Natal and breeding dispersal of the yellow wagtail Motacilla flava in Russky sever national park (Vologda region)

The article deals with natal and breeding dispersal of the yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava). It was assessed on the basis of the recorded returns of marked specimens and the analysis of apparent survival rates in a local population as well as the revealed connection of breeding dispersal distances with the previous breeding success. In 2005–2018 the investigation was carried out in the national park Russky Sever (Vologda region, Russia) in the area of 5 km2 of abandoned agricultural lands. The results of monitoring of individually marked 104 adult wagtails and 406 nestlings were analyzed. For them 13 natal dispersal and 55 breeding dispersal events were revealed. Fieldwork included nest searching, ringing of adults and nestlings, nest fate recording and search for returns of previously marked individuals. We modeled the apparent first-year survival with the Cormack – Jolly – Seber model. The effect of sex and previous breeding success on breeding dispersal we assessed using linear mixed models (LMMs). Of 406 marked nestlings, 11 males and 2 females returned to the study plot. The apparent survival rate of juveniles was 4 %, while re-registration probability reached 62 %. The natal dispersal (median 2200 m) was significantly greater than breeding dispersal (median 195 m). Sex and individual breeding success had no significant influence on breeding dispersal distance of wagtails returned to the study plot. Thus, our findings suggest that in the northern European Russia the connections between local populations of yellow wagtail are predominately maintained via natal dispersal. Most juveniles irrevocably leave their birth site, while those few which return move a considerable distance from their birth nests. The core of breeding aggregations is formed by individuals successfully nesting here earlier and tended to settle nearby their previous breeding territories.