How bird migration connects different worlds: IBCP presents at Bird Numbers 2025

17 April, 2025

European Honey Buzzard. Photo by Aurelie Laurent, CC BY-NC-SA, via iNaturalist.

Two billion landbirds and millions of raptors migrate seasonally between Europe and Africa, one of the most important avian flyways in the world, nesting in Europe and spending the winter in African savannas, wetlands, and forests. Many Palearctic raptors winter in protected areas that are under unprecedented anthropogenic pressure, especially in West Africa. At the recent Bird Numbers 2025 conference in Riga, Latvia, IBCP made a presentation on European-breeding raptors wintering in West Africa.

Western Marsh Harrier. Photo by Boldings, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

We investigated the migratory connectivity of Palearctic raptor species wintering in Ghana, Togo, and Benin on the Gulf of Guinea coast using evidence available ringing recovery data. Specifically, we sought to report the natal origins, where known, of the five European-breeding raptors known to winter in these three West African countries in the highest numbers, including: the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), European Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), and Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

European natal origins of Osprey wintering in Ghana, Togo, and Benin, West Africa.

We found a high proportion of these birds had traveled to West Africa from Finland and Sweden in particular. In a future publication, we will compare these data with the larger dataset of available data on migratory connectivity available from Euring. We also assessed wintering Palearctic raptor occurrence, distribution, and threats in Benin, Togo and Ghana, including the Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) and Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus).

Black Kite. Photo by Вых Пыхманн, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Comparing recent survey data with historic data suggests that numbers of Palearctic raptors have declined and their wintering ranges have significantly contracted in this region, due to both habitat loss and persecution. Moreover, raptors in West Africa are highly threatened by poaching for a lucrative wildlife trade for belief-based uses including West African Vodun (commonly known as voodoo). Increased conservation awareness, law enforcement, and ongoing monitoring will help us understand and mitigate negative human impacts on Palearctic raptors wintering in West Africa.

Booted Eagle. Photo by Derek Keats, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.