Rob Lensink & Robert Kwak (2026) How fixed is the timing of autumn migration over two migration watchpoints?. LIMOSA 99 (1): 15-29.

Previous research has shown that long-distance migrants respond to climate warming by migrating earlier in autumn, whereas short-distance migrants respond by migrating progressively later. Here we compare changes in migration pattens between two inland migration watchpoints in the Netherlands. The dataset for 44 species (six long-distance migrants, 27 short-distance migrants, eight irruptive migrants and three species of waterfowl) included 23 years of counts near Arnhem (1981-2003, 2300 counts, about 100 per autumn) and 47 years of counts near Winterswijk (1975- 2021, 2400 counts, about 50 per autumn). Numbers correlated strongly between the two watchpoints, only Woodpigeon and Chaffinch appeared more numerous at Winterswijk. Also the changes in onset, median and conclusion of migration were very similar for the two watchpoints, with long-distance migrants and waterfowl generally migration progressively earlier and short-distance migrants progressively later over the years. No clear pattern was detected for irruptive migrants that varied notably in numbers and timing. The longer time series (Winterswijk) gave a better picture about changes in migration than the more detailed time series (Arnhem).

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