Influence of local (air temperature) and wide-scale (North Atlantic Oscillation) climate indices on the first arrival dates of the Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) at breeding site in SE Poland

In this study, a relationship between climate indices (local - air temperatures, and wide-scale - North Atlantic Oscillation) and first arrival dates (FAD) of a short-distant migratory bird, the Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) at a breeding site in SE Poland (Lublin) was investigated. Temporal patterns of FAD on a multi-year scale (20 years within 39 years between 1982 and 2020) were also studied. Additionally, correlations between mean air temperature at Lublin and sites along the spring migration route with various distances from the breeding site and various time lags were searched for. A significant temporal trend in arrival dates was found, indicating the advancing of FADs by 9.5 days compared to the 1980s. It was found that FAD in the studied period was affected by North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in February and among daily indices by mean air temperature in Lublin 12 days and by NAO − 7 days before arrival. As expected, the highest correlation between air temperatures in Lublin and sites along the spring migration route of the studied population for locations < 500 km from Lublin and a few days’ travel before arrival were found. Studying FADs and climatic indices in the breeding areas and en route of migration helps to understand factors affecting the phenology of spring avian migration.