Nocturnal passage of passerines in Western Kazakhstan in autumn

We provide a test of the hypothesis that most Palaearctic-African migratory passerines breeding to the east of Eastern Europe avoid crossing western deserts of Central Asia during autumn migration and make a detour through the steppes and semi-deserts north of the Caspian Sea. Trapping data at a migratory stopover and moon-watch observations in September 2003 in western Kazakhstan in a semi-desert location 375 km north of the Caspian Sea support this hypothesis.