Factors affecting the flight altitude of migrating waterbirds in Western Estonia

The article examines the effects of weather, temporal factors and distance to coast on the flight altitude of migrating waterbirds in Western Estonia. A laser range finder and marine surveillance radar were used to measure flight altitudes. Visible effects on avian flight altitude due to weather conditions such as wind conditions, visibility and cloud cover were identified. Tailwinds were found to be associated with elevated flight altitude,...