Synchronous arrival of pairs of migratory birds at their breeding grounds is important for maintaining pair bonds and is achieved by pairs that remain together all year round. Here we show that arrival is also synchronized in paired individuals of a migratory shorebird, the black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa islandica), even though they winter hundreds of kilometres apart and do not migrate together. The mechanisms required to achieve this synchrony and prevent 'divorce' illustrate the complexity of migratory systems.

1. Centre for Ecology Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
2. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
3. Langhús, Fljót 570, Iceland

Correspondence to: T. G. Gunnarsson¹ Email: t.gunnarsson@uea.ac.uk

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