Social organisation and partial migration in the European robin Erithacus rubecula rubecula (L.) in different habitats. (Dutch text)

• Main Author: Adriaensen, Frank Jaak C. M
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-1988
• Subjects: Zoology
• ISBN: 9798207496870

This thesis describes the social organisation and partial migration in Robin populations near Antwerp (Belgium), and the influence of ecological factors on both. The study includes two parts. (1) a field study in which, simultaneously in three different habitats (woodland, parkland, gardens), individually marked Robin populations were observed, and the territorial system and the population dynamics studied. (2) an analysis of ringing recoveries of Robins ringed or recovered in Belgium. The results of the field study show that, in contrast to the uniform social organisation pattern (individual non-breeding territories), population dynamics and mobility vary strongly between habitats, ranging from fully resident in the parkland to completely migratory in the woodland area, with an intermediate situation in the gardens. The analysis of the ringing recoveries gives a detailed picture of Robin migration and its timing in Belgium and NW-Europe. The timing found in this analysis confirms that the population changes found in the field study are due to varying degrees of partial migration in these populations. The partial migration observed in this study seems to be a conditional strategy in which migrants make the best of a bad job. Local survival as well as the probability of pair formation are much lower in migrants than in residents. Finally this study discusses the importance of ecological factors in the control over migration in a partial migratory Robin population.