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Bridges CG, Bani Assadi S, Garroway CJ, Fraser KC. Individual timing consistency across long-distance songbird migrations. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11610. [PMID: 39279798 PMCID: PMC11393773 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Migration timing in long-distance migratory birds plays an essential role in individual survival and fitness and is thought to be driven by circannual routines cued by photoperiod with some plasticity to environmental conditions. We examined the individual order of migration timing in purple martins (Progne subis), a neotropical migratory songbird that travels between breeding sites throughout eastern North America and nonbreeding sites in Brazil. Migration timing data were collected for 295 different individual purple martins over 9 years using light-level geolocators deployed at breeding sites across the range. We used linear mixed-effect models to examine the influence of the rank order of individual departure dates in one season on the rank order of four subsequent migration events while controlling for the effects of breeding latitude, sex, and age. Overall, we found evidence for consistent individual timing that can extend across 8 months and 12,000-24,000 km of migration. Individual rank order of migration timing in purple martins was generally conserved across migrations with consistent timings between fall departure dates from, and spring arrival dates to the breeding site the following year (0.28 ± 0.03, 95% CI 0.22-0.34), as well as at a finer scale across fall migration (0.33 ± 0.05, 95% CI 0.23-0.43), over the stationary nonbreeding period (0.39 ± 0.04, 95% CI 0.31-0.47), and across spring migration (0.03 ± 0.001, 95% CI 0.028-0.032). These results demonstrate that purple martins exhibit consistency in individual migration timing throughout the annual cycle that is likely driven by inherent individual circannual schedules. We additionally found that migration distance played a significant role, as the consistency of individual timing lessened over longer distances. Understanding how individual birds time migrations and if individuals are consistent between events can provide insight into how birds respond to shifts in their environment with climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin G Bridges
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Saeedeh Bani Assadi
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Colin J Garroway
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Kevin C Fraser
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
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2
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Conklin JR, Verkuil YI, Lefebvre MJM, Battley PF, Bom RA, Gill RE, Hassell CJ, Ten Horn J, Ruthrauff DR, Tibbitts TL, Tomkovich PS, Warnock N, Piersma T, Fontaine MC. High dispersal ability versus migratory traditions: Fine-scale population structure and post-glacial colonisation in bar-tailed godwits. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17452. [PMID: 38970373 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
In migratory animals, high mobility may reduce population structure through increased dispersal and enable adaptive responses to environmental change, whereas rigid migratory routines predict low dispersal, increased structure, and limited flexibility to respond to change. We explore the global population structure and phylogeographic history of the bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica, a migratory shorebird known for making the longest non-stop flights of any landbird. Using nextRAD sequencing of 14,318 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and scenario-testing in an Approximate Bayesian Computation framework, we infer that bar-tailed godwits existed in two main lineages at the last glacial maximum, when much of their present-day breeding range persisted in a vast, unglaciated Siberian-Beringian refugium, followed by admixture of these lineages in the eastern Palearctic. Subsequently, population structure developed at both longitudinal extremes: in the east, a genetic cline exists across latitude in the Alaska breeding range of subspecies L. l. baueri; in the west, one lineage diversified into three extant subspecies L. l. lapponica, taymyrensis, and yamalensis, the former two of which migrate through previously glaciated western Europe. In the global range of this long-distance migrant, we found evidence of both (1) fidelity to rigid behavioural routines promoting fine-scale geographic population structure (in the east) and (2) flexibility to colonise recently available migratory flyways and non-breeding areas (in the west). Our results suggest that cultural traditions in highly mobile vertebrates can override the expected effects of high dispersal ability on population structure, and provide insights for the evolution and flexibility of some of the world's longest migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse R Conklin
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne I Verkuil
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Phil F Battley
- Zoology and Ecology Group, School of Food Technology and Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Roeland A Bom
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Robert E Gill
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | | | - Job Ten Horn
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | | | - T Lee Tibbitts
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | - Pavel S Tomkovich
- Zoological Museum, Moscow MV Lomonosov State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nils Warnock
- Audubon Canyon Ranch, Cypress Grove Research Center, Marshall, California, USA
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- BirdEyes, Centre for Global Ecological Change at the Faculties of Science & Engineering and Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Michaël C Fontaine
- MiVEGEC, CNRS, IRD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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3
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Wang X, Somveille M, Dokter AM, Cao W, Cheng C, Liu J, Ma Z. Macro-scale relationship between body mass and timing of bird migration. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4111. [PMID: 38750018 PMCID: PMC11096376 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48248-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Clarifying migration timing and its link with underlying drivers is fundamental to understanding the evolution of bird migration. However, previous studies have focused mainly on environmental drivers such as the latitudes of seasonal distributions and migration distance, while the effect of intrinsic biological traits remains unclear. Here, we compile a global dataset on the annual cycle of migratory birds obtained by tracking 1531 individuals and 177 populations from 186 species, and investigate how body mass, a key intrinsic biological trait, influenced timings of the annual cycle using Bayesian structural equation models. We find that body mass has a strong direct effect on departure date from non-breeding and breeding sites, and indirect effects on arrival date at breeding and non-breeding sites, mainly through its effects on migration distance and a carry-over effect. Our results suggest that environmental factors strongly affect the timing of spring migration, while body mass affects the timing of both spring and autumn migration. Our study provides a new foundation for future research on the causes of species distribution and movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marius Somveille
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Adriaan M Dokter
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Wenhua Cao
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Chuyu Cheng
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jiajia Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary and Institute of Eco-Chongming, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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4
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van Bemmelen RSA, Moe B, Schekkerman H, Hansen SA, Snell KRS, Humphreys EM, Mäntylä E, Hallgrimsson GT, Gilg O, Ehrich D, Calladine J, Hammer S, Harris S, Lang J, Vignisson SR, Kolbeinsson Y, Nuotio K, Sillanpää M, Sittler B, Sokolov A, Klaassen RHG, Phillips RA, Tulp I. Synchronous timing of return to breeding sites in a long-distance migratory seabird with ocean-scale variation in migration schedules. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:22. [PMID: 38520007 PMCID: PMC10960466 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00459-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migratory birds generally have tightly scheduled annual cycles, in which delays can have carry-over effects on the timing of later events, ultimately impacting reproductive output. Whether temporal carry-over effects are more pronounced among migrations over larger distances, with tighter schedules, is a largely unexplored question. METHODS We tracked individual Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus, a long-distance migratory seabird, from eight breeding populations between Greenland and Siberia using light-level geolocators. We tested whether migration schedules among breeding populations differ as a function of their use of seven widely divergent wintering areas across the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. RESULTS Breeding at higher latitudes led not only to later reproduction and migration, but also faster spring migration and shorter time between return to the breeding area and clutch initiation. Wintering area was consistent within individuals among years; and more distant areas were associated with more time spent on migration and less time in the wintering areas. Skuas adjusted the period spent in the wintering area, regardless of migration distance, which buffered the variation in timing of autumn migration. Choice of wintering area had only minor effects on timing of return at the breeding area and timing of breeding and these effects were not consistent between breeding populations. CONCLUSION The lack of a consistent effect of wintering area on timing of return between breeding areas indicates that individuals synchronize their arrival with others in their population despite extensive individual differences in migration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob S A van Bemmelen
- Wageningen Marine Research, Haringkade 1, 1976 CP, IJmuiden, The Netherlands.
- Waardenburg Ecology, Culemborg, The Netherlands.
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | - Katherine R S Snell
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Constance, Germany
| | - Elizabeth M Humphreys
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Scotland, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, FK9 4NF, UK
| | - Elina Mäntylä
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono-Environnement, CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche Comté, 25000, Besançon, France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 Rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
| | | | - John Calladine
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Scotland, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling, FK9 4NF, UK
| | - Sjúrður Hammer
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Faroe Islands, Vestarabryggja 15, 100, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Sarah Harris
- British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 Rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
- University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | | | | | - Kimmo Nuotio
- Pori Ornithological Society, Pori, Finland
- Environmental Agency, Pori, Finland
| | | | - Benoît Sittler
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 Rue de Vernot, 21440, Francheville, France
- University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Aleksandr Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Labytnangi, Russia
| | - Raymond H G Klaassen
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Groningen University, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard A Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Ingrid Tulp
- Wageningen Marine Research, Haringkade 1, 1976 CP, IJmuiden, The Netherlands.
