The satellite tracking of Great Snipes from European Russia reveals low migratory connectivity

Great Snipe (Gallinago media) is a shorebird which has a Near Threatened status on the global scale. However, little is known about its migration strategy from the breeding range in Russia. This study is the first one aiming to reveal migration routes, stopovers and wintering grounds of adult Great Snipes from their breeding range in Russia using GPS devices. We also analyzed connectivity of Great Snipes from different breeding populations of this species during non-breeding season. In 2021, we equipped seven males and three females with satellite transmitters, ICARUS Basic Tags, in the breeding range in central European Russia (56°75′ N, 37°65 E). One female appeared later in tundra of north-eastern Europe. In the second half of July to early September, birds migrated to Africa in a fairly wide front and made stopovers in Europe before crossing seas and the Sahara. Our data allowed to suppose high mortality of birds on migration, especially during the trans-Saharan flight. Only four Great Snipes reached Africa alive during southward migration. These birds spread over across wide area from Eritrea to Ghana after the trans-Saharan flight, after which they moved in a general westward direction and made final prolonged stopovers in Ghana or to the south of Chad Lake. In October/December birds relocated to wintering grounds in Sub-Equatorial Afrotropics as far as the south of Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia; with intermediate winter sites in low and middle reaches of the Congo Basin. Together with other published results, our data showed wide overlap of African non-breeding grounds of birds coming from lowland Eastern European and mountain Scandinavian breeding populations. The results also indicated insufficient conservation status of migration stopovers and wintering sites, used by Great Snipes, and demonstrated high importance of West Africa for conservation of this species.