POPULATION-DYNAMICS AND PARTIAL MIGRATION OF THE EUROPEAN ROBIN (ERITHACUS-RUBECULA) IN DIFFERENT HABITATS

Near Antwerp, Belgium, mean local survival of resident males (50%) was higher than local survival of migrant males (17%). During cold winters survival of residents decreased with c50%. Mating success decreased with settling date from 74% for early settling residents, over 44% for migrants to 19% for late-settling birds of unknown status. The probability of breeding is 2-4 times higher in residents. Resident and migratory robins were habitat separated both in the breeding season and in winter: 70% of breeding males were migratory in the woodland, but in the park and gardens most males were resident. Almost all females were migratory. Partial migration is a conditional strategy in which the migrants are making the best of a bad job. -from Authors