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5
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Burger J, Feigin S, Fojtik A, Dey A, Ng K. Bioaccumulation of Some Metals and Metalloids in Laughing Gulls ( Leucophaeus atricilla): Increases in Mercury and Decreases in Selenium from 2019 to 2022/2023. TOXICS 2023; 11:1007. [PMID: 38133408 PMCID: PMC10748039 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11121007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The elements in blood normally reflect the levels in prey, indicating a recent exposure. Laughing gulls (Leucophaes atricilla) eat mainly horseshoe crab eggs (Limulus polyphemus) in the spring in Delaware Bay, New Jersey. The levels of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) in the blood of laughing gulls foraging on crab eggs were examined in Delaware Bay to provide information on a species that is normally a generalist, and to determine if the levels of these elements were similar in 2019 and 2022/2023, were intercorrelated, and were related to those in crab eggs. Hg increased from 2019 (136 ± 31 ng/g) to 2022/2023 (473 ± 75 ng/g), while Cd and Se decreased. There were some significant correlations among elements and a close relationship between the element levels in blood and those in crab eggs collected in the same month (except for As). The levels differed between laughing gulls and three species of shorebirds for As and Cd. The elements in the blood of gulls and shorebirds should be similar because they eat mainly the same eggs in the same places. A significant proportion of laughing gull blood samples had levels of Hg and Se that were above the levels associated with adverse effects, which requires further examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA;
- Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
| | - Stephanie Feigin
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA;
- Wildlife Restoration Partnerships, 109 Market Lane, Greenwich, NJ 08323, USA
| | - Alinde Fojtik
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, University of Georgia, 589 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30677, USA;
| | - Amanda Dey
- 109 Market Lane, Greenwich, NJ 08323, USA;
| | - Kelly Ng
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
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6
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Burger J, Feigin S, Ng K, Jeitner C, Tsipoura N, Niles L, Gochfeld M. Some metals and metalloids in the blood of three species of shorebirds increase while foraging during two-week migratory stopover in Delaware Bay, New Jersey. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 238:117194. [PMID: 37748669 PMCID: PMC10841762 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Most migratory shorebird species are declining, some are endangered, and some may be vulnerable to contaminants on long distance travel between wintering grounds and high latitude breeding grounds. We examined whether shorebirds accumulated trace elements at the Delaware Bay (New Jersey) stopover by testing the null hypothesis that there was no difference in the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium in blood of three species of shorebirds collected early in their stopover compared to levels in blood collected about two weeks later near the end of the stopover, before departing for breeding grounds. There were significantly higher levels of all metals and metalloids in the blood of ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) later in May than earlier. There were seasonal increases in blood levels of arsenic and selenium for all three species. Chromium and lead levels also increased in red knots (Calidris canutus). These increases occurred although the birds were only present for about two weeks. Levels of arsenic, mercury, and lead in knots and selenium in sanderlings (Calidrris alba), exceeded reported effects levels. These results have potential implications for studying the refueling physiology, energetics, and feeding behavior of migratory shorebirds. However, they also suggest cause for concern because the increased contaminant loads occur in a short period, and the high metal level bolus received all in a few days may result in adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8082, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA; Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA; Environmental Science Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, USA; Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, 08903.
| | - Stephanie Feigin
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, USA; Wildlife Restoration Partnership, 109 Market Land, Greenwich, N 08323, USA.
| | - Kelly Ng
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8082, USA; Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA; Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, 08903.
| | - Christian Jeitner
- Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Nellie Tsipoura
- New Jersey Audubon Society, 11 Hardscrabble Rd, Bernardsville, NJ, 07924, USA.
| | - Larry Niles
- Wildlife Restoration Partnership, 109 Market Land, Greenwich, N 08323, USA.
| | - Michael Gochfeld
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA; Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health & Justice, Rutgers University School of Public Health, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA, 08854.
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7
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Dossman BC, Rodewald AD, Studds CE, Marra PP. Migratory birds with delayed spring departure migrate faster but pay the costs. Ecology 2023; 104:e3938. [PMID: 36458375 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Migratory birds that experience poor overwintering conditions are often late to arrive at the breeding grounds, which is known to depress individual fitness. Despite the importance of this carryover effect, few studies have investigated how individuals can modify migratory behaviors en route to reduce delays on arrival and whether accelerating migration incurs survival costs. To examine this, we used Motus Wildlife Tracking System to track individual American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) as they migrated from wintering grounds in Southwest Jamaica through Florida en route to their breeding areas. We leveraged long-term data on spring departure timing and breeding latitude to quantify the relative departure dates (early vs. delayed) of tagged individuals, which we then related to individual migration rates and apparent annual survival. Compared to those initiating migration earlier, individuals that departed relatively late (10-day delay) migrated at a 43% faster rate, which decreased their annual survival by 6.3%. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that spring migrants use speed to compensate for departure delays despite incurring survival costs. This compensatory behavior may potentially underly differential survival during spring migration and may be particularly widespread across short-lived migratory birds generally considered time-constrained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryant C Dossman
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Amanda D Rodewald
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Colin E Studds
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter P Marra
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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8
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Burger J, Porter RR, Niles L, Newstead DJ. Timing and duration of stopovers affects propensity to breed, incubation periods, and nest success of different wintering cohorts of red knots in the Canadian Arctic during the Years 2009 to 2016. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 215:114227. [PMID: 36044961 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent interest in migratory connectivity of shorebirds leads to examining the role stopovers and connectivity play in reproductive success. Since many shorebird species are declining, there is a need to determine factors affecting reproductive success. We used light records from 104 geolocators recovered from red knots (Calidris canutus rufa) to examine-incubation success as a function of temporal patterns at stopovers, year (2009-2016), and wintering cohort. Geolocators were attached on leg flags, mainly in Delaware Bay (New Jersey) and Texas. Successful incubation in different years ranged from 21 to 76%; from 8 to 43% of knots did not attempt incubation on breeding grounds. This is the first estimate of the number of shorebirds going to the Arctic that did not breed, since all other estimates of success were derived from field studies based on birds that initiated nests. High breeding success (76%) occurred in only one year (2011). Nearly all of knots stopped in Hudson Bay region. Arrival date and time in the Pre-Arctic, arrival on breeding grounds, year, and wintering cohort were associated with successful incubation. The percentage attempting incubation, and the percentage that were successful, varied by wintering cohort. When only the east coast rufa knots are considered, time spent on Delaware Bay showed a significant duration difference. Knots wintering in Texas had the highest propensity to initiate incubation (96%), and the highest incubation success (67%). Of rufa knots using the Atlantic flyway, those wintering in southern South America had the lowest incubation success rate (25%). We discuss the importance of quality of flyways, opportunities for refuelling during migration, and importance of time at stopovers. These data can be used to understand migratory connectivity, distinguish factors affecting reproductive success of long-distance migrants, determine which parts of the annual cycle require protection, and aid in recovery plans for long-distance migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Pinelands Field Station, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NN, 08854, USA.
| | | | - Lawrence Niles
- Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, 2 Preservation Pl, Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA; L. J. Niles Associates, LLC, 109 Market Lane, Greenwich, NJ, 08323, USA
| | - David J Newstead
- Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, 615 N. Upper Broadway, Suite 1200, Corpus Christi, TX, 78401, USA
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9
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Quintana F, Gómez-Laich A, Gunner RM, Gabelli F, Omo GD, Duarte C, Brogger M, Wilson RP. Long walk home: Magellanic penguins have strategies that lead them to areas where they can navigate most efficiently. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220535. [PMID: 35703051 PMCID: PMC9198806 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how animals move in dense environments where vision is compromised is a major challenge. We used GPS and dead-reckoning to examine the movement of Magellanic penguins commuting through vegetation that precluded long-distance vision. Birds leaving the nest followed the shortest, quickest route to the sea (the 'ideal path', or 'I-path') but return tracks depended where the birds left the water. Penguins arriving at the beach departure spot mirrored the departure. Most of those landing at a distance from the departure spot travelled slowly, obliquely to the coast at a more acute angle than a beeline trajectory to the nest. On crossing their I-path, these birds then followed this route quickly to their nests. This movement strategy saves birds distance, time and energy compared to a route along the beach and the into the colony on the I-track and saves time and energy compared to a beeline trajectory which necessitates slow travel in unfamiliar areas. This suggests that some animals adopt tactics that take them to an area where their navigational capacities are enhanced for efficient travel in challenging environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio Quintana
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR), CONICET. Boulevard Brown 2915, U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Agustina Gómez-Laich
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución and Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), CONICET, Pabellón II Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Richard M. Gunner
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Fabián Gabelli
- Cátedra de Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Hipólito Yrigoyen 3242, C1207ABR Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Carlos Duarte
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Martín Brogger
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR), CONICET. Boulevard Brown 2915, U9120ACD Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP, UK
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10
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Variation in migration behaviors used by Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea) breeding across a wide latitudinal gradient. Polar Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-022-03043-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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11
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Population specific annual cycles and migration strategies in a leap-frog migrant. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03116-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A common migratory pattern in birds is that northerly breeding populations migrate to more southerly non-breeding sites compared to southerly breeding populations (leap-frog migration). Not only do populations experience differences in migration distances, but also different environmental conditions, which may vary spatiotemporally within their annual cycles, creating distinctive selective pressures and migratory strategies. Information about such adaptations is important to understand migratory drivers and evolution of migration patterns. We use light-level geolocators and citizen science data on regional spring arrivals to compare two populations of common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula breeding at different latitudes. We (1) describe and characterize the annual cycles and (2) test predictions regarding speed and timing of migration. The northern breeding population (NBP) wintered in Africa and the southern (SBP) mainly in Europe. The annual cycles were shifted temporally so that the NBP was always later in all stages. The SBP spent more than twice as long time in the breeding area, but there was no difference in winter. The NBP spent more time on migration in general. Spring migration speed was lower in the SBP compared to autumn speed of both populations, and there was no difference in autumn and spring speed in the NBP. We also found a larger variation in spring arrival times across years in the SBP. This suggests that a complex interaction of population specific timing and variation of breeding onset, length of breeding season, and proximity to the breeding area shape the annual cycle and migratory strategies.
