for their international importance for Black‐tailed Godwits, and 33 (67%) were robust to sampling incompleteness. Across all 1058 sites, 20% lacked protected area coverage, and per site, 44% (44% ± SD) of bird relocations fell within protected areas.

Integrating multiple sources of data improved geographical coverage and completeness of the site network, allowing us to quantify the importance of sites in terms of connectivity across the flyway. Our results highlight shortcomings of existing area‐based conservation measures and add value to ongoing efforts to identify important sites for migratory birds.

Policy implications. The increasing availability of individual movement data provides valuable opportunities to reveal the inter‐dependence of sites used by migratory species, which can help identify priority areas and facilitate flyway‐scale management.