Hoopoe couple

Hoopoe in action

Hoopoe copulation

Study area in the Valais

Nestboxes for hoopoe and wryneck

Adult identification on camera trap picture

Wryneck

Foraging wryneck

Study area along the river Sihl

Back to the overview

Hoopoe couple

Hoopoe in action

Hoopoe copulation

Study area in the Valais

Nestboxes for hoopoe and wryneck

Adult identification on camera trap picture

Wryneck

Foraging wryneck

Study area along the river Sihl

Projects

Population ecology of hoopoe and wryneck

Which are the reasons for population increases and declines in birds?

To investigate the causes of population changes, demographic datasets are indispensable. Robust insights can only be gained through the analysis of datasets collected over a long period of time. In this project, data on Eurasian Hoopoes and Eurasian Wrynecks in the Valais region, as well as on White-throated Dippers in the Zürich area, are collected and analyzed regularly in order to address a wide range of specific research questions.

Domain Research

Unit Population Biology

Topics Ecology, Population Development, Species Recovery

Habitat semi-open farmland

Project start 2002

Project completion 2030

Project status ongoing

Project management Michael Schaub

Project region Valais, Zurich

Details

Project objectives

For more than 25 years, we have collected demographic data on the three target species under standardized conditions. We regularly analyze this valuable dataset to gain in-depth insights into the population dynamics of the three species. For example, we investigate which life stages are associated with particularly high mortality. In addition, we study the ecology of the three species, including aspects such as food availability and migratory behavior. The insights gained from this work help us better interpret patterns in population dynamics.

Methodology

The demographic data include the number of breeding pairs, clutch size, the number of fledglings produced per breeding attempt, and regular resightings of ringed individuals (capture-mark-recapture data). We collect these data under standardized conditions and store them in dedicated databases. To address specific research questions, such as those related to migration or kinship relationships, we also collect additional data over limited periods of time.

Significance

The results not only advance our understanding of population ecology but also help us develop targeted conservation measures.

Results

The demography of the Eurasian Hoopoe and the Eurasian Wryneck is remarkably similar. The population dynamics of both species are influenced primarily by breeding success and immigration. In both species, breeding success depends on weather conditions, although this effect is somewhat stronger in the Hoopoe than in the Wryneck.
The White-throated Dipper is longer-lived than the other two species and shows a high degree of site fidelity. As an adaptation to the increase in air and water temperatures over the past 30 years, Dippers have begun laying their eggs progressively earlier in the season.
Hoopoes breeding in the Valais spend the winter in the Sahel region, with their wintering grounds extending across a vast area from Niger to Senegal. The drier the conditions in these wintering areas, the higher the mortality of Hoopoes. In contrast, Wrynecks from the Valais breeding population winter in southern Spain and northern Morocco and are therefore short-distance migrants.