Euphagus carolinus (Rusty Blackbird) from two different breeding populations in northeastern North America exhibit chain migration yet use the same region for stopover

Bird populations within the same species may follow different migratory strategies and phenology depending on their breeding location and latitude, and migratory strategies may be influenced by important stopover sites. Understanding these strategies and identifying important stopover sites is crucial for the conservation of species with regionally varying population trends. In this study, Euphagus carolinus (Rusty Blackbirds) from two populations in eastern North America were affixed with NanoTag (Lotek) transmitters and tracked using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to determine migratory routes and connectivity, stopover locations, and wintering areas. During fall migration, birds tagged at Observatoire d’oiseaux de Tadoussac, Québec and breeding sites in New England maintained separate migratory routes north of 43° latitude, as indicated by positive Mantel statistics of migratory connectivity, before converging on stopover areas in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays region of the mi..., , , # Euphagus carolinus (Rusty Blackbird) from two different breeding populations in northeastern North America exhibit chain migration yet use the same region for stopover

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.n2z34tn6s](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.n2z34tn6s)

## Description of the data and file structure

Rusty Blackbirds were affixed with NanoTag radio transmitters in Québec and New England and tracked with the Motus Wildlife Tracking System network of automated receivers to determine differences in their migratory strategies. Detection data were accessed through the Motus website ([https://motus.org/](https://motus.org/)), but are only available for download for members of each Motus project (Québec data are project #161 Migratory Connectivity of the Rusty Blackbird; New England data are project #252 New England Rusty Blackbird Project). The raw detection data were assessed graphically with a *shiny* application in R to remove false detections and identify migratory flights and stopovers. ...