@article{article_857444, title={Directional preferences of Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) (Linnaeus, 1758) subspecies migrating through Kızılırmak Delta in spring}, journal={Biological Diversity and Conservation}, volume={12}, pages={9–14}, year={2019}, author={Gürsoy Ergen, Arzu and Kefelioğlu, Haluk}, keywords={busse cage, Kızılırmak Delta, Motacilla flava, orientation, Yellow wagtail}, abstract={The directional preferences of the Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava, subspecies were studied by orientation cage experiments performed during the spring migration between 2004 – 2006 in Kızılırmak Delta. Spring passage of Yellow Wagtail starts in late March, reaches a peak in mid-April, and then decreases progressively towards the mid-May at Kızılırmak Delta. 369 orientation experiments with Busse cages were conducted with the five M. flava subspecies (M. f. beema, M. f. feldegg, M. f. flava, M. f. melanogrisea, M. f. thunbergi) and two hybrids (M. f. superciliaris and M. f. dombrowskii). Both our observation and ringing data showed that the Yellow Wagtail subspecies stop-over in mixed flocks during spring migration in Kızılırmak Delta before they cross the Black Sea, which is a large migration barrier, and use this area for resting and feeding. According to the orientation experiments’ results, the subspecies showed mean orientation to the north. The predominant migration direction of M. flava subspecies were determined as northwest (NW) and northeast (NW). The taxa of this species head for north and thus they head for their breeding areas not before passing over the Black Sea, but after passing over the Black Sea.}, number={2}, publisher={Ersin YÜCEL}