Meeting Abstract

S6.9  Tuesday, Jan. 5  Integrating measurements and models to study the influence of weather on migration SHAMOUN-BARANES, J.*; BOUTEN, W.; VAN LOON, E.; Univeristy of Amsterdam; Univeristy of Amsterdam; Univeristy of Amsterdam shamoun@uva.nl

Atmospheric dynamics play an important role in migration, influencing among other things the onset of migration, migration duration, migratory routes, stop-over decisions, flight speeds en-route and the cost of migration. However, measuring the influence of weather on different aspects of migration is particularly challenging and generally restricted in space, time and species. Furthermore, meteorological and ornithological data are generally not available at the same temporal or spatial scale. Different data sources have been used to study the impact of weather on migration, for example, radar, visual observations, radio and satellite telemetry, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In an attempt to quantify the effect of meteorological conditions at different scales on various aspects of migration, we present a series of studies integrating physical or statistical models with field measurements. We show examples from soaring migrants, waders and nocturnal passerine migrants and different data sources to constrain and test our models. Finally we discuss the importance of considering the variability in meteorological conditions along a migratory trajectory, between seasons and between years.