Info needed for science! -on overwintering Hoopoes in Portugal and Spain (1 Viewer)

Hi

I am just starting a PhD at the University of East Anglia, co supervised by the BTO. I will be investigating the migratory decisions and breeding success of birds of the Iberian Peninsula. Some have recently formed populations that have stopped migrating. In particular I will be studying White Storks in Portugal and Spain. Here increasing numbers of them are over wintering instead of migrating to Africa (probably at least partially due to climate change).

I am really hoping to study Hoopoes as well, as they have also recently started over-wintering in Portugal and Spain. However very little data currently exists for Hoopoe and I am looking for sites where Hoopoe are over wintering. I was wondering if anyone has been to Portugal or Spain (ideally in the last few years and between September and November), and can tell me if they noticed any concentrations of wintering Hoopoe?

I am flying out to Portugal and Spain to start checking out possible field sites in November, so any suggestions and thoughts are welcome!

Thanks for your help

I cant say i have seen any concentrations of overwintering Hoopoes, but there certainly are far more here in winter than the rest of the year. As for White Storks, there are definitely a lot stay around here for the autumn/winter, but where they are from is difficult to say. The majority leave in late august/early september, and return in late december/early january, but several hundred can be seen every day in the months the majority are away. If you need specific locations, or a chat, drop me a line, id be glad to help.

Here in southern Portugal in the Algarve, we have something close to 2,000 White Stork wintering (from early August) around the Arade Estuary/Odelouca system. I believe its the most important site in the Algarve. Large numbers are also at Castro Marim and through the Ria Formosa.

The status of Hoopoes in southern Portugal is a little confusing - it seems to me that we have resident pairs, summer breeders, migrants and winter visitors. There are certainly lots here in the winter and are easy to see almost anywhere outside urban areas (and sometimes inside). I would say that returning or passage birds arrive here mostly in February and especially March and there is also marked passage in September.

A good site to visit would be El Hondo near Alicante - I have seen White Storks there last winter and the year before that.

Hoopoes are easily found in El Hondo and other areas around Alicante during winter; I would guess that the local population does reduce slightly during the winter months but there are always plenty around! Can't say I've seen any indication that numbers are increased by Hoopoes from further North.

Plenty of White Storks seem to winter in Cadiz province, especially in the vicinity of large rubbish tips (another factor to be considered in the increase in wintering storks). I'm rarely in Spain in mid-winter so can't help too much regarding Hoopoe, but I suggestthat you contact Stephen Daly (see www.andalucianguides.com) and Peter Jones (posting here as 'Black Wheatear'). An appeal via the Andalucian Bird Society (see below) and the Iberianature website might be useful too. Similarly, I'd have thought an appeal to Spanish watchers via SEO would make a lot of sense too,

Wintering Hoopoes and Storks

Hi Nathalie

Since I have been birding in Catalonia, NE Spain in the late nineties there have always been over-wintering Hoopoes and White Storks, although it's probably true to say that their winter numbers, without being dramatic, have increased.

With White Storks it seems probable that the 'word on the street' - that rubbish dumps are responsible - is correct and it also appears to be true that the birds, both individually and collecting, have gradually given up migration, that is, made a "choice" to change their behaviour.

However, with Hoopoes it's possible that natural selection is responsible, as has happened with the wintering Blackcaps in the UK.

By this I mean that, may be some Hoopoes have always been inclined to overwinter but environmental conditions have historically been unfavourable and few survived. Then, following environmental change, such as an improved climate through the winter, more and more have survived thus making it appear that more have 'chosen' to stay rather than migrate.

In Catalonia, I see Hoopoes through the winter in most of the areas I visit - Barcelona, the Steppes (Lleida west to Bujaraloz), Aiguamolls (Girona) and the Ebro Delta. Between November and February, I would still expect to see a Hoopoe on every single trip but I would expect to see less than in the Spring/Summer.

Hope this helps. Feel free to send me an email if you want me to sift my records, info on places to go in my patch, etc.

And I may be in Norwich during the end of October so may be able to meet up briefly if you think it would help?

All the best

Hi Nathalie,
Plenty of Hoopoes in Mallorca in the winter. No idea if they are all winterers or sedentary though. We think it's quite possible some of our our breeding population migrates south and a lot of the birds seen in the winter are northern visitors.

If you need any hard data (ringing info) let me know

Regards

Steve