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Earlier-Fledged Juvenile Kingfishers Migrated Farther and Followed Region-Specific Routes

Two juvenile common kingfishers interacting on branches above water
Research · Ecology

A study published in April 2026 found that the timing of fledging was linked to how far juvenile common kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) travelled during their first migration, while the direction of movement differed among birds from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia.

Researchers monitored breeding populations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and combined these field data with long-term ringing recoveries. Of 1,911 nestlings ringed in the monitored populations, 19 were later found breeding again. Fourteen of those 19, or 74%, settled within 20 km of their natal site. Their median natal-dispersal distance — the distance between where a bird hatched and where it later established itself as a breeder — was 10.5 km. The study found no clear difference in natal dispersal distance between the Czech and Slovak populations or between sexes.

Earlier-fledged juveniles travelled farther

For first migration, the researchers analysed decades of ringing recoveries. Among 247 juveniles recovered during winter from 1975 to 2024, 154 were classified as migrants and 93 as residents—about 62% migrants and 38% residents. Migrants became increasingly predominant across the five decade-long periods. Earlier-fledged juveniles travelled farther than birds that fledged later in the season. The authors suggest that early-fledged birds may have better condition and more time to prepare for long-distance movement, whereas late-fledged birds may have less time and energy and are more likely to remain near their natal area. Czech-ringed juveniles were recovered in 17 countries, with the longest first migration reaching 2,350 km to Portugal; Slovak juveniles were recovered in nine European countries, with the longest movement reaching 1,619 km to Spain.

Migration direction differed by breeding region

Migration direction also varied by breeding region. Juveniles from Bohemia and Slovakia moved predominantly southwest, whereas birds from Moravia tended to move more directly south. Bohemian birds were more often recovered in Western Europe, including France and Spain, while Moravian and Slovak birds more often followed routes toward areas such as Croatia, southern Italy, Greece and Libya. The authors conclude that juvenile common kingfishers show a flexible migration strategy shaped by both fledging timing and where the birds originate.

Sources and image credit

  1. Rubáčová, L., Čech, P., Čech, M., Melišková, M., & Barka, M. (2026). Natal dispersal and migratory behaviour of juvenile kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) from Central Europe. Ornis Fennica, 103(2), 53–67. https://doi.org/10.51812/of.161926Primary peer-reviewed open-access study, published in April 2026 under CC BY 4.0. It monitored Czech and Slovak breeding populations and analysed long-term ringing recoveries from 1975–2024. Earlier-fledged juveniles migrated farther, and migration direction differed among Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia.

Image: Petr Student / Wikimedia Commons — two juvenile common kingfishers (Alcedo atthis) in the Czech Republic, photographed 3 July 2018; representative wild juvenile image, not identified study birds; top-anchored crop from the original for the news-card composition · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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