Animal Biodiversity and Conservation. Volum 49.1 (2026) Pages: e0004-

Early-life versus adult survival in a colonising aerial insectivore: the red-rumped swallow

Tobella, C., Turon, F., Grajera, J., Badosa, E., Calderón, R., Oro, D.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32800/abc.2026.49.0004

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Abstract

Age-specific survival is a fundamental demographic parameter shaping population dynamics, particularly in species with medium to slow life histories. Despite increasing conservation concern for aerial insectivores, survival estimates remain scarce for many species, including the red-rumped swallow Cecropis daurica. Using capture-mark-recapture data collected between 2016 and 2022 in northeastern Iberia, where the species is actively colonising motorway infrastructures, we provide the first estimates of juvenile and adult apparent survival for this species. Multi-event Cormack-Jolly-Seber models revealed a marked difference between age classes: annual apparent survival was 0.068 (SE = 0.034) for juveniles and 0.278 (SE = 0.081) for adults. Recapture probability was moderate (p = 0.579, SE = 0.162), and models indicated stronger support for age-structured survival over constant survival. As expected, survival was much lower for the early post-fledging stage than for adults in a population undergoing recent range expansion. We found no statistically significant differences in adult survival for males and females. In a comparative context, survival values for adults of C. daurica were among the lowest reported for hirundinids, especially considering that survival tends to increase with species’ body size. Our study establishes a demographic baseline for C. daurica, providing parameters essential for predictive population models and for comparative analyses across aerial insectivores, many of which are undergoing widespread declines.

Keywords

Aerial insectivores, Age-specific survival, Capture-recapture, Cecropis daurica, Demography

Cite

Tobella, C., Turon, F., Grajera, J., Badosa, E., Calderón, R., Oro, D., 2026. Early-life versus adult survival in a colonising aerial insectivore: the red-rumped swallow. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 49: e0004-, DOI: https://doi.org/10.32800/abc.2026.49.0004