Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in Russia

ABSTRACT Shorebird populations are declining across the world due to factors such as habitat loss and climate change. Identification of shorebird migration routes and important stopover sites can facilitate the implementation of strategic and effective conservation measures. Using a satellite transm...

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Main Authors: David Li, Max De Yuan Khoo, Richard B. Lanctot, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Zhijun Ma, Jun Rui Chow, Malcolm Chu Keong Soh, Shufen Yang, Choon Beng How, Adrian Loo, Robert Teo, Liang Jim Lim, Chee Chiew Leong, Kenneth Boon Hwee Er
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-02-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70815
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author David Li
Max De Yuan Khoo
Richard B. Lanctot
Pavel S. Tomkovich
Zhijun Ma
Jun Rui Chow
Malcolm Chu Keong Soh
Shufen Yang
Choon Beng How
Adrian Loo
Robert Teo
Liang Jim Lim
Chee Chiew Leong
Kenneth Boon Hwee Er
author_facet David Li
Max De Yuan Khoo
Richard B. Lanctot
Pavel S. Tomkovich
Zhijun Ma
Jun Rui Chow
Malcolm Chu Keong Soh
Shufen Yang
Choon Beng How
Adrian Loo
Robert Teo
Liang Jim Lim
Chee Chiew Leong
Kenneth Boon Hwee Er
author_sort David Li
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Shorebird populations are declining across the world due to factors such as habitat loss and climate change. Identification of shorebird migration routes and important stopover sites can facilitate the implementation of strategic and effective conservation measures. Using a satellite transmitter, we successfully tracked the migration of one Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) from its wintering grounds in Singapore north along the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway (EAAF) to its breeding grounds located east of the Taymyr Peninsula in north‐central Siberia. This provides the first evidence that the Singapore plover could be part of the Yamal/Taymyr population that is known to only migrate south via the East Atlantic Flyway and winter in Western Europe. After breeding, the bird took an unexpected westward migration towards northwestern Taymyr Peninsula where it stopped at two locations for 9 and 5 days, respectively, before migrating south through Central Asia. Prior to crossing the Himalayan mountains, however, the plover migrated east again from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in northwest China to Jiangsu Province along the Yellow Sea, before turning south again to migrate along the EAAF to return to its wintering ground in Singapore. The plover's westward post‐breeding migration was contrary to prevailing winds, while the eastward migration north of the Himalayas was facilitated by strong easterly winds. The plover's westward migration post‐breeding may be attributed to acquiring additional food resources prior to its southward migration, and/or because it was searching for future breeding or staging grounds. Both possibilities may be associated with habitat changes occurring on their breeding grounds due to climate change. Further studies on the Grey Plovers wintering in Southeast Asia are needed to understand whether the migration route taken by this individual is representative of the species.
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spelling doaj-art-e7acf6f9e84e470ba7b0f32cb410fdcf2025-08-20T03:13:50ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-02-01152n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70815Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in RussiaDavid Li0Max De Yuan Khoo1Richard B. Lanctot2Pavel S. Tomkovich3Zhijun Ma4Jun Rui Chow5Malcolm Chu Keong Soh6Shufen Yang7Choon Beng How8Adrian Loo9Robert Teo10Liang Jim Lim11Chee Chiew Leong12Kenneth Boon Hwee Er13National Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeMigratory Bird Management Division U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage Alaska USAZoological Museum, Lomonosov Moscow State University Moscow RussiaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Eco‐Chongming, School of Life Sciences Fudan University Shanghai ChinaNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeNational Parks Board SingaporeABSTRACT Shorebird populations are declining across the world due to factors such as habitat loss and climate change. Identification of shorebird migration routes and important stopover sites can facilitate the implementation of strategic and effective conservation measures. Using a satellite transmitter, we successfully tracked the migration of one Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) from its wintering grounds in Singapore north along the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway (EAAF) to its breeding grounds located east of the Taymyr Peninsula in north‐central Siberia. This provides the first evidence that the Singapore plover could be part of the Yamal/Taymyr population that is known to only migrate south via the East Atlantic Flyway and winter in Western Europe. After breeding, the bird took an unexpected westward migration towards northwestern Taymyr Peninsula where it stopped at two locations for 9 and 5 days, respectively, before migrating south through Central Asia. Prior to crossing the Himalayan mountains, however, the plover migrated east again from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in northwest China to Jiangsu Province along the Yellow Sea, before turning south again to migrate along the EAAF to return to its wintering ground in Singapore. The plover's westward post‐breeding migration was contrary to prevailing winds, while the eastward migration north of the Himalayas was facilitated by strong easterly winds. The plover's westward migration post‐breeding may be attributed to acquiring additional food resources prior to its southward migration, and/or because it was searching for future breeding or staging grounds. Both possibilities may be associated with habitat changes occurring on their breeding grounds due to climate change. Further studies on the Grey Plovers wintering in Southeast Asia are needed to understand whether the migration route taken by this individual is representative of the species.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70815
spellingShingle David Li
Max De Yuan Khoo
Richard B. Lanctot
Pavel S. Tomkovich
Zhijun Ma
Jun Rui Chow
Malcolm Chu Keong Soh
Shufen Yang
Choon Beng How
Adrian Loo
Robert Teo
Liang Jim Lim
Chee Chiew Leong
Kenneth Boon Hwee Er
Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in Russia
Ecology and Evolution
title Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in Russia
title_full Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in Russia
title_fullStr Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in Russia
title_full_unstemmed Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in Russia
title_short Migration of Wintering Grey Plover From Southeast Asia to North‐Central Siberia Challenges Breeding Population Delineations in Russia
title_sort migration of wintering grey plover from southeast asia to north central siberia challenges breeding population delineations in russia
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70815
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