Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Perdeck A.C. (1967) Orientation of Starlings after displacement to Spain. ARDEA 55 (3-4): 194-202
About 2,700 juvenile and 900 adult Starlings were caught during autumn migration in Holland and displaced to Spain (Barcelona). The recoveries in the autumn and winter after release show a different behaviour of juveniles and adults. Juveniles followed a more south-western, adults a more northern course. This suggests two different types of orientation: one-direction orientation in the juveniles and true goal orientation (navigation) in the adults. It corroborates an earlier displacement experiment to Switzerland. The difference in direction in adults displaced to Spain and Switzerland is in agreement with goal orientation to the same winter area and adds a further argument to the claim that this kind of orientation is used indeed. Recoveries of juvenile-displaced birds in the first spring after displacement strongly suggest one-direction orientation and not homing to the area of hatching. In accordance with this, the recoveries in later years are, for the greater part, not situated in the original area of the population, but in a southward shifted area. In this respect the behaviour of the juvenile Starlings is similar to that of the Hooded Crow (Rnppell 1944). A definite conclusion can, however, not be given. A displacement experiment with Starlings in spring could give more reliable results.


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