Doctoral defense by Iris Bontekoe

Research on animal migrations is usually performed by studying individuals in isolation. However, many animals migrate in groups. In my thesis, I first present a systematic review to synthesize the literature on social migrations. I then present the consequences of migrating under different physical and social conditions, that I uncovered through a combination of delayed migration experiments and high-resolution tracking data, using the white stork as a model system. Finally, I present a unique study on group organisation within and between feeding and migration flight contexts in white storks. My work demonstrates why we need to consider social factors to better understand animal migrations.