1
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Ydenberg RC, Fernández G, Ortiz Lopez E, Lank DB. Avian wings can lengthen rather than shorten in response to increased migratory predation danger. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10325. [PMID: 37492461 PMCID: PMC10363853 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing predation danger can select for safety-enhancing modifications to prey morphology. Here, we document the multi-decade wing lengthening of a Pacific flyway migrant, the western sandpiper (Calidris mauri), and contrast this with contemporaneous wing shortening of the closely related semipalmated sandpiper (C. pusilla) on the Atlantic flyway. We measured >12,000 southbound western sandpipers captured from 1978 to 2020 at a major stopover site in British Columbia. Wing length increased at 0.074 mm year-1 (SE = 0.017; p < .0003) for adults, and 0.087 mm year-1 (SE = 0.029; p < .007) for juveniles. These rates are of similarly large magnitude (4%-5% overall), but opposite in direction, to the rate we previously reported for semipalmated sandpiper adults (-0.103 mm year-1). In both species, the change is specific to wings rather than being part of a general body size change. We interpret both trends as responses to the ongoing strong increase of peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) populations since the mid-1970s, an important predator encountered by these species in contrasting ways during migration. Western sandpipers and peregrine migrations have temporal and spatial overlap. Longer wings enhance migratory speed and efficiency, enabling western sandpipers to decrease overlap by advancing to safer zones ahead of falcon passage. In contrast, semipalmated sandpipers primarily encounter peregrines as residents at migratory staging sites. Shorter wings improve acceleration and agility, helping migrants to escape attacks. Juvenile western sandpiper wing length also shows a component additive to the lengthening trend, shifting between years at 0.055 mm day-1 with the highly variable snowmelt date, with wings shorter following early springs. On the Pacific flyway, the timing of peregrine southward passage advances with snowmelt, increasing the relative exposure of juveniles to post-migratory resident peregrines. We interpret this annual wing length adjustment as an induced defense, made possible because snowmelt timing is a reliable cue to danger in the upcoming migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald C. Ydenberg
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Guillermo Fernández
- Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mary LimnologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMazatlanMexico
| | | | - David B. Lank
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
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2
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Ydenberg RC. Seasonal and inter-annual variation in exposure to peregrines (Falco peregrinus) for southbound western sandpipers (Calidris mauri). MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:44. [PMID: 36303213 PMCID: PMC9615306 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00343-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is an early southbound migrant species in North America. The 'peregrine avoidance' hypothesis proposes that this timing evolved to reduce exposure to their main predator, the peregrine (Falco peregrinus), along the Pacific flyway. METHODS I evaluate this hypothesis based on 16 years of near-daily (June - October) measures of peregrine presence made on the Fraser River estuary, a major stopover in the Pacific northwest. RESULTS Exposure to peregrines is lowest for the earliest southbound western sandpipers, and rises steeply as peregrines en route from northern breeding areas begin to arrive in late July or August. Peregrine arrival timing varies greatly between years, shifting in step with the onset of spring along coastal Alaska. Peregrine presence on the Fraser estuary on any date is higher in years with earlier spring onset. On the median adult sandpiper passage date (day-of-year 198) this increases 17-fold over the inter-annual range between the earliest and latest peregrine arrival dates. CONCLUSION The pattern of strong and predictable changes in the seasonal pattern of danger quantified here provides a further test of the hypothesis that danger affects migratory timing. Western sandpipers appear to anticipate the exposure level of southward migration, perhaps because they are able to observe spring onset on their Alaskan breeding grounds. They adjust the duration of parental care and length of the breeding season to keep the date of migratory departure from the Arctic relatively invariant in spite of large interannual variation in spring onset. While underway they also adjust aspects of migratory behavior. These observations support the 'peregrine avoidance' hypothesis, and suggest that western sandpipers are able to counter, at least partially, the higher migratory danger of early spring years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald C Ydenberg
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada.
