Year-round carryover effects are driven by migration phenology for Hirundo rustica (Barn Swallow) wintering in West Africa

Recently, population declines have been reported for many migratory birds. Because of complex life cycles, determining the causes for such declines is often difficult. Thus, migratory birds are of special conservation interest. We studied the migratory behavior of barn swallows Hirundo rustica tagged with solar geolocators and determined carryover effects during the entire annual cycle from one breeding season to the next. We used a Partial Least Square Path Model (PLS-PM) to disentangle migratory and breeding events that occur in chronological order. In addition, we controlled for broad environmental conditions in the wintering grounds (NDVI and latitude) and the specific moulting habitat (δ13C). We did not find a carryover effect from reproduction investment in the attachment year to breeding success in the subsequent year. Individuals which invested more in reproduction departed earlier from the breeding colonies, but this in turn did not affect the onset of autumn migration. Thus, t..., This data corresponded to 35 individuals wintering in West Africa (22 females and 13 males) and breeding in southern Spain (Seville and Badajoz). Key dates in migration behavior were obtained after reconstructing the migratory route for each individual., , # Year-round carryover effects are driven by migration phenology for Hirundo rustica (Barn Swallow) wintering in West Africa

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffbxj](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffbxj)

### Description of the data and file structure

An Excel file with the variables described below.

This dataset correspondeds to 35 individuals wintering in West Africa (22 females and 13 males) and breeding in southern Spain (Seville and Badajoz). Key dates in migration behavior were obtained after reconstructing the migratory route for each individual. The variables provided here are: (1) 'Departure date from breeding colony’, (2) 'Onset of autumn migration’, (3) 'Arrival date at wintering area', (4) “Onset of spring migration” and (5) 'Arrival date at breeding colony'. This data was associated with reproduction data at the individual level. Breeding pairs in our study colonies laid up to three clutches during the breeding season. Thus, we used the number of clutches, the total ...