Significance statement
Migration distance, climate, and the resulting composition of the annual cycle are expected to influence migration strategies and timing in birds. Testing theories regarding migration behaviours are challenging, and intraspecific comparisons over the full annual cycle are still rare. Here we compare the spatiotemporal distributions of two latitudinally separated populations of common ringed plovers using light-level geolocators. We found that there was a larger long-term variation in first arrival dates and that migration speed was slower only in spring in a temperate, short-distance migratory population, compared to an Arctic, long-distance migratory population. This suggests that a complex interaction of population specific timing and variation of breeding onset, length of breeding season and proximity to the breeding area shape the annual cycle and migratory behaviours.
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12
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Morrick ZN, Lilleyman A, Fuller RA, Bush R, Coleman JT, Garnett ST, Gerasimov YN, Jessop R, Ma Z, Maglio G, Minton CDT, Syroechkovskiy E, Woodworth BK. Differential population trends align with migratory connectivity in an endangered shorebird. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zaine N. Morrick
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Amanda Lilleyman
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
| | - Richard A. Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Robert Bush
- Queensland Wader Study Group Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Australasian Wader Studies Group Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | | | - Stephen T. Garnett
- Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
- Queensland Wader Study Group Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | | | - Roz Jessop
- Australasian Wader Studies Group Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Victorian Wader Study Group Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Grace Maglio
- Australasian Wader Studies Group Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Clive D. T. Minton
- Australasian Wader Studies Group Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Victorian Wader Study Group Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Evgeny Syroechkovskiy
- All‐Russian Research Institute for Nature Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment/BirdsRussia Moscow Russia
| | - Bradley K. Woodworth
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Queensland Wader Study Group Brisbane Queensland Australia
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13
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Lamarre JF, Gauthier G, Lanctot RB, Saalfeld ST, Love OP, Reed E, Johnson OW, Liebezeit J, McGuire R, Russell M, Nol E, Koloski L, Sanders F, McKinnon L, Smith PA, Flemming SA, Lecomte N, Giroux MA, Bauer S, Emmenegger T, Bêty J. Timing of Breeding Site Availability Across the North-American Arctic Partly Determines Spring Migration Schedule in a Long-Distance Neotropical Migrant. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.710007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-distance migrants are under strong selection to arrive on their breeding grounds at a time that maximizes fitness. Many arctic birds start nesting shortly after snow recedes from their breeding sites and timing of snowmelt can vary substantially over the breeding range of widespread species. We tested the hypothesis that migration schedules of individuals co-occurring at the same non-breeding areas are adapted to average local environmental conditions encountered at their specific and distant Arctic breeding locations. We predicted that timing of breeding site availability (measured here as the average snow-free date) should explain individual variation in departure time from shared non-breeding areas. We tested our prediction by tracking American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) nesting across the North-American Arctic. These plovers use a non-breeding (wintering) area in South America and share a spring stopover area in the nearctic temperate grasslands, located >1,800 km away from their nesting locations. As plovers co-occur at the same non-breeding areas but use breeding sites segregated by latitude and longitude, we could disentangle the potential confounding effects of migration distance and timing of breeding site availability on individual migration schedule. As predicted, departure date of individuals stopping-over in sympatry was positively related to the average snow-free date at their respective breeding location, which was also related to individual onset of incubation. Departure date from the shared stopover area was not explained by the distance between the stopover and the breeding location, nor by the stopover duration of individuals. This strongly suggests that plover migration schedule is adapted to and driven by the timing of breeding site availability per se. The proximate mechanism underlying the variable migration schedule of individuals is unknown and may result from genetic differences or individual learning. Temperatures are currently changing at different speeds across the Arctic and this likely generates substantial heterogeneity in the strength of selection pressure on migratory schedule of arctic birds migrating sympatrically.
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14
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Advancement in long-distance bird migration through individual plasticity in departure. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4780. [PMID: 34362899 PMCID: PMC8346503 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25022-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, bird migration is occurring earlier in the year, consistent with climate-related changes in breeding resources. Although often attributed to phenotypic plasticity, there is no clear demonstration of long-term population advancement in avian migration through individual plasticity. Using direct observations of bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) departing New Zealand on a 16,000-km journey to Alaska, we show that migration advanced by six days during 2008-2020, and that within-individual advancement was sufficient to explain this population-level change. However, in individuals tracked for the entire migration (50 total tracks of 36 individuals), earlier departure did not lead to earlier arrival or breeding in Alaska, due to prolonged stopovers in Asia. Moreover, changes in breeding-site phenology varied across Alaska, but were not reflected in within-population differences in advancement of migratory departure. We demonstrate that plastic responses can drive population-level changes in timing of long-distance migration, but also that behavioral and environmental constraints en route may yet limit adaptive responses to global change.
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15
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Akresh ME, King DI, Marra PP. Hatching date influences winter habitat occupancy: Examining seasonal interactions across the full annual cycle in a migratory songbird. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9241-9253. [PMID: 34306620 PMCID: PMC8293775 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds experience a sequence of critical events during their life cycle, and past events can subsequently determine future performance via carry-over effects. Events during the non-breeding season may influence breeding season phenology or productivity. Less is understood about how events during the breeding season affect individuals subsequently in their life cycle. Using stable carbon isotopes, we examined carry-over effects throughout the annual cycle of prairie warblers (Setophaga discolor), a declining Nearctic-Neotropical migratory passerine bird. In drier winters, juvenile males that hatched earlier at our study site in Massachusetts, USA, occupied wetter, better-quality winter habitat in the Caribbean, as indicated by depleted carbon isotope signatures. For juveniles that were sampled again as adults, repeatability in isotope signatures indicated similar winter habitat occupancy across years. Thus, hatching date of juvenile males appears to influence lifetime winter habitat occupancy. For adult males, reproductive success did not carry over to influence winter habitat occupancy. We did not find temporally consecutive "domino" effects across the annual cycle (breeding to wintering to breeding) or interseasonal, intergenerational effects. Our finding that a male's hatching date can have a lasting effect on winter habitat occupancy represents an important contribution to our understanding of seasonal interactions in migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Akresh
- Department of Environmental StudiesAntioch University New EnglandKeeneNHUSA
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMAUSA
| | - David I. King
- U.S. Forest Service Northern Research StationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMAUSA
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public PolicyGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
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16
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Vega ML, Fransson T, Kullberg C. The effects of four decades of climate change on the breeding ecology of an avian sentinel species across a 1,500-km latitudinal gradient are stronger at high latitudes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6233-6247. [PMID: 34141214 PMCID: PMC8207436 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming affects breeding phenology of birds differentially with latitude, but there is contrasting evidence about how the changing climate influences the breeding of migrating songbirds at their northern breeding range. We investigate the effect of climate warming on breeding time and breeding success of European pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in Sweden during a period of 36 years using nest reports from bird ringing. To account for the latitudinal variation, we divided Sweden into three latitudinal bands (northern, intermediate, and southern). We applied a sliding window approach to find the most influential period and environment characteristics (temperature, vegetation greenness, and precipitation), using linear mixed models and model averaging. Our results show a long-term advancement of breeding time related to increasing spring temperature and vegetation greenness during a period before hatching. Northern breeders revealed a larger advancement over the years (8.3 days) compared with southern breeders (3.6 days). We observed a relatively stronger effect of temperature and greenness on breeding time in the north. Furthermore, northern birds showed an increase in breeding success over time, while birds breeding at southern and intermediate latitudes showed reduced breeding success in years with higher prehatching temperatures. Our findings with stronger environment effects on breeding time advancement in the north suggest that pied flycatchers are more responsive to weather cues at higher latitudes. Breeding time adjustment and, potentially, low competition help explain the higher long-term success observed in the north. Reduced breeding success at more southerly latitudes suggests an inability to match breeding time to very early and warm springs, a fate that with continued climate change could also be expected for pied flycatchers and other long-distance migrants at their very northern breeding range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lomas Vega
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Thord Fransson
- Department of Environmental Research and MonitoringSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
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17
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Smith JAM, Regan K, Cooper NW, Johnson L, Olson E, Green A, Tash J, Evers DC, Marra PP. A green wave of saltmarsh productivity predicts the timing of the annual cycle in a long-distance migratory shorebird. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20658. [PMID: 33244082 PMCID: PMC7693269 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77784-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how migratory animals respond to spatial and temporal variation in habitat phenology is critical for identifying selection pressures and tradeoffs at different life history stages. We examined the influence of breeding habitat phenology on life history timing of the eastern willet (Tringa semipalmata semipalmata) across a latitudinal gradient of breeding sites on the east coast of North America. To describe migration and life history timing, we deployed light-level geolocators on willets at breeding sites in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine, USA and evaluated additional data on life history timing and migratory connectivity from previous studies, eBird and band recoveries. Willets from Nova Scotia to Georgia winter exclusively on the Atlantic coast of northern South America and share common stopover sites. The timing of wintering site departure, breeding site arrival, nesting and southbound departure was later for birds breeding at higher latitudes while the duration of all life phases was similar across sites. Regardless of latitude, nesting corresponded with a consistent stage of seasonal salt marsh biomass accumulation and with peak spring temperature acceleration (GDD jerk). Temperature acceleration and salt marsh biomass were closely correlated with each other across the 11° latitudinal gradient we examined and with the timing of nest initiation across the northern 6° of this gradient. For this northern 6° of latitude, these results suggest that the timing of migration and breeding events in the annual cycle of eastern willets is constrained by a phenological "green wave" of spring salt marsh productivity at breeding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin Regan