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3
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Davy CM, von Zuben V, Kukka PM, Gerber BD, Slough BG, Jung TS. Rapidly declining body size in an insectivorous bat is associated with increased precipitation and decreased survival. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2639. [PMID: 35443093 PMCID: PMC10078423 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Reduced food availability is implicated in declines in avian aerial insectivores, but the effect of nutritional stress on mammalian aerial insectivores is unclear. Unlike birds, insectivorous bats provision their young through lactation, which might protect nursing juveniles when prey availability is low but could increase the energetic burden on lactating females. We analyzed a 15-year capture-mark-recapture data set from 5312 individual little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) captured at 11 maternity colonies in northwestern Canada, to test the hypothesis that nutritional stress is impacting these mammalian aerial insectivores. We used long-bone (forearm [FA]) length as a proxy for relative access to nutrition during development, and body mass as a proxy for access to nutrition prior to capture. Average FA length and body mass both decreased significantly over the study period in adult females and juveniles, suggesting decreased access to nutrition. Effect sizes were very small, similar to those reported for declining body size in avian aerial insectivores. Declines in juvenile body mass were only observed in individuals captured in late summer when they were foraging independently, supporting our hypothesis that lactation provides some protection to nursing young during periods of nutritional stress. Potential drivers of the decline in bat size include one or both of (1) declining insect (prey) abundance, and (2) declining prey availability. Echolocating insectivorous bats cannot forage effectively during rainfall, which is increasing in our study area. The body mass of captured adult females and juveniles in our study was lower, on average, after periods of high rainfall, and higher after warmer-than-average periods. Finally, survival models revealed a positive association between FA length and survival, suggesting a fitness consequence to declines in body size. Our study area has not yet been impacted by bat white-nose syndrome (WNS), but research elsewhere has suggested that fatter bats are more likely to survive infection. We found evidence for WNS-independent shifts in the body size of little brown myotis, which can inform studies investigating population responses to WNS. More broadly, the cumulative effects of multiple stressors (e.g., disease, nutritional stress, climate change, and other pressures) on mammalian aerial insectivores require urgent attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Davy
- Department of BiologyTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughOntarioCanada
- Department of BiologyCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Valerie von Zuben
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughOntarioCanada
| | - Piia M. Kukka
- Department of EnvironmentGovernment of YukonWhitehorseYukon TerritoryCanada
| | - Brian D. Gerber
- Department of Natural Resources ScienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
| | | | - Thomas S. Jung
- Department of EnvironmentGovernment of YukonWhitehorseYukon TerritoryCanada
- Department of Renewable ResourcesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
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4
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Basso E, Drever MC, Fonseca J, Navedo JG. Semi-intensive shrimp farms as experimental arenas for the study of predation risk from falcons to shorebirds. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13379-13389. [PMID: 34646476 PMCID: PMC8495796 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Varying environmental conditions and energetic demands can affect habitat use by predators and their prey. Anthropogenic habitats provide an opportunity to document both predation events and foraging activity by prey and therefore enable an empirical evaluation of how prey cope with trade-offs between starvation and predation risk in environments of variable foraging opportunities and predation danger. Here, we use seven years of observational data of peregrine falcons Falco peregrinus and shorebirds at a semi-intensive shrimp farm to determine how starvation and predation risk vary for shorebirds under a predictable variation in foraging opportunities. Attack rate (mean 0.1 attacks/hr, equating 1 attack every ten hours) was positively associated with the total foraging area available for shorebirds at the shrimp farm throughout the harvesting period, with tidal amplitude at the adjacent mudflat having a strong nonlinear (quadratic) effect. Hunt success (mean 14%) was higher during low tides and declined as the target flocks became larger. Finally, individual shorebird vigilance behaviors were more frequent when birds foraged in smaller flocks at ponds with poorer conditions. Our results provide empirical evidence of a risk threshold modulated by tidal conditions at the adjacent wetlands, where shorebirds trade-off risk and rewards to decide to avoid or forage at the shrimp farm (a potentially dangerous habitat) depending on their need to meet daily energy requirements. We propose that semi-intensive shrimp farms serve as ideal "arenas" for studying predator-prey dynamics of shorebirds and falcons, because harvest operations and regular tidal cycles create a mosaic of foraging patches with predictable food supply. In addition, the relatively low hunt success suggests that indirect effects associated with enhanced starvation risk are important in shorebird life-history decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enzo Basso
