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Effects of Alpine Topography and Winds on Migrating Birds

  • Conference paper
Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing

Part of the book series: Proceedings in Life Sciences ((LIFE SCIENCES))

Abstract

Radar tracks of about 150 single migrants and 2 to 3 measurements of upper winds per each of 139 nights in the lowlands of Switzerland and 3 5 nights at an Alpine pass show that the principal direction of migration is parallel to the mean course of the border and to the main ranges of the Alps and that winds against or from the right side of the main vector of migration induce pseudodrift (increased migration of northern and northwestern populations) while winds from the left are usually compensated (this to a lesser extent in poor visibility). The principal direction remains astonishingly constant at every altitude and seems not to depend on actually visible leading-lines, while in single flight paths close adaptations to topographical features are recog-nicable, most pronounced at lower levels and in unfavorable winds.

Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation for Scientific Research, grants Nr. 3.244.69, 3.038.73 and 3.078.76.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Schweizerische Vogelwarte, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland

    Bruno Bruderer

Authors
  1. Bruno Bruderer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. für Verhaltensphysiologie der Universität Beim Kupferhammer 8, 7400, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany

    Klaus Schmidt-Koenig

  2. Dept. of Zoology, Duke University, Durham, N.C., 27706, USA

    Klaus Schmidt-Koenig

  3. Sect, of Neurobiology and Behavior Langmuir Lab., Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., 14853, USA

    William T. Keeton

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© 1978 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bruderer, B. (1978). Effects of Alpine Topography and Winds on Migrating Birds. In: Schmidt-Koenig, K., Keeton, W.T. (eds) Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-11148-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-11147-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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