Six major migratory routes for seabirds identified
- A global study reveals the main ocean corridors followed by migratory seabirds
An international team of researchers has identified six major migratory sea routes used by oceanbirds on a global scale. The study, published in Global Ecology and Biogeography, is based on a set of tracking data from 48 seabird species in which Jacob González-Solís and Raül Ramos participate, together with doctoral students and other researchers from IRBio-UB (F. Medrano, T. Militão L. Navarro-Herrero, S. Saldanha, D. Vicente-Sastre).
Six key migratory routes
The study has determined that seabirds follow common movement patterns on a large scale, which can be grouped into six main migratory routes or flyways: the Atlantic, the North Indian, the East Indian, the West Pacific, the Central Pacific and the South Pacific. These routes not only connect different ocean regions but are also influenced by major ocean and wind currents.
Innovative methods for mapping migration
This study applied a new analytical method based on a dynamic comparison of individual routes followed by different species, regardless of the time of year in which they occur and the speed of migration. The researchers used remotely monitored movement data from thousands of individuals of 48 different species to analyze and identify common patterns across species and regions.
Implications for conservation
The identified migratory routes demonstrate that oceanic birds use similar and repeatable migratory corridors at an oceanic scale. The results highlight the need to approach seabird conservation from a global perspective, taking into account the connectivity between different ocean habitats and different Exclusive Economic Zones as well as the high seas. The fact that it crosses several national jurisdictions and high seas areas makes international collaboration difficult to ensure its efficient conservation and highlights the importance of initiatives such as the High Seas Treaty adopted in 2023 under the framework of the United Nations.
For more information, you can consult the full article in Global Ecology and Biogeography.
Reference:
Davies, T., & Guilford, T. (2025). Global marine flyways identified for long-distance migrating seabirds from tracking data. Global Ecology and Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.70004