- Bird Ecology LabInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y LimnológicasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ecología y EvoluciónFacultad de CienciasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
| | - Mark C. Drever
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaPacific Wildlife Research CentreDeltaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Juanita Fonseca
- Facultad de Ciencias del MarUniversidad Autónoma de SinaloaMazatlánMéxico
- Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Executive Office, ManometMazatlánMéxico
| | - Juan G. Navedo
- Bird Ecology LabInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y LimnológicasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
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5
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Kubelka V, Sandercock BK, Székely T, Freckleton RP. Animal migration to northern latitudes: environmental changes and increasing threats. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:30-41. [PMID: 34579979 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Every year, many wild animals undertake long-distance migration to breed in the north, taking advantage of seasonally high pulses in food supply, fewer parasites, and lower predation pressure in comparison with equatorial latitudes. Growing evidence suggests that climate-change-induced phenological mismatches have reduced food availability. Furthermore, novel pathogens and parasites are spreading northwards, and nest or offspring predation has increased at many Arctic and northern temperate locations. Altered trophic interactions have decreased the reproductive success and survival of migratory animals. Reduced advantages for long-distance migration have potentially serious consequences for community structure and ecosystem function. Changes in the benefits of migration need to be integrated into projections of population and ecosystem dynamics and targeted by innovative conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Kubelka
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK; Department of Zoology and Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, České Budějovice, 370 05, Czech Republic; Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, Hungary; Department of Biodiversity Research, Global Change Research Institute, Czech Academy of Sciences, Bělidla 986/4a, Brno, 603 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Brett K Sandercock
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, Trondheim, 7485, Norway
| | - Tamás Székely
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, Hungary; Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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6
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Zimova M, Willard DE, Winger BM, Weeks BC. Widespread shifts in bird migration phenology are decoupled from parallel shifts in morphology. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2348-2361. [PMID: 34151433 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Advancements in phenology and changes in morphology, including body size reductions, are among the most commonly described responses to globally warming temperatures. Although these dynamics are routinely explored independently, the relationships among them and how their interactions facilitate or constrain adaptation to climate change are poorly understood. In migratory species, advancing phenology may impose selection on morphological traits to increase migration speed. Advancing spring phenology might also expose species to cooler temperatures during the breeding season, potentially mitigating the effect of a warming global environment on body size. We use a dataset of birds that died after colliding with buildings in Chicago, IL to test whether changes in migration phenology are related to documented declines in body size and increases in wing length in 52 North American migratory bird species between 1978 and 2016. For each species, we estimate temporal trends in morphology and changes in the timing of migration. We then test for associations between species-specific rates of phenological and morphological changes while assessing the potential effects of migratory distance and breeding latitude. We show that spring migration through Chicago has advanced while the timing of fall migration has broadened as a result of early fall migrants advancing their migrations and late migrants delaying their migrations. Within species, we found that longer wing length was linked to earlier spring migration within years. However, we found no evidence that rates of phenological change across years, or migratory distance and breeding latitude, are predictive of rates of concurrent changes in morphological traits. These findings suggest that biotic responses to climate change are highly multidimensional and the extent to which those responses interact and influence adaptation to climate change requires careful examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Zimova
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David E Willard
- Gantz Family Collection Center, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Benjamin M Winger
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brian C Weeks
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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7
