The Melodious Warbler (Hippolais polyglotta) at a constant-effort site in northwestern Italy: phenology, biometry, productivity and survival rate

Capture-mark-recapture data for the Melodious Warbler(Hippolais polyglotta) were collected at a ringing station in northwesternItaly (Villalvernia, AL). A sample of 697 individuals (456 adults and 241juveniles) was ringed and then partially recaptured in the following years,providing 868 capture events from 2007 to 2019.We analyzed phenology, capture trend, sex and age ratios, biometry,productivity, and survival rate.Survival and recapture probabilities were estimated with the programMARK and compared to other data on warblers’ survival. The recaptureprobabilities were relatively high (0.22, se=0.05) up to 2014, then dropped to a lower level due to changes in the ringing protocol. The survival ratewas estimated to be the same between the sexes and constant in the studyperiod (0.52, se=0.06). Contrary to what was expected for a migratory bird wintering in W-Af-rica, the survival rate was apparently not influenced by rainfall fluctuationsin the Sahel region and was similar to the values obtained by other researchfrom the northern (Burgundy, France) and eastern (northeastern Italy)boundaries of the species’ breeding range and in different habitats and years