New perspectives on waterbird migratory corridors in the Central Asian Flyway, with a focus on the role of the Himalayas and the Tibet Plateau in shaping connectivity
7 affiliations
- 1Avian Sciences and Conservation, Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Colombo, 03, Sri Lanka; Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Colombo, 03, Sri Lanka
- 2Avian Sciences and Conservation, Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Colombo, 03, Sri Lanka
- 3State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- 4State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- 5Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, Colombo, 03, Sri Lanka
- 6Migratory Bird Monitoring Trust, 11/85, Middle Street, Agasteeswaram, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, 629701, India
- 7Good Earth Environmental, De Pas 148, Arnhem, 6836HN, the Netherlands; Wetlands International, Horapark 9, Ede, 6717 LZ, the Netherlands
Abstract
The Central Asian Flyway (CAF) is uniquely shaped by the Himalaya–Qinghai–Tibet Plateau complex—a major geographic feature that influences migratory route selection of waterbirds traveling between breeding grounds in northern Eurasia and Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, the primary non-breeding region of the CAF. Using published and unpublished telemetry data, we compiled and digitized unique migratory trajectories and applied line-density analyses standardized across species to identify recurrent migratory pathways and areas of convergence. We identified three broad migratory corridors: (i) the Western Asian Lowland Corridor (25°–40° N, 60°–72° E), which bypasses the Central Asian mountains to the west; (ii) the Pamir–Karakoram Corridor (32°–39° N, 74°–78° E), centred on the Upper Indus–eastern Hindu Kush–Pamir–Karakoram convergence zone; and (iii) the Eastern Himalayan Corridor (26°–37° N, 87°–100° E), encompassing routes through the Sikkim–Bhutan region of the Himalayas, the Brahmaputra Valley, and pathways circumventing the eastern Himalayas. In addition, emerging evidence highlights migration routes that do not conform to these generalized corridors, including direct high-altitude crossings of the Central Himalayan Region (27°–32° N, 78°–87°E), particularly among species such as Demoiselle Crane ( Grus virgo ), Brown-headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus ), and Black-tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ). We interpret these corridors as generalized and flexible rather than fixed biological boundaries, with species and populations utilizing multiple corridors depending on geography, season, and migration strategy. Overall, this synthesis consolidates fragmented knowledge on waterbird migration within the CAF, identifies key data gaps, and provides a foundation for future research and improved conservation planning in a flyway where 51% of waterbird populations are declining.
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BibTeX
@article{panagoda2026perspectives,
title = {{New perspectives on waterbird migratory corridors in the Central Asian Flyway, with a focus on the role of the Himalayas and the Tibet Plateau in shaping connectivity}},
author = {Gayomini Panagoda and Chamikara Gunaratna and Fanjuan Meng and Lei Cao and Delip K. Das and Sarath Kotagama and Sivananinthaperumal Balachandran and Taej Mundkur and Sampath S. Seneviratne},
journal = {Avian Research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.avrs.2026.100443},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2026.100443},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - New perspectives on waterbird migratory corridors in the Central Asian Flyway, with a focus on the role of the Himalayas and the Tibet Plateau in shaping connectivity
AU - Gayomini Panagoda
AU - Chamikara Gunaratna
AU - Fanjuan Meng
AU - Lei Cao
AU - Delip K. Das
AU - Sarath Kotagama
AU - Sivananinthaperumal Balachandran
AU - Taej Mundkur
AU - Sampath S. Seneviratne
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Avian Research
DO - 10.1016/j.avrs.2026.100443
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2026.100443
AB - The Central Asian Flyway (CAF) is uniquely shaped by the Himalaya–Qinghai–Tibet Plateau complex—a major geographic feature that influences migratory route selection of waterbirds traveling between breeding grounds in northern Eurasia and Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, the primary non-breeding region of the CAF. Using published and unpublished telemetry data, we compiled and digitized unique migratory trajectories and applied line-density analyses standardized across species to identify recurrent migratory pathways and areas of convergence. We identified three broad migratory corridors: (i) the Western Asian Lowland Corridor (25°–40° N, 60°–72° E), which bypasses the Central Asian mountains to the west; (ii) the Pamir–Karakoram Corridor (32°–39° N, 74°–78° E), centred on the Upper Indus–eastern Hindu Kush–Pamir–Karakoram convergence zone; and (iii) the Eastern Himalayan Corridor (26°–37° N, 87°–100° E), encompassing routes through the Sikkim–Bhutan region of the Himalayas, the Brahmaputra Valley, and pathways circumventing the eastern Himalayas. In addition, emerging evidence highlights migration routes that do not conform to these generalized corridors, including direct high-altitude crossings of the Central Himalayan Region (27°–32° N, 78°–87°E), particularly among species such as Demoiselle Crane ( Grus virgo ), Brown-headed Gull ( Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus ), and Black-tailed Godwit ( Limosa limosa ). We interpret these corridors as generalized and flexible rather than fixed biological boundaries, with species and populations utilizing multiple corridors depending on geography, season, and migration strategy. Overall, this synthesis consolidates fragmented knowledge on waterbird migration within the CAF, identifies key data gaps, and provides a foundation for future research and improved conservation planning in a flyway where 51% of waterbird populations are declining.
SN - 2053-7166
ER -