Satellite tracking reveals the migration routes of the Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus) in eastern China and Northeast Asia
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College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China

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    Abstract:

    [Objectives] According to the IOC World Bird List v15.1 and the AChecklist of Classification and Distribution of the Birds of China (4th ed), the subspecies Buteo buteo japonicus of the widely distributed Common Buzzard (B. buteo) has been elevated to full species, B. japonicus. In China, B. buteo and B. japonicus are therefore recognized as two species. The Eastern Buzzard (B. japonicus) is broadly distributed in Northeast Asia, including Northeast China, the Russian Far East, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. Although north–south migration has been reported, particularly in the Japanese Archipelago, a systematic analysis of its migration routes in eastern China and Northeast Asia is still lacking. [Methods] This study conducted satellite tracking on 22 individuals of the Eastern Buzzard wintering in eastern China, recording a total of 16 complete spring and autumn migration routes of 11 ind over a span of nearly four years. In R 4.3.2, the zoo and changepoint packages were used to analyze the migration data and determine threshold dates for state changes and the start and end of migration. Trajectories were then visualized in ArcGIS 10.8, and the cumulative migration distance between breeding and wintering grounds was calculated. In addition, point-wise nearest-neighbor (kNN) analysis was performed to quantify cross-year spatial overlap of migration routes. On the basis of these analyses and previous studies, the overall migration routes of Eastern Buzzard in Northeast Asia were summarized. [Results] The individuals wintering in eastern China migrated northward in spring to breed in Northeast China and the Russian Far East. During migration, individuals traveled northward along the eastern flank of the Taihang Mountains and west of Bohai Bay, traversing the North China Plain. Subsequently, these individuals diverged into three major migratory directions:some crossed the Yanshan Mountains into Northeast China; others headed directly towards the Greater Khingan Range and onward to the Russian Far East; while a third group first moved toward the Northeast China Plain and then crossed the Lesser Khingan Range to reach their breeding grounds in Russia (Fig. 1). Southward migration routes in autumn were generally symmetrical to those observed in spring, while about 25% of individuals adopted a route along the Changbai Mountains that had not been used by any individuals during spring migration, directly crossing the Bohai Sea to reach their wintering sites in eastern China (Fig. 2). Analysis of repeated spring and autumn migration trajectories of the same individuals across different years indicated that the migration routes of Eastern Buzzard individuals exhibited moderate to high spatial consistency, with deviations mainly occurring near topographic or climatic barriers such as the Bohai Sea, Yanshan Mountains, and Greater Khingan Range (Table 3). Three principal migration routes in Northeast Asia were identified as the Russia–Northeast China–East/Southeast China route, the Russia–Northeast China–Korean Peninsula–Tsushima Strait route, and the Sakhalin–Japanese Archipelago route (Fig. 3). [Conclusion] The satellite tracking reveals the important migration routes of the Eastern Buzzard in eastern China and Northeast Asia, providing essential baseline data to support species conservation.

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YANG Qing, LU Chang-Hu. 2026. Satellite tracking reveals the migration routes of the Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus) in eastern China and Northeast Asia. Chinese Journal of Zoology, 61(4): 524-537.

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  • Received:June 20,2025
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  • Online: August 25,2026
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