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Résumé :
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Compared to descriptions from the 19th century and data from the first half of the 20th century, Red-spotted Bluethroats have considerably decreased as migrants on the island of Helgoland (southeastern North Sea). At least in the last decades this decline was stronger than the average of other long-distance migrating passerines passing Central Europe. Nowadays, only very few birds are recorded during fall migration, and spring migrants are observed and trapped in much lower numbers than in earlier decades. Presumably, fewer Scandinavian Bluethroats follow a S-SW route in autumn, perhaps in connection with the disappeareance of a long-winged population in southern Norway. It is not known whether the decline is based on impacts acting in the breeding area, on the migration route or in the winter quarter. The once regular, but today nearly extinct occurrence of S-SW migrating Bluethroats seems to have always overlapped with spring influxes of SE migrating birds. Such spring influxes do still occur, but nowadays on a lower level. In recent decades, the median dates of both spring and fall migration are delayed compared to the first half of the 20th century. White-spotted Bluethroats L. s. cyanecula are much scarcer than nominate birds and in spring occur much earlier (especially in March and April).
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