after outbreak in Nigeria, Feb 2006, a little more:
– just saying “wild birds” and “flight paths” is woefully inadequate; not sure any piece of land not permanently covered by snow/ice does not lie under skies travelled by at least small numbers of birds. Though “flyways” tend to mean routes travelled by larger numbers of migrants, more akin to rivers of migratory birds.
Nigeria, for instance, indeed lies on flight paths.
Surely flyways here, too, especially along coast (I’m less familiar with migration there than in e Asia).
But these for birds from Europe – not from H5N1-hit areas of Russia.
Migrants will fly minimum they need to, in order to maximise survival chances. Can involve long distances, but broadly those from northern hiemisphere will head south for winter if suitable destinations for enough birds.
Poyang Lake in e central China and Qinghai Lake in nw China (1700km apart) just reported to have had same H5N1 strain in wild birds (well, 2 strains in 6 ducks at Poyang; big outbreak Qinghai).
This said to show wild birds were the link.
Now, both have “wild birds”, both lie on “migration routes” [no part of China does not, tho are places with more distinct flyways). But, take a more detailed look, and does not appear they are linked by migrants.
Poyang a winter haunt for birds from Mongolia eastwards and northeastwards – I’ve studied some as they migrated along the coast at Beidaihe, east of Beijing [a huge distance from Qinghai]
– see eastern flyway map for Siberian crane at http://www.sibeflyway.org/Map-Eastern-web.html – gives some idea of routes Poyang birds follow, tho at least some mainly migrate just inland rather than along coastal route
Qinghai Lake a breeding ground for wetland birds wintering in India, sw China.
Post edited by: martin, at: 2006/02/09 00:58
Post edited by: martin, at: 2006/02/09 01:57
Post edited by: martin, at: 2006/03/19 00:54