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Nathan W Cooper
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, 20007, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jeff Tash
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
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18
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Brlík V, Malmiga G, Dimitrov D, Emmenegger T, Gavrilov A, Hasselquist D, Peev S, Willemoes M, Yohannes E, Hahn S, Hansson B, Procházka P. Population-specific assessment of carry-over effects across the range of a migratory songbird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02929-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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19
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González AM, Bayly NJ, Hobson KA. Earlier and slower or later and faster: Spring migration pace linked to departure time in a Neotropical migrant songbird. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2840-2851. [PMID: 32989739 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Migratory birds travel vast distances and the timing of migratory flights can affect survival and the ability to reproduce. For Neotropical migrant songbirds, early spring departure from wintering sites, early arrival to the breeding grounds and higher reproductive success have been related to the use of suitable habitats and environmental conditions during the non-breeding season. However, how migratory strategies are shaped by winter habitat choice is largely unknown due to the general inability to track birds from specific wintering habitats to stopovers or breeding destinations. We assessed how winter habitat (native forest vs. shade-grown coffee plantations) relates to spring departure date and migration pace in Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus. We also determined the effect of departure date and total migration duration on the arrival date of birds detected near or within their breeding range. We used a novel application of Motus radiotelemetry arrays to track individuals from their wintering grounds in the Andes of South America along their migratory journey to North America. We found variation in migratory strategies between habitats, with birds wintering in native forest departing later than birds in coffee. We present isotopic evidence for native forest being of higher quality than shade-coffee for Swainson's Thrush and hypothesize that moister conditions in forest, as shown by stable isotope (δ13 C) analysis of thrush whole blood, provides favourable pre-migratory conditions allowing birds to delay departure from wintering grounds. Habitat, between-site and -year variation in departure date, suggests that birds made facultative adjustments to winter habitat quality and environmental conditions. Independent of habitat, birds that departed later migrated faster and this pattern was maintained along the migration route (n = 44). Migrating earlier and slower or later and faster was unlikely to result in significant differences in arrival time to breeding destinations. Our findings reveal underappreciated complexity in migratory decisions by long-distance migrants that contrast with the current paradigm of earlier departures and arrival from optimal habitats. The next step is to understand the relative fitness benefits of early versus late schedules or whether each strategy is an equally good response to experienced conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M González
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nicholas J Bayly
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, UK
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20
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Wanamaker SM, Singh D, Byrd AJ, Smiley TM, Ketterson ED. Local adaptation from afar: migratory bird populations diverge in the initiation of reproductive timing while wintering in sympatry. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200493. [PMID: 33023381 PMCID: PMC7655480 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The initiation of reproduction in many seasonally breeding animals is controlled by photoperiod and tends to be clinal: populations at higher latitudes breed later than those at lower latitudes, often reflecting a higher photoperiodic threshold. Migratory animals presumably time reproduction to match conditions at their breeding grounds, at least in part, by cues perceived on their wintering grounds. We asked how closely related dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) populations that overwinter in sympatry but breed in allopatry respond to their shared winter environment by comparing early spring indices of readiness to migrate (fat and muscle condition) and breed (baseline and elevated testosterone). We measured stable hydrogen isotopes from feathers grown the preceding year and claws grown during winter to estimate breeding and wintering latitudes, respectively. We predicted that if reproductive initiation is adapted to the emergence of resources at their respective breeding destinations, then birds migrating to higher latitudes (slate-coloured junco; J. h. hyemalis) should delay breeding as compared with those migrating to lower latitudes (pink-sided junco; J. h. mearnsi) despite a common overwinter environment. We found higher testosterone in pink-sided juncos, consistent with earlier reproductive initiation, suggesting local adaptation in reproductive phenology is achieved through differential responses to predictive environmental cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. M. Wanamaker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - D. Singh
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - A. J. Byrd
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - T. M. Smiley
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - E. D. Ketterson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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21
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Tedeschi A, Sorrenti M, Bottazzo M, Spagnesi M, Telletxea I, Ibàñez R, Tormen N, De Pascalis F, Guidolin L, Rubolini D. Interindividual variation and consistency of migratory behavior in the Eurasian woodcock. Curr Zool 2020; 66:155-163. [PMID: 32440275 PMCID: PMC7233613 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse spatio-temporal aspects of avian migration rely on relatively rigid endogenous programs. However, flexibility in migratory behavior may allow effective coping with unpredictable variation in ecological conditions that can occur during migration. We aimed at characterizing inter- and intraindividual variation of migratory behavior in a forest-dwelling wader species, the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola, focusing on spatio-temporal consistency across repeated migration episodes. By satellite-tracking birds from their wintering sites along the Italian peninsula to their breeding areas, we disclosed a remarkable variability in migration distances, with some birds flying more than 6,000 km to Central Asian breeding grounds (up to 101°E). Prebreeding migration was faster and of shorter duration than postbreeding migration. Birds moving over longer distances migrated faster during prebreeding migration, and those breeding at northernmost latitudes left their wintering areas earlier. Moreover, birds making longer migrations departed earlier from their breeding sites. Breeding site fidelity was very high, whereas fidelity to wintering areas increased with age. Migration routes were significantly consistent, both among repeated migration episodes and between pre- and postbreeding migration. Prebreeding migration departure date was not significantly repeatable, whereas arrival date to the breeding areas was highly repeatable. Hence, interindividual variation in migratory behavior of woodcocks was mostly explained by the location of the breeding areas, and spatial consistency was relatively large through the entire annual cycle. Flexibility in prebreeding migration departure date may suggest that environmental effects have a larger influence on temporal than on spatial aspects of migratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Tedeschi
- Associazione "Amici di Scolopax", Via Roma, 57, Mugnano del Cardinale, AV, I-83027, Italy
| | - Michele Sorrenti
- Federazione Italiana della Caccia, Ufficio Avifauna Migratoria, Via Salaria 298/A, Roma, I-00199, Italy
| | - Michele Bottazzo
- Veneto Agricoltura, Viale dell'Università 14, Legnaro, PD, I-35020, Italy
| | - Mario Spagnesi
- Ekoclub International, Via per Volano 45, Volano di Codigoro, FE, I-44020, Italy
| | - Ibon Telletxea
- Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, Gijón, E-33208, Spain
| | - Ruben Ibàñez
- Club de Cazadores de Becada, Avda. Schulz 8, 4 dcha, Gijón, E-33208, Spain
| | - Nicola Tormen
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova, I-35131, Italy
| | - Federico De Pascalis
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milano, I-20133, Italy
| | - Laura Guidolin
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/b, Padova, I-35131, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milano, I-20133, Italy
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22
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23
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Battley PF, Conklin JR, Parody-Merino ÁM, Langlands PA, Southey I, Burns T, Melville DS, Schuckard R, Riegen AC, Potter MA. Interacting Roles of Breeding Geography and Early-Life Settlement in Godwit Migration Timing. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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24
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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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25
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Parody-Merino ÁM, Battley PF, Conklin JR, Fidler AE. No evidence for an association between Clock gene allelic variation and migration timing in a long-distance migratory shorebird (Limosa lapponica baueri). Oecologia 2019; 191:843-859. [PMID: 31659437 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04524-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The gene Clock is a key part of the Core Circadian Oscillator, and the length of the polyglutamine (poly-Q) repeat sequence in Clock (ClkpolyQcds) has been proposed to be associated with the timing of annual cycle events in birds. We tested whether variation in ClkpolyQcds corresponds to variation in migration timing in the bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica baueri), a species in which individuals show strong annual consistency in their migration timing despite the New Zealand population migrating across a 5-week period. We describe allelic variation of the ClkpolyQcds in 135 godwits over-wintering in New Zealand (N.Z.) and investigate whether polymorphism in this region is associated with northward migration timing (chronophenotype) from N.Z. or (for 32 birds tracked by geolocator) after the primary stopover in Asia. Six Clock alleles were detected (Q7‒Q12) and there was substantial variation between individuals (heterozygosity of 0.79). There was no association between ClkpolyQcds polymorphism and migration timing from N.Z. The length of the shorter Clock allele was related to migration timing from Asia, though this relationship arose largely from just a few northern-breeding birds with longer alleles. Other studies show no consistent associations between ClkpolyQcds and migration timing in birds, although Clock may be associated with breeding latitude in some species (as an adaptation to photoperiodic regime). Apparent relationships with migration timing could reflect latitude-related variation in migration timing, rather than Clock directly affecting migration timing. On current evidence, ClkpolyQcds is not a strong candidate for driving migration timing in migratory birds generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángela M Parody-Merino
- Wildlife and Ecology Group, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand.
