Migratory connectivity of Palearctic raptors in West Africa: investigating links between wintering and breeding areas and conservation implications through ringing encounters

Millions of raptors that breed in Europe and Asia migrate to Africa during the non-breeding season and spend the winter in African savannas, wetlands, and forests. Many Palearctic raptors winter in areas that are under unprecedented anthropogenic pressure, especially in West Africa, where wildlife populations have steeply declined and ecological studies remain relatively rare. We assessed wintering Palearctic raptor occurrence, migratory connectivity, and conservation threats in Ghana, Togo, and Benin, using documented encounters with 257 ringed birds. The five migratory Palearctic raptor species documented in greatest abundance in our study area included Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), European Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus), and Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). Osprey comprised 56% of all ringed raptor encounters, and nearly two-thirds (64%) of wintering raptors documented in our West African study area originated in Finland and Sweden. We recommend further investigations of the origins and migratory routes of Palearctic bird species wintering in Africa, particularly through the Eurasian African Bird Migration Atlas, as well as enhanced conservation education, bird monitoring, and wildlife law enforcement to protect migratory and resident species in West Africa.