First Documented Migration of Individual White-Crested Elaenias (Elaenia albiceps chilensis) in South America

• Autor(a) principal: Jimenez, Jaime E.
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Jahn, Alex E. [UNESP], Rozzi, Ricardo, Seavy, Nathaniel E.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1676/wils-128-02-419-464.1; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/221117
• topic: Amazonia; Brazil; Chile; migratory birds; Omora Ethnobotanical Park; sub-Antarctic

Few details are available on the migration (rates, routes, dates) of Neotropical austral migrant birds, which breed and migrate wholly within South America. Only one long-distance austral migrant breeds in the South American temperate forest biome: the Whitecrested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis). However, the migratory dates, routes, and wintering locations are poorly known. During the austral summers of 2011-2013, we attached light level geolocators to breeding White-crested Elaenias at the world's southernmost forests, on Navarino Island, Chile. The duration of fall migration of three Elaenias to the Amazonian wintering grounds was 64-96 days, while spring migration was 45-60 days. The average distance between breeding and wintering grounds was 5,932 km, which constitutes the longest migration of a Neotropical austral migrant studied to date. A better understanding of the annual cycle of Elaenias could offer new opportunities to examine the evolution of migration and population regulation of one of Patagonia's most common birds.