| | - Phil F Battley
- Wildlife and Ecology Group, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Jesse R Conklin
- Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, 9700 AB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew E Fidler
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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Burger J, Mizrahi D, Jeitner C, Tsipoura N, Mobley J, Gochfeld M. Metal and metalloid levels in blood of semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) from Brazil, Suriname, and Delaware Bay: Sentinels of exposure to themselves, their prey, and predators that eat them. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 173:77-86. [PMID: 30901611 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Identifying animals as sentinels for humans and other animal species is an excellent method for understanding exposure to environmental contamination at different times and places. Shorebirds are useful sentinels because they have a world-wide distribution, eat a range of prey, and are eaten by a range of other species, including humans. We collected blood from semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) wintering in northern (Suriname N = 71) and northeastern (Brazil N = 61) South America to examine levels of heavy metals and metalloids (arsenic, selenium), and compare them to blood levels in sandpipers at a heavily used stopover site in New Jersey (N = 30; Delaware Bay, NJ). Since blood represents relatively recent exposure, it can provide information on where and when the birds were exposed. Levels were highest in Brazil for arsenic and particularly selenium; highest in Suriname for cadmium and lead; and highest in New Jersey for chromium. Samples from Brazil and Suriname presented higher levels of mercury than did those from New Jersey. There were no geographic differences for cobalt. Levels of all metals were generally within an order of magnitude. The significant geographic difference for selenium was interesting because it is regulated in the body. Selenium levels in the NJ sample were directly proportional to levels found in their principle food at this migration stopover site (eggs of horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus). Mean selenium level was almost an order of magnitude higher in the semipalmated sandpiper blood samples from Brazil (mean of 27,500 µg/L= ppb) compared to the other sampling locations (mean > 5330 µg/L). This is a toxic level and cause for concern and further investigation, alerting us to look for other evidence of excess selenium exposure. Otherwise the levels of other metals are generally not high enough to cause harm to the sandpipers themselves or to predators that eat them. We discuss the implications for these birds and their exposure to contaminants at different stopover sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - David Mizrahi
- New Jersey Audubon, 11 Hardscrabble Rd, Bernardsville, NJ, USA.
| | - Christian Jeitner
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082, USA.
| | - Nellie Tsipoura
- New Jersey Audubon, 11 Hardscrabble Rd, Bernardsville, NJ, USA.
| | - Jason Mobley
- AQUASIS - Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos, Reserva Ecológica do SESC Iparana, Praia de Iparana, Caucaia, Ceará 61.627-210, Brazil.
| | - Michael Gochfeld
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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Senner NR, Verhoeven MA, Abad-Gómez JM, Alves JA, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Howison RA, Kentie R, Loonstra AHJ, Masero JA, Rocha A, Stager M, Piersma T. High Migratory Survival and Highly Variable Migratory Behavior in Black-Tailed Godwits. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Bonner C, Sokolov NA, Westover SE, Ho M, Weis AE. Estimating the impact of divergent mating phenology between residents and migrants on the potential for gene flow. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3770-3783. [PMID: 31015965 PMCID: PMC6468075 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene flow between populations can allow the spread of beneficial alleles and genetic diversity between populations, with importance to conservation, invasion biology, and agriculture. Levels of gene flow between populations vary not only with distance, but also with divergence in reproductive phenology. Since phenology is often locally adapted, arriving migrants may be reproductively out of synch with residents, which can depress realized gene flow. In flowering plants, the potential impact of phenological divergence on hybridization between populations can be predicted from overlap in flowering schedules-the daily count of flowers capable of pollen exchange-between a resident and migrant population. The accuracy of this prospective hybridization estimate, based on parental phenotypes, rests upon the assumptions of unbiased pollen transfer between resident and migrant active flowers. We tested the impact of phenological divergence on resident-migrant mating frequencies in experiments that mimicked a single large gene flow event. We first prospectively estimated mating frequencies two lines of Brassica rapaselected or early and late flowering. We then estimated realized mating frequencies retrospectively through progeny testing. The two estimates strongly agreed in a greenhouse experiment, where procedures ensured saturating, unbiased pollination. Under natural pollination in the field, the rate of resident-migrant mating, was lower than estimated by phenological divergence alone, although prospective and retrospective estimates were correlated. In both experiments, differences between residents and migrants in flowering schedule shape led to asymmetric hybridization. Results suggest that a prospective estimate of hybridization based on mating schedules can be a useful, although imperfect, tool for evaluating potential gene flow. They also illustrate the impact of mating phenology on the magnitude and symmetry of reproductive isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Bonner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Nina A. Sokolov
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Sally Erin Westover
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Michelle Ho
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Arthur E. Weis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers HillUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
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Gow EA, Burke L, Winkler DW, Knight SM, Bradley DW, Clark RG, Bélisle M, Berzins LL, Blake T, Bridge ES, Dawson RD, Dunn PO, Garant D, Holroyd G, Horn AG, Hussell DJT, Lansdorp O, Laughlin AJ, Leonard ML, Pelletier F, Shutler D, Siefferman L, Taylor CM, Trefry H, Vleck CM, Vleck D, Whittingham LA, Norris DR. A range-wide domino effect and resetting of the annual cycle in a migratory songbird. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20181916. [PMID: 30963870 PMCID: PMC6367182 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Latitudinal differences in timing of breeding are well documented but how such differences carry over to influence timing of events in the annual cycle of migratory birds is not well understood. We examined geographical variation in timing of events throughout the year using light-level geolocator tracking data from 133 migratory tree swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor) originating from 12 North American breeding populations. A swallow's breeding latitude influenced timing of breeding, which then carried over to affect breeding ground departure. This resulted in subsequent effects on the arrival and departure schedules at autumn stopover locations and timing of arrival at non-breeding locations. This 'domino effect' between timing events was no longer apparent by the time individuals departed for spring migration. Our range-wide analysis demonstrates the lasting impact breeding latitude can have on migration schedules but also highlights how such timing relationships can reset when individuals reside at non-breeding sites for extended periods of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Gow
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaN1G 2W1
| | - Lauren Burke
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaB3H 4R2
| | - David W. Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Vertebrates, Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Samantha M. Knight
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaN1G 2W1
| | | | - Robert G. Clark
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaS7N 0X4
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, CanadaJ1K 2R1
| | - Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, CanadaV2N 4Z9
| | - Tricia Blake
- Alaska Songbird Institute, Fairbanks, AK 99708, USA
| | - Eli S. Bridge
- Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, CanadaV2N 4Z9
| | - Peter O. Dunn
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, CanadaJ1K 2R1
| | - Geoff Holroyd
- Beaverhill Bird Observatory, Box 1418, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaT5J 2N5
| | - Andrew G. Horn
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaB3H 4R2
| | | | - Olga Lansdorp
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, CanadaV5A 1S6
| | - Andrew J. Laughlin
- Department of Environmental Studies, UNC Asheville, Asheville, NC 28804, USA
| | - Marty L. Leonard
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaB3H 4R2
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, CanadaJ1K 2R1
| | - Dave Shutler
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, CanadaB4P 2R6
| | - Lynn Siefferman
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA
| | - Caz M. Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Helen Trefry
- Beaverhill Bird Observatory, Box 1418, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaT5J 2N5
| | - Carol M. Vleck
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1020, USA
| | - David Vleck
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1020, USA
| | - Linda A. Whittingham
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - D. Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaN1G 2W1
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Burger J, Niles L, Jeitner C, Gochfeld M. Habitat risk: Use of intertidal flats by foraging red knots (Calidris canutus rufa), ruddy turnstones, (Arenaria interpres), semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), and sanderling (Calidris alba) on Delaware Bay beaches. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 165:237-246. [PMID: 29734024 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Shorebirds usually forage on intertidal flats that are exposed during low tide, and roost on higher areas when the tidal flats are covered with water. During spring migration on Delaware Bay (New Jersey) shorebirds mainly forage on horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs that are concentrated at the high tide line. However, they also use other habitats for foraging. We examined habitat use of 4 species of shorebirds (with declining populations) at five Delaware Bay beaches to determine their use of the intertidal habitat (2015, 2016). We observed birds in three sections at different distances from the mean high tideline (< 100 m, 101-200 m, and 201-300 m)ne. We examined the presence of red knots (Calidris canutus rufa), ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres), semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), and sanderling (Calidris alba) as a function of date, tide cycle, section shorebirds foraged from the mean high tide line, and presence of other shorebird species. Understanding how these species use the intertidal flats is important because these habitats are at risk from coastal development, sea level rise, and decreases in intertidal space, including the possible expansion of intertidal oyster culture. Overall, knots were present in the intertidal on 67% of the surveys, turnstones were present on 86% of the surveys, semipalmated sandpipers were present on 77% of the surveys, and sanderling were present on 86% of the surveys. Use of the intertidal flats varied among beaches. Peak and mean numbers of shorebirds/ decreased in each census section, as distance to mean high tideline increased. In general, shorebirds foraged at the waters' edge during high tide, and then moved out onto the intertidal flats. The strongest interspecific associations were between red knots and ruddy turnstones, and the lowest associations were between sanderling and semipalmated sandpipers. Variations in numbers of each species in 2016 were mainly explained by the number of other species, section (distance from the mean high tide line), location (one of 5 beaches), and date for all species (and minutes to low tide for sanderling). These data indicate that these 4 species use intertidal flats as they become available, and that the mean number in each newly exposed census section of the flats may be lower than in the previous one, partly as a result of some birds remaining in each previously-exposed section. We discuss the management and regulatory implications of shorebird use of the intertidal flats, which include protection of high quality intertidal for foraging by shorebirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082, USA.
