Wintering tactics of the Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

Abstract

A three-year study of individually marked Kingfishers Alcedo atthis L. wintering on a small river in central Poland revealed that the earliest migrants settled in their winter territories in October/November and left in March/April . The turnover of Kingfishers on the river was high, with a mean residence time of 57 days (SD 33 .0, n=42) . Juvenile Kingfishers were found either as single birds (n=20) or in pairs with another bird (n=4 pairs) . Pairs occupied the best habitats and stayed there the longest. Adult birds (n=14) were always single . Nine adults occupied new territories, while 5 returned to their previous-winter sites. Adult Kingfishers returning to territories appeared on the river earlier than other birds . Different wintering tactics might have evolved in response to intraspecific competition which seems to be enhanced by severe winter conditions . Family bonds persisting beyond the breeding season (a phenomenon common in other alcedinids) may underlie the 'co-operative' wintering by young Kingfishers