Annual cycle and migration strategies of a habitat specialist, the Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris, revealed by geolocators

Habitat specialist species occupy narrow ecological niches, typically utilizing similar habitat types throughout the annual cycle. Their strict requirements for specific habitats may make them vulnerable to environmental changes, especially in small, local populations. Therefore, detailed knowledge of the species’ ecology is crucial for conservation purposes. In this study, we used light-level geolocators to identify migration routes and non-breeding areas of a distinct specialist for dry habitats, the Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris, from a currently declining central European breeding population. During autumn and spring migration, the majority of the birds followed a route along the northwest of the Alps and via the Iberian Peninsula, with stopover sites mainly in northern Africa. In each migration season, however, one of two different individuals took a detour around the eastern side of the Alps. When crossing the main ecological barrier, the Sahara Desert, three of six birds followed the Atlantic coastline in autumn, whereas all five birds migrated near the coast in spring. Non-breeding areas of all tracked pipits were uniformly located in the Western Sahel, with five of six birds utilizing two main non-breeding sites, the second of which was always located west of the first. On average, the tracked birds spent 48 % of the year at the non-breeding areas, 27 % on migration, and 25 % at the breeding site. Our findings demonstrate strong migratory connectivity in Tawny Pipits which may have future implications for conservation of this long-distance migrant.