ICARUS Birds

When, where, and why do birds die?

We aim to map patterns of bird mortality throughout the annual cycle by studying five common species: European kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), common swift (Apus apus), song thrush (Turdus philomelos), common blackbird (Turdus merula), and European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Our goal is to tag 5,000 individuals from these species to better understand their mortality patterns.

Although all these species live to a certain extent in proximity to humans —and some have adapted to rely on human infrastructures or agriculture for foraging and breeding — they exhibit vastly different long-term population trends. Common blackbirds are increasing in numbers, whereas song thrushes have stable populations, and common swifts and European kestrels are even in decline. In addition, while European starlings,  song thrushes, common blackbirds, and European kestrels spend most of their lives in Europe, common swifts migrate to Africa in winter.

Thus, our goal is to determine when, where, and why common birds die. We aim to identify the key factors contributing to bird mortality by focusing on widespread species with varying population trends, migration patterns, and human dependence. 

We want to reach this goal by collaborating with experienced bird ringers and ongoing research projects throughout Europe. Using advanced ICARUS tags provided by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB), our collaborators will capture and tag individuals during migration or nesting periods. These tags will allow us to monitor individual movements and identify when and where mortality occurs.

Do you work with these five common species? Are you involved in ongoing research projects and interested in enhancing your work with tracking data? Do you regularly capture these birds and want to track their fate, including where and when they may die?

If you're interested in collaborating with us and share our research goals, we would be pleased to have you join us!

We would like to invite ornithologists from across Europe to participate in this collaborative effort to maximize the number of birds tagged. [more]

Go to Editor View