The spatial consistency and repeatability of migratory flight routes and stationary sites of individual European nightjars based on multiannual GPS tracks

The nightjars incorporate individual-specific space use within their annual cycle that allows for a degree of flexibility during migration, possibly driven by the energetic benefits of allowing adaptive wind drift while airborne. Our data demonstrate how topography and spatial autocorrelation of positions influence flight path variability that may diminish or reinforce individuality in route choice. Hence, this study highlights that identifying and quantifying past and present external influences on emergence of realised routes can be critical for distinguishing the genetic basis and environmental variation in migration.