Vol.: (0123456789) 1 3 Landsc Ecol https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-022-01509-6 RESEARCH ARTICLE Phenotypic and environmental correlates of natal dispersal movements in fragmented landscapes Hugo Robles  · Carlos Ciudad  · Zeno Porro  · Julien Fattebert  · Gilberto Pasinelli  · Matthias Tschumi  · Marta Vila  · Martin U. Grüebler Received: 26 January 2022 / Accepted: 8 August 2022 © The Author(s) 2022 Objectives To assess phenotypic and environmen- tal correlates of dispersal movements in fragmented landscapes. Methods We radio-tracked juvenile middle spotted woodpeckers in fragmented landscapes to assess phe- notypic and environmental efects on emigration age, transfer duration (in days), and transfer distances. Results Large fedglings and those in good condi- tion emigrated earlier than smaller individuals and those in worse condition. Birds in better condition also reduced transfer duration. Overall, females dis- persed earlier, remained shorter at transfer and moved further than males. However, while females increased Abstract Context Natal dispersal critically infuences eco- evolutionary dynamics and the persistence of spa- tially structured populations. As both short- and long-distance movements contribute to population persistence in fragmented landscapes, understanding dispersal requires assessing phenotypic and environ- mental efects on a wide range of distances. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi. org/10.1007/s10980-022-01509-6. H. Robles (*) · J. Fattebert · G. Pasinelli · M. Tschumi · M. U. Grüebler  Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland e-mail: hugo.roblesdiez@uantwerpen.be H. Robles  Evolutionary Ecology Group (EVECO), University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium H. Robles  Department of Biology of Organisms and Systems (BOS), Zoology Unit, University of Oviedo, Catedrático Rodrigo Uría S/N, 33071 Oviedo, Spain C. Ciudad  Departamento de Biodiversidad Y Gestión Ambiental, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain Z. Porro  Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Adolfo Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy J. Fattebert  Center for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa G. Pasinelli  Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland M. Vila  Facultade de Ciencias, Departamento de Bioloxía, Grupo de Investigación en Bioloxía Evolutiva, Universidade da Coruña, A Zapateira, 15071 A Coruña, Spain