Apparent Constant Adult Survival of a Sand Martin Riparia riparia Population in Relation to Climatic Variables

摘要

TheSandMartinRipariaripariaisatrans-Saharanmigrantspecies,whosepopulationsaredecliningthroughoutEurope.WepresenttheresultsofamultipleyearstudyonabreedingpopulationofSandMartinsalongtheRiverPoinNorthernItalythroughringingbreedingbirdsatnestingcolonies(2002a€“2014).Therewasatrendfortheabundanceofthestudiedpopulationtofluctuate.Recapturedatawereanalysedtoobtainapparentsurvivalprobabilitieswhichdifferedbetweenthesexes,butnotbetweenyears.Noapparentrelationshipwasfoundbetweensurvivalandthreedifferentmeteo-climaticindices(NorthAtlanticOscillation,SahelrainfallandLakeChadrainfall).Duringthe1980sand1990s,wintersurvivalwaspositivelycorrelatedwithrainfallinthewinterquarters.Althoughrainfallinthewinterquartershasbeenmorestableduringthepast15years,SandMartinpopulationsarestilldecreasing.Ourfindingssuggestthattherelationshipwithrainfallnolongerholds,andthatcurrentpopulationdeclinesmaybeunrelatedtoclimateinthewinterquarters.