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Aharon-Rotman Y, Perlman G, Kiat Y, Raz T, Balaban A, Iwamura T. Limited flexibility in departure timing of migratory passerines at the East-Mediterranean flyway. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5184. [PMID: 33664291 PMCID: PMC7933344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83793-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid pace of current global warming lead to the advancement of spring migration in the majority of long-distance migratory bird species. While data on arrival timing to breeding grounds in Europe is plentiful, information from the African departure sites are scarce. Here we analysed changes in arrival timing at a stopover site in Israel and any links to Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) on the species-specific African non-breeding range in three migratory passerines between 2000-2017. Differences in wing length between early and late arriving individuals were also examined as a proxy for migration distance. We found that male redstart, but not females, advanced arrival to stopover site, but interestingly, not as a response to EVI phenology. Blackcap and barred warbler did not shift arrival timing significantly, although the arrival of blackcap was dependent on EVI. Barred warbler from the early arrival phase had longer wings, suggesting different populations. Our study further supports the existence species-specific migration decisions and inter-sexual differences, which may be triggered by both exogenous (local vegetation condition) and endogenous cues. Given rapid rate of changes in environmental conditions at higher latitudes, some migrants may experience difficulty in the race to match global changes to ensure their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaara Aharon-Rotman
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
| | - Gidon Perlman
- The Nili and David Jerusalem Bird Observatory, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yosef Kiat
- The Nili and David Jerusalem Bird Observatory, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel.,Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tal Raz
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amir Balaban
- The Nili and David Jerusalem Bird Observatory, Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Takuya Iwamura
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, College of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
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8
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Hope DD, Lank DB, Smith PA, Paquet J, Ydenberg RC. Migrant Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) Have Over Four Decades Steadily Shifted Towards Safer Stopover Locations. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Morbey YE, Hedenström A. Leave Earlier or Travel Faster? Optimal Mechanisms for Managing Arrival Time in Migratory Songbirds. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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10
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Reneerkens J, Versluijs TSL, Piersma T, Alves JA, Boorman M, Corse C, Gilg O, Hallgrimsson GT, Lang J, Loos B, Ntiamoa-Baidu Y, Nuoh AA, Potts PM, Ten Horn J, Lok T. Low fitness at low latitudes: Wintering in the tropics increases migratory delays and mortality rates in an Arctic breeding shorebird. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:691-703. [PMID: 31584198 PMCID: PMC7078868 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary theories of seasonal migration generally assume that the costs of longer migrations are balanced by benefits at the non‐breeding destinations. We tested, and rejected, the null hypothesis of equal survival and timing of spring migration for High Arctic breeding sanderling Calidris alba using six and eight winter destinations between 55°N and 25°S, respectively. Annual apparent survival was considerably lower for adult birds wintering in tropical West Africa (Mauritania: 0.74 and Ghana: 0.75) than in three European sites (0.84, 0.84 and 0.87) and in subtropical Namibia (0.85). Moreover, compared with adults, second calendar‐year sanderlings in the tropics, but not in Europe, often refrained from migrating north during the first possible breeding season. During northward migration, tropical‐wintering sanderlings occurred at their final staging site in Iceland 5–15 days later than birds wintering further north or south. Namibia‐wintering sanderlings tracked with solar geolocators only staged in West Africa during southward migration. The low annual survival, the later age of first northward migration and the later passage through Iceland during northward migration of tropical‐wintering sanderlings, in addition to the skipping of this area during northward but not southward migration by Namibia‐wintering sanderlings, all suggest they face issues during the late non‐breeding season in West Africa. Migrating sanderlings defy long distances but may end up in winter areas with poor fitness prospects. We suggest that ecological conditions in tropical West Africa make the fuelling prior to northward departure problematic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Reneerkens
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tom S L Versluijs
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - José A Alves
- DBIO & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.,South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Laugarvatn, Iceland
| | | | | | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono-Environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.,Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, Francheville, France
| | | | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, Francheville, France.,Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Working Group for Wildlife Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bob Loos
- Global Flyway Network, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu
- Centre for African Wetlands, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.,Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Alfred A Nuoh