| | - Lawrence Niles
- Niles and Associates and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, 109 Market land, Greenwich, NJ 08323, USA
| | - Christian Jeitner
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082, USA
| | - Michael Gochfeld
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Briedis M, Hahn S, Krist M, Adamík P. Finish with a sprint: Evidence for time-selected last leg of migration in a long-distance migratory songbird. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6899-6908. [PMID: 30073054 PMCID: PMC6065334 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Under time-selected migration, birds should choose a strategy for outcompeting rivals over securing access to prime resources at the final destination. Thus, migration can be viewed as a race among individuals where winners are arriving first when conditions are suitable. The sprint migration hypothesis predicts that individuals shift from maximum sustained speed to a final burst of sprint to shorten the transition from migration to breeding (Alerstam, 2006). In this study, we test the hypothesis of a final sprint migration in a long-distance Afro-Palearctic migrant, the collared flycatcher Ficedula albicollis, during autumn and spring, and compare migration strategies between the seasons. In both seasons, collared flycatchers evidently exhibited sprint migration by increasing their overall speed over the last leg of migration after the Sahara crossing. This phenomenon was more pronounced in spring, contributing to overall faster spring migration and possibly highlighting higher importance for early arrival at the breeding grounds. In both seasons and particularly in spring, late departing individuals flew at a faster rate, partially being able to catch up with their early departing conspecifics. Differential fueling strategies may play an important role in determining migration speed, especially during the early stages of the migration, and might explain the observed differences in migration speeds between late and early departing individuals. Our findings suggest competition for early arrival at the breeding and at the nonbreeding destinations alike. Sprint migration might be an appropriate strategy to gain advantage over conspecifics and settle in prime territories as well as to cope with the increasingly earlier springs at high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martins Briedis
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
- Department of ZoologyPalacký UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
| | - Miloš Krist
- Department of ZoologyPalacký UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Museum of Natural HistoryOlomoucCzech Republic
| | - Peter Adamík
- Department of ZoologyPalacký UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Museum of Natural HistoryOlomoucCzech Republic
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Burger J. Use of intertidal habitat by four species of shorebirds in an experimental array of oyster racks, reefs and controls on Delaware Bay, New Jersey: Avoidance of oyster racks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 624:1234-1243. [PMID: 29929236 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Many shorebirds breed in Arctic habitats, and migrate south to wintering quarters in the Southern Hemisphere. Shorebirds mainly forage on intertidal mudflats at low tide. A key spring stopover for shorebirds in North America is Delaware Bay, New Jersey, where shorebirds feed on horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs at high tide. The importance of intertidal to migrant shorebirds has been overlooked. This paper examines foraging of 4 shorebird species at Reeds Beach, Delaware Bay. The intertidal zone was divided into an experimental array with oyster racks, artificial reefs, and controls to quantify the number of birds present in each section. The best models for all species (except sanderling, Calidris alba) explained over 60% of variation in number present as a function of other shorebirds, date, and treatment. Time of day was the only factor affecting the number of sanderlings. Date is a contributing factor because numbers are low in early May, peak by May 20-25th, and decrease in late May as shorebirds leave for the Arctic. Red knots (Calidris canutus rufa), turnstones (Arenaria interpres), and semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) were present less often, and in smaller numbers in the oyster rack treatment (compared to the other treatments). There was a high association between foraging species. The data clearly show avoidance of the oyster racks by knots, turnstones and semipalmated sandpipers, but they did not avoid those with reefs or the control. These results are important because of the desire to expand aquaculture along the Delaware Bay into prime shorebird foraging areas. The Precautionary Principle dictates that the expansion of intertidal oyster culture be halted in areas of high foraging value for red knots (threatened in the U.S.) and other shorebirds until any effects on fitness are determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082, USA.
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Nadal J, Ponz C, Margalida A. Synchronizing biological cycles as key to survival under a scenario of global change: The Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) strategy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 613-614:1295-1301. [PMID: 28968932 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Breeding grounds are key areas for sustaining Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) populations as this species is characterised by short life expectancy that requires high offspring production. Annually, breeding quails make up to three breeding attempts in different places. However, the impact of climate warming on quail phenology is unknown. Here, we use a long-term study (1961-2014) of quail-ringing in Spain and data on variation in rainfall and temperature over the past 86years to evaluate how quails have responded to climate change in recent years. Our aim was to understand how this species is adapting to new farming practices and climate change. Our results suggest that increases in temperature and decreases in precipitation modify quail phenology. In hot years, an advance in mean arrival dates and stay stages but a delay in departure dates was found. However, in rainy years a delay in the mean start of the stay stage occurred. In cloudy areas, our findings show that quails advance their stay periods in hot and dry years and delay them in cold and rainy years. Accordingly, quail movements and breeding attempts are eco-synchronized sequentially in cloudy regions. Our results suggest that quails attempt to overcome the negative impacts of climate change and agricultural intensification by searching for alternative high-quality habitats. This strategy could explain how quail populations maintain viable and sustainable populations despite being legally harvested with regulated hunting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Nadal
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Carolina Ponz
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Antoni Margalida
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Wildlife, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain; Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Åkesson S, Ilieva M, Karagicheva J, Rakhimberdiev E, Tomotani B, Helm B. Timing avian long-distance migration: from internal clock mechanisms to global flights. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160252. [PMID: 28993496 PMCID: PMC5647279 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds regularly perform impressive long-distance flights, which are timed relative to the anticipated environmental resources at destination areas that can be several thousand kilometres away. Timely migration requires diverse strategies and adaptations that involve an intricate interplay between internal clock mechanisms and environmental conditions across the annual cycle. Here we review what challenges birds face during long migrations to keep track of time as they exploit geographically distant resources that may vary in availability and predictability, and summarize the clock mechanisms that enable them to succeed. We examine the following challenges: departing in time for spring and autumn migration, in anticipation of future environmental conditions; using clocks on the move, for example for orientation, navigation and stopover; strategies of adhering to, or adjusting, the time programme while fitting their activities into an annual cycle; and keeping pace with a world of rapidly changing environments. We then elaborate these themes by case studies representing long-distance migrating birds with different annual movement patterns and associated adaptations of their circannual programmes. We discuss the current knowledge on how endogenous migration programmes interact with external information across the annual cycle, how components of annual cycle programmes encode topography and range expansions, and how fitness may be affected when mismatches between timing and environmental conditions occur. Lastly, we outline open questions and propose future research directions.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Åkesson
- Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Mihaela Ilieva
- Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Julia Karagicheva
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Eldar Rakhimberdiev
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Barbara Tomotani
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Helm
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK
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Swainson's Thrushes do not show strong wind selectivity prior to crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14280. [PMID: 29079749 PMCID: PMC5660249 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14668-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
During long-distance fall migrations, nocturnally migrating Swainson’s Thrushes often stop on the northern Gulf of Mexico coast before flying across the Gulf. To minimize energetic costs, trans-Gulf migrants should stop over when they encounter crosswinds or headwinds, and depart with supportive tailwinds. However, time constrained migrants should be less selective, balancing costs of headwinds with benefits of continuing their migrations. To test the hypotheses that birds select supportive winds and that selectivity is mediated by seasonal time constraints, we examined whether local winds affected Swainson’s Thrushes’ arrival and departure at Ft. Morgan, Alabama, USA at annual, seasonal, and nightly time scales. Additionally, migrants could benefit from forecasting future wind conditions, crossing on nights when winds are consistently supportive across the Gulf, thereby avoiding the potentially lethal consequences of depleting their energetic reserves over water. To test whether birds forecast, we developed a movement model, calculated to what extent departure winds were predictive of future Gulf winds, and tested whether birds responded to predictability. Swainson’s Thrushes were only slightly selective and did not appear to forecast. By following the simple rule of avoiding only the strongest headwinds at departure, Swainson’s Thrushes could survive the 1500 km flight between Alabama and Veracruz, Mexico.
