First evidence of phenological change in a transcontinental migrant overwintering in the Indian sub-continent: the Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva

Abstract

We analysed data on the Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva collected in old-growth, oak-hornbeam stands in the primeval Bialowieza Forest, Poland during 1973-2002. In this period, the Red-breasted Flycatcher's return to its breeding sites became significantly earlier whilst population size did not change significantly. We show that population size did not influence arrival time in Bialowieza. However, arrival time was strongly related to local temperature in April, as well as to March temperature along the migration route and February temperature in the wintering areas. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of phenological change in a transcontinental migrant bird species wintering in the Indian sub-continent.