- Centre for African Wetlands, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Job Ten Horn
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Tamar Lok
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, The Netherlands
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11
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Duijns S, Anderson AM, Aubry Y, Dey A, Flemming SA, Francis CM, Friis C, Gratto-Trevor C, Hamilton DJ, Holberton R, Koch S, McKellar AE, Mizrahi D, Morrissey CA, Neima SG, Newstead D, Niles L, Nol E, Paquet J, Rausch J, Tudor L, Turcotte Y, Smith PA. Long-distance migratory shorebirds travel faster towards their breeding grounds, but fly faster post-breeding. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9420. [PMID: 31263125 PMCID: PMC6603026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45862-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-distance migrants are assumed to be more time-limited during the pre-breeding season compared to the post-breeding season. Although breeding-related time constraints may be absent post-breeding, additional factors such as predation risk could lead to time constraints that were previously underestimated. By using an automated radio telemetry system, we compared pre- and post-breeding movements of long-distance migrant shorebirds on a continent-wide scale. From 2014 to 2016, we deployed radio transmitters on 1,937 individuals of 4 shorebird species at 13 sites distributed across North America. Following theoretical predictions, all species migrated faster during the pre-breeding season, compared to the post-breeding season. These differences in migration speed between seasons were attributable primarily to longer stopover durations in the post-breeding season. In contrast, and counter to our expectations, all species had higher airspeeds during the post-breeding season, even after accounting for seasonal differences in wind. Arriving at the breeding grounds in good body condition is beneficial for survival and reproductive success and this energetic constraint might explain why airspeeds are not maximised in the pre-breeding season. We show that the higher airspeeds in the post-breeding season precede a wave of avian predators, which could suggest that migrant shorebirds show predation-minimizing behaviour during the post-breeding season. Our results reaffirm the important role of time constraints during northward migration and suggest that both energy and predation-risk constrain migratory behaviour during the post-breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd Duijns
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. .,Environment and Climate Change Canada, Wildlife Research Division, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Alexandra M Anderson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Yves Aubry
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Amanda Dey
- Endangered and Nongame Species, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Trenton, USA
| | - Scott A Flemming
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Charles M Francis
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Christian Friis
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cheri Gratto-Trevor
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology Branch, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Diana J Hamilton
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada
| | - Rebecca Holberton
- Lab of Avian Biology, Department of Biology & Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Stephanie Koch
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Sudbury, MA, USA
| | - Ann E McKellar
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Christy A Morrissey
- Department of Biology and School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, SK, Canada
| | - Sarah G Neima
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB, Canada
| | - David Newstead
- Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP), Corpus Christi, TX, USA
| | - Larry Niles
- Wildlife Restoration Partnerships LLC, Greenwich, NJ, USA
| | - Erica Nol
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Julie Paquet
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Sackville, NB, Canada
| | - Jennie Rausch
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Yellowknife, NT, Canada
| | - Lindsay Tudor
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bangor, ME, USA
| | - Yves Turcotte
- Département des sciences et techniques biologiques, Collège de La Pocatière, La Pocatière, QC, Canada
| | - Paul A Smith
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Wildlife Research Division, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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12
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Anderson AM, Friis C, Gratto-Trevor CL, Morrison RIG, Smith PA, Nol E. Consistent declines in wing lengths of Calidridine sandpipers suggest a rapid morphometric response to environmental change. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213930. [PMID: 30943247 PMCID: PMC6447156 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent study demonstrated that semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) wing lengths have shortened from the 1980s to the present-day. We examined alternative and untested hypotheses for this change at an important stopover site, James Bay, Ontario, Canada. We evaluated morphometric patterns in wing length and bill length by age and sex, when possible, and assessed if wing shape has also changed during this time-period. We investigated patterns of morphological change in two additional Calidridine sandpipers, white-rumped sandpipers (Calidris fuscicollis) and least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla), to determine if shorter wing lengths are a widespread pattern in small sandpipers. We also examined allometric changes in wing and bill lengths to clarify if wing length declines were consistent with historical scaling relationships and indicative of a change in body size instead of only wing length change. We found that including sex and wing shape in analyses revealed important patterns in morphometric change for semipalmated sandpipers. Wing lengths declined for both sexes, but the magnitude of decline was smaller and not significant for males. Additionally, semipalmated sandpiper wings have become more convex, a shape that increases maneuverability in flight. Wing lengths, but not bill lengths, declined for most species and age classes, a pattern that was inconsistent with historical allometric scaling relationships. For juvenile semipalmated sandpipers, however, both bill and wing lengths declined according to historical scaling relationships, which could be a consequence of nutritional stress during development or a shift in the proportion of birds from smaller-sized, western breeding populations. Except for juvenile semipalmated sandpipers, we did not find evidence for an increase in the proportion of birds from different breeding populations at the stopover site. Given the wide, hemispheric distribution of these sandpipers throughout their annual cycles, our results, paired with those from a previous study, provide evidence for wide-spread reduction in wing lengths of Calidridine sandpipers since the 1980s. The shorter wing lengths and more convex wing shapes found in this study support the hypothesis that selection has favored more maneuverable wing morphology in small sandpipers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Anderson
- Trent University, Environmental and Life Sciences, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Christian Friis
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cheri L. Gratto-Trevor
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - R. I. Guy Morrison
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul A. Smith
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erica Nol
- Trent University, Biology Department, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
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Lank DB, Xu C, Harrington BA, Morrison RIG, Gratto-Trevor CL, Hicklin PW, Sandercock BK, Smith PA, Kwon E, Rausch J, Pirie Dominix LD, Hamilton DJ, Paquet J, Bliss SE, Neima SG, Friis C, Flemming SA, Anderson AM, Ydenberg RC. Long-term continental changes in wing length, but not bill length, of a long-distance migratory shorebird. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3243-3256. [PMID: 28480022 PMCID: PMC5415538 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We compiled a >50‐year record of morphometrics for semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), a shorebird species with a Nearctic breeding distribution and intercontinental migration to South America. Our data included >57,000 individuals captured 1972–2015 at five breeding locations and three major stopover sites, plus 139 museum specimens collected in earlier decades. Wing length increased by ca. 1.5 mm (>1%) prior to 1980, followed by a decrease of 3.85 mm (nearly 4%) over the subsequent 35 years. This can account for previously reported changes in metrics at a migratory stopover site from 1985 to 2006. Wing length decreased at a rate of 1,098 darwins, or 0.176 haldanes, within the ranges of other field studies of phenotypic change. Bill length, in contrast, showed no consistent change over the full period of our study. Decreased body size as a universal response of animal populations to climate warming, and several other potential mechanisms, are unable to account for the increasing and decreasing wing length pattern observed. We propose that the post‐WWII near‐extirpation of falcon populations and their post‐1973 recovery driven by the widespread use and subsequent limitation on DDT in North America selected initially for greater flight efficiency and latterly for greater agility. This predation danger hypothesis accounts for many features of the morphometric data and deserves further investigation in this and other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Lank
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
| | - Cailin Xu
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
| | | | - Richard I Guy Morrison
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Cheri L Gratto-Trevor
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada Saskatoon SK Canada
| | - Peter W Hicklin
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Sackville
NB Canada
| | | | - Paul Allen Smith
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Eunbi Kwon
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA.,Present address: Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA
| | - Jennie Rausch
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Yellowknife NT Canada
| | - Lisa D Pirie Dominix
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Iqaluit NU Canada
| | - Diana J Hamilton
- Department of Biology Mount Allison University Sackville NB Canada
| | - Julie Paquet
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Sackville
NB Canada
| | - Sydney E Bliss
- Department of Biology Mount Allison University Sackville NB Canada
| | - Sarah G Neima
- Department of Biology Mount Allison University Sackville NB Canada
| | - Christian Friis
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Toronto ON Canada
| | - Scott A Flemming
- Environmental and Life Sciences Trent University Peterborough ON Canada
| | | | - Ronald C Ydenberg
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology Simon Fraser University Burnaby BC Canada
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