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Wadgymar SM, Weis AE. Phenological mismatch and the effectiveness of assisted gene flow. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2017; 31:547-558. [PMID: 27943504 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 09/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The persistence of narrowly adapted species under climate change will depend on their ability to migrate apace with their historical climatic envelope or to adapt in place to maintain fitness. This second path to persistence can only occur if there is sufficient genetic variance for response to new selection regimes. Inadequate levels of genetic variation can be remedied through assisted gene flow (AGF), that is the intentional introduction of individuals genetically adapted to localities with historic climates similar to the current or future climate experienced by the resident population. However, the timing of reproduction is frequently adapted to local conditions. Phenological mismatch between residents and migrants can reduce resident × migrant mating frequencies, slowing the introgression of migrant alleles into the resident genetic background and impeding evolutionary rescue efforts. Focusing on plants, we devised a method to estimate the frequency of resident × migrant matings based on flowering schedules and applied it in an experiment that mimicked the first generation of an AGF program with Chamaecrista fasciculata, a prairie annual, under current and expected future temperature regimes. Phenological mismatch reduced the potential for resident × migrant matings by 40-90%, regardless of thermal treatment. The most successful migrant sires were the most resident like in their flowering time, further biasing the genetic admixture between resident and migrant populations. Other loci contributing to local adaptation-heat-tolerance genes, for instance-may be in linkage disequilibrium with phenology when residents and migrants are combined into a single mating pool. Thus, introgression of potentially adaptive migrant alleles into the resident genetic background is slowed when selection acts against migrant phenology. Successful AGF programs may require sustained high immigration rates or preliminary breeding programs when phenologically matched migrant source populations are unavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana M Wadgymar
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, 120 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-7223, U.S.A
| | - Arthur E Weis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
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Mayor SJ, Guralnick RP, Tingley MW, Otegui J, Withey JC, Elmendorf SC, Andrew ME, Leyk S, Pearse IS, Schneider DC. Increasing phenological asynchrony between spring green-up and arrival of migratory birds. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1902. [PMID: 28507323 PMCID: PMC5432526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02045-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent with a warming climate, birds are shifting the timing of their migrations, but it remains unclear to what extent these shifts have kept pace with the changing environment. Because bird migration is primarily cued by annually consistent physiological responses to photoperiod, but conditions at their breeding grounds depend on annually variable climate, bird arrival and climate-driven spring events would diverge. We combined satellite and citizen science data to estimate rates of change in phenological interval between spring green-up and migratory arrival for 48 breeding passerine species across North America. Both arrival and green-up changed over time, usually in the same direction (earlier or later). Although birds adjusted their arrival dates, 9 of 48 species did not keep pace with rapidly changing green-up and across all species the interval between arrival and green-up increased by over half a day per year. As green-up became earlier in the east, arrival of eastern breeding species increasingly lagged behind green-up, whereas in the west—where green-up typically became later—birds arrived increasingly earlier relative to green-up. Our results highlight that phenologies of species and trophic levels can shift at different rates, potentially leading to phenological mismatches with negative fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Mayor
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada. .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA. .,The National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA. .,Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Robert P Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Javier Otegui
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - John C Withey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Sarah C Elmendorf
- The National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA
| | - Margaret E Andrew
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Stefan Leyk
- Department of Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Ian S Pearse
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - David C Schneider
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
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Rakhimberdiev E, Saveliev A, Piersma T, Karagicheva J. FL
ight
R: an
r
package for reconstructing animal paths from solar geolocation loggers. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eldar Rakhimberdiev
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University P.O.Box 59 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel The Netherlands
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty Lomonosov Moscow State University 119991 Moscow Russia
| | - Anatoly Saveliev
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Science Kazan Federal University Kazan Russia
| | - Theunis Piersma
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University P.O.Box 59 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700 CC Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Julia Karagicheva
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Department of Coastal Systems and Utrecht University P.O.Box 59 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel The Netherlands
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English PA, Mills AM, Cadman MD, Heagy AE, Rand GJ, Green DJ, Nocera JJ. Tracking the migration of a nocturnal aerial insectivore in the Americas. BMC ZOOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-017-0014-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Unexpected diversity in socially synchronized rhythms of shorebirds. Nature 2016; 540:109-113. [PMID: 27880762 DOI: 10.1038/nature20563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the rhythmicity of the environment. Such behavioural rhythms are well studied in isolated individuals under laboratory conditions, but free-living individuals have to temporally synchronize their activities with those of others, including potential mates, competitors, prey and predators. Individuals can temporally segregate their daily activities (for example, prey avoiding predators, subordinates avoiding dominants) or synchronize their activities (for example, group foraging, communal defence, pairs reproducing or caring for offspring). The behavioural rhythms that emerge from such social synchronization and the underlying evolutionary and ecological drivers that shape them remain poorly understood. Here we investigate these rhythms in the context of biparental care, a particularly sensitive phase of social synchronization where pair members potentially compromise their individual rhythms. Using data from 729 nests of 91 populations of 32 biparentally incubating shorebird species, where parents synchronize to achieve continuous coverage of developing eggs, we report remarkable within- and between-species diversity in incubation rhythms. Between species, the median length of one parent's incubation bout varied from 1-19 h, whereas period length-the time in which a parent's probability to incubate cycles once between its highest and lowest value-varied from 6-43 h. The length of incubation bouts was unrelated to variables reflecting energetic demands, but species relying on crypsis (the ability to avoid detection by other animals) had longer incubation bouts than those that are readily visible or who actively protect their nest against predators. Rhythms entrainable to the 24-h light-dark cycle were less prevalent at high latitudes and absent in 18 species. Our results indicate that even under similar environmental conditions and despite 24-h environmental cues, social synchronization can generate far more diverse behavioural rhythms than expected from studies of individuals in captivity. The risk of predation, not the risk of starvation, may be a key factor underlying the diversity in these rhythms.
