Despite the widely recognized value of wetlands in providing vital ecosystem services, these are presently being degraded and ultimately destroyed, leading to a decrease in the biodiversity associated with these areas. Some species inextricably linked to wetlands, however, have been increasing and (re)colonizing areas across their range; a notable example being the Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia. In this study we aimed to identify the most important habitats for juvenile spoonbills fledging from a traditional colony in Portugal, located in Ria Formosa, during the period of their life with the lowest survival rates: the first months after leaving the colony. We deployed 16 GPS/GSM tags on juveniles captured in different years (2016 to 2020) and tracked them during post-fledging dispersal and first winter (average 166.4 ± 29.2 SE days). Using Corine Land Cover data, we were able to identify which habitats were most important. Several habitats were used in variable proportions by individuals originating from the same colony, but there was a general trend towards using fewer habitats along the first months of life. Intertidal wetlands were the most used habitat, but anthropogenic habitats such as Wastewater Treatment Plants, saltpans and rice fields were identified as alternative habitats for young spoonbills, and may had contributed to the recent expansion of this species in Portugal.

尽管湿地在提供重要生态系统服务方面的价值得到广泛认可，但这些服务目前正在退化并最终遭到破坏，导致与这些地区相关的生物多样性减少。然而，一些与湿地有着千丝万缕联系的物种在其分布范围内不断增加和（重新）殖民。一个著名的例子是欧亚琵鹭Platalea leucorodia。在这项研究中，我们的目的是确定来自葡萄牙传统殖民地（位于西亚福尔摩沙）的幼年琵鹭最重要的栖息地，在它们一生中存活率最低的时期：离开殖民地后的头几个月。我们在不同年份（2016 年至 2020 年）捕获的幼鸟上部署了 16 个 GPS/GSM 标签，并在羽翼后分散和第一个冬季（平均 166.4 ± 29.2 SE 天）跟踪它们。利用 Corine 土地覆盖数据，我们能够确定哪些栖息地最重要。来自同一群体的个体以不同的比例使用多个栖息地，但总体趋势是在生命的最初几个月使用较少的栖息地。潮间带湿地是最常用的栖息地，但废水处理厂等人为栖息地