Danish Bird Migration Atlas
A study of bird movements as shown by ringing (to be published in 2006)

Ringing of birds is a technique developed in Denmark in 1899, over 100 years ago. Today it is used and recognised globally. In Denmark, over the years we have collected large amounts of data on Danish birds as well as on our migrating birds and winter guests.

Thanks to a donation from Aage V. Jensen's Foundation, the Zoological Museum is now able to complete a long-wanted project: An analysis of the more than 100 years of ringing data and a presentation of the results in a single publication: the Danish Bird Migration Atlas. The work on this ambitious project is now well under way.

Presentation of 260 species

About 300 bird species are regularly observed in Denmark, and the bird-ringing data sheets have provided information on about 260 of them. Each of these species will be presented in the atlas and the presentations will be the core of the book. The Danish ringing results will be summarised presented and analysed in a coherent, clear and attractive layout. The same arrangement will be used throughout the book, to make it easy to understand the figures and maps describing the individual species. The texts will contain a thorough analysis in clear, nontechnical language. There will be an English summary after each species presentation.

Ringing history and future

The introductory chapters present the current knowledge and theories about bird migration, movement patterns and navigation. One chapter will summarise the Danish history of ringing, and advantages and limitations of ringing will be discussed.

The analyses will show where we still have gaps in our knowledge of the movements of common Danish breeding birds. Furthermore, the presentation of the individual species will serve as an inspiration for future research. Thus, the atlas is not meant as a final chapter in the ringing history but as a way to look at the current results. It will furthermore help to insure that also in the future we will have the best available data to describe and manage nature responsibly.

The data

Throughout time, ringing in Denmark has been carried out by various persons and institutions. With the Danish Bird Migration Atlas, all Danish data are for the first time presented in the same publication. The more than 170,000 recoveries of ringed birds originate from the following persons/institutions and periods:

• H. C. C. Mortensen, Viborg 1899-1920
• Dansk Ornithologisk Central, Viborg 1914-1975
• H. Weis, Hellerup 1917-1918
• H. Pedersen, Frederikssund 1921-1931
• Odense Ringmærkestation 1964-1967
• Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser, Kalø 1950-1997
• Zoologisk Museum 1928-2002