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Bazzi G, Podofillini S, Gatti E, Gianfranceschi L, Cecere JG, Spina F, Saino N, Rubolini D. Candidate genes have sex-specific effects on timing of spring migration and moult speed in a long-distance migratory bird. Curr Zool 2016; 63:479-486. [PMID: 29492007 PMCID: PMC5804205 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The timing of major life-history events, such as migration and moult, is set by endogenous circadian and circannual clocks, that have been well characterized at the molecular level. Conversely, the genetic sources of variation in phenology and in other behavioral traits have been sparsely addressed. It has been proposed that inter-individual variability in the timing of seasonal events may arise from allelic polymorphism at phenological candidate genes involved in the signaling cascade of the endogenous clocks. In this study of a long-distance migratory passerine bird, the willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, we investigated whether allelic variation at 5 polymorphic loci of 4 candidate genes (Adcyap1, Clock, Creb1, and Npas2), predicted 2 major components of the annual schedule, namely timing of spring migration across the central Mediterranean sea and moult speed, the latter gauged from ptilochronological analyses of tail feathers moulted in the African winter quarters. We identified a novel Clock gene locus (Clock region 3) showing polyQ polymorphism, which was however not significantly associated with any phenotypic trait. Npas2 allele size predicted male (but not female) spring migration date, with males bearing longer alleles migrating significantly earlier than those bearing shorter alleles. Creb1 allele size significantly predicted male (but not female) moult speed, longer alleles being associated with faster moult. All other genotype-phenotype associations were statistically non-significant. These findings provide new evidence for a role of candidate genes in modulating the phenology of different circannual activities in long-distance migratory birds, and for the occurrence of sex-specific candidate gene effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Bazzi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Stefano Podofillini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Emanuele Gatti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Luca Gianfranceschi
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Jacopo G Cecere
- ISPRA-Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, via Cà Fornacetta 9, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO I-40064, Italy
| | - Fernando Spina
- ISPRA-Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, via Cà Fornacetta 9, Ozzano dell'Emilia, BO I-40064, Italy
| | - Nicola Saino
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, Milan I-20133, Italy
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Viana DS, Santamaría L, Figuerola J. Migratory Birds as Global Dispersal Vectors. Trends Ecol Evol 2016; 31:763-775. [PMID: 27507683 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2016.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Propagule dispersal beyond local scales has been considered rare and unpredictable. However, for many plants, invertebrates, and microbes dispersed by birds, long-distance dispersal (LDD) might be regularly achieved when mediated by migratory movements. Because LDD operates over spatial extents spanning hundreds to thousands of kilometers, it can promote rapid range shifts and determine species distributions. We review evidence supporting this widespread LDD service and propose a conceptual framework for estimating LDD by migratory birds. Although further research and validation efforts are still needed, we show that current knowledge can be used to make more realistic estimations of LDD mediated by regular bird migrations, thus refining current predictions of its ecological and evolutionary consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duarte S Viana
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Américo Vespucio, Sevilla, s/n, E-41092, Spain.
| | - Luis Santamaría
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Américo Vespucio, Sevilla, s/n, E-41092, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Calle Américo Vespucio, Sevilla, s/n, E-41092, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Sevilla, Spain
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Weiser EL, Lanctot RB, Brown SC, Alves JA, Battley PF, Bentzen R, Bêty J, Bishop MA, Boldenow M, Bollache L, Casler B, Christie M, Coleman JT, Conklin JR, English WB, Gates HR, Gilg O, Giroux MA, Gosbell K, Hassell C, Helmericks J, Johnson A, Katrínardóttir B, Koivula K, Kwon E, Lamarre JF, Lang J, Lank DB, Lecomte N, Liebezeit J, Loverti V, McKinnon L, Minton C, Mizrahi D, Nol E, Pakanen VM, Perz J, Porter R, Rausch J, Reneerkens J, Rönkä N, Saalfeld S, Senner N, Sittler B, Smith PA, Sowl K, Taylor A, Ward DH, Yezerinac S, Sandercock BK. Effects of geolocators on hatching success, return rates, breeding movements, and change in body mass in 16 species of Arctic-breeding shorebirds. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2016; 4:12. [PMID: 27134752 PMCID: PMC4850671 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Geolocators are useful for tracking movements of long-distance migrants, but potential negative effects on birds have not been well studied. We tested for effects of geolocators (0.8-2.0 g total, representing 0.1-3.9 % of mean body mass) on 16 species of migratory shorebirds, including five species with 2-4 subspecies each for a total of 23 study taxa. Study species spanned a range of body sizes (26-1091 g) and eight genera, and were tagged at 23 breeding and eight nonbreeding sites. We compared breeding performance and return rates of birds with geolocators to control groups while controlling for potential confounding variables. RESULTS We detected negative effects of tags for three small-bodied species. Geolocators reduced annual return rates for two of 23 taxa: by 63 % for semipalmated sandpipers and by 43 % for the arcticola subspecies of dunlin. High resighting effort for geolocator birds could have masked additional negative effects. Geolocators were more likely to negatively affect return rates if the total mass of geolocators and color markers was 2.5-5.8 % of body mass than if tags were 0.3-2.3 % of body mass. Carrying a geolocator reduced nest success by 42 % for semipalmated sandpipers and tripled the probability of partial clutch failure in semipalmated and western sandpipers. Geolocators mounted perpendicular to the leg on a flag had stronger negative effects on nest success than geolocators mounted parallel to the leg on a band. However, parallel-band geolocators were more likely to reduce return rates and cause injuries to the leg. No effects of geolocators were found on breeding movements or changes in body mass. Among-site variation in geolocator effect size was high, suggesting that local factors were important. CONCLUSIONS Negative effects of geolocators occurred only for three of the smallest species in our dataset, but were substantial when present. Future studies could mitigate impacts of tags by reducing protruding parts and minimizing use of additional markers. Investigators could maximize recovery of tags by strategically deploying geolocators on males, previously marked individuals, and successful breeders, though targeting subsets of a population could bias the resulting migratory movement data in some species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Weiser
- />Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS USA
| | | | | | - José A. Alves
- />CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
- />South Iceland Research Centre, University of Iceland, Selfoss, Iceland
| | - Phil F. Battley
- />Ecology Group, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | | | - Joël Bêty
- />Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC Canada
| | | | - Megan Boldenow
- />Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK USA
| | - Loïc Bollache
- />Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
- />Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement UMR CNRS 6249, Besançon, France
- />Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, Francheville, France
| | | | | | | | - Jesse R. Conklin
- />Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Willow B. English
- />Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC Canada
| | - H. River Gates
- />US Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK USA
- />Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, MA USA
- />ABR, Inc. - Environmental Research and Services, Anchorage, AK USA
| | - Olivier Gilg
- />Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, Francheville, France
- />Laboratoire Biogéoscience, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Marie-Andrée Giroux
- />Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC Canada
- />Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB Canada
| | - Ken Gosbell
- />Victorian Wader Study Group, Victoria, Australia
- />Australasian Wader Studies Group, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chris Hassell
- />Australasian Wader Studies Group, Victoria, Australia
- />Global Flyway Network, Broome, WA Australia
| | | | - Andrew Johnson
- />Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | | | - Kari Koivula
- />Department of Ecology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Eunbi Kwon
- />Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS USA
| | - Jean-Francois Lamarre
- />Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie and Centre d’Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC Canada
| | - Johannes Lang
- />Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, Francheville, France
- />Institute of Animal Ecology and Nature Education, Gonterskirchen, Germany
| | - David B. Lank
- />Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC Canada
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- />Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB Canada
| | | | | | - Laura McKinnon
- />Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON Canada
- />Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, York University Glendon Campus, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Clive Minton
- />Victorian Wader Study Group, Victoria, Australia
- />Australasian Wader Studies Group, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Erica Nol
- />Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON Canada
| | | | - Johanna Perz
- />Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON Canada
| | - Ron Porter
- />Delaware Bay Shorebird Project, Ambler, PA USA
| | | | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- />Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- />Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Nelli Rönkä
- />Department of Ecology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | | | - Benoît Sittler
- />Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, Francheville, France
- />Institut für Landespflege, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Kristine Sowl
- />Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bethel, AK USA
| | - Audrey Taylor
- />Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK USA
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Slager DL, Rodewald PG, Heglund PJ. Experimental effects of habitat type on the movement ecology and stopover duration of spring migrant Northern Waterthrushes (Parkesia noveboracensis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1993-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Burger J, Niles L. Effects on five species of shorebirds of experimental closure of a beach in New Jersey: implications for severe storms and sea-level rise. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2014; 77:1102-1113. [PMID: 25072897 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2014.914004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
For management, it is important to understand the factors that affect foraging efficiency of birds during migration, especially in the face of severe storms and sea-level rise. An experiment was conducted whereby a beach used extensively by migrant shorebirds and people was open and experimentally closed to human activity to examine factors affecting feeding when there was no disturbance, with the beach opened or closed to human activity, and following disturbances. When the beach was closed, the factors affecting the percent of shorebirds foraging varied by species, but involved the number of conspecifics or other shorebirds, location along the beach, and number of raptors. Overall, 30% of flocks were disturbed as a function of type of disturbance, location along the beach, and whether the beach was open or closed. These data suggest that individuals, vehicles, and raptors influence the ability of shorebirds to forage undisturbed, indicating the importance of having some sections of important stopover beaches where shorebirds can feed and roost undisturbed by human activity. A corollary is that other parts of the beach can be freely used by people; environmental health can encompass both protected areas for shorebirds and open areas for fishing and recreation. Severe storms and sea-level rise will limit beach space for both human and avian activities, and understanding mitigation for both is essential to wise adaptive management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- a Division of Life Sciences , Rutgers University , Piscataway , New Jersey , USA
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47
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Corman AM, Bairlein F, Schmaljohann H. The nature of the migration route shapes physiological traits and aerodynamic properties in a migratory songbird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1653-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Iwamura T, Possingham HP, Chadès I, Minton C, Murray NJ