Blåhakar: Migrationsmönster, populationstrender och klimatförändringar
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Global climate change has led to notable shifts in the phenology of numerous species, including changes in migration patterns, reproduction timing, and food resource availability. This study investigates the potential effects of climate change on the autumn migration of the northern Bluethroat (Luscinia svecia svecia) in Umeå, Sweden, over the past 15 years. The bluethroat, a migratory bird breeding in Scandinavia and wintering in Pakistan and India, faces challenges as climate change can affect both its migration timing and available food resources at the breeding grounds. Using data collected from bird ringing at the Umedelta's ringing stations Tippen and T-vägen between 2010 and 2024, this study tested three hypotheses: (1) bluethroats have changed their timing of their autumn migration, (2) the total number of ringed bluethroats has decreased over time, and (3) there is a higher number of males than females caught in the nets during migration. The results showed significant differences in the number of ringed birds between different weeks and between males and females over the 15 recorded years. However, no significant change across years in the total number of birds ringed was observed. Migration peak timing was slightly shifted from week 35 to week 36, indicating that bluethroats have delayed their autumn migration, though correlation tests did not reveal a consistent pattern across the years for each week. Despite these findings, the broader trend of declining migratory bird populations, linked to climate change and habitat loss, remains a great concern. The study highlights the complexities of migration patterns and the challenges posed by a changing climate, suggesting that further research covering a longer period and a broader geographical range is needed to understand these trends fully.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 11
Keywords [sv]
blåhakar, migrationsmönster, flyttfåglar, klimatförändringar, fåglar
National Category
Biological Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-236094OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-236094DiVA, id: diva2:1942224
Educational program
Bachelor of Science in Biology and Earthscience
Presentation
2025-01-17, 13:08 (Swedish)
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-03-172025-03-042025-03-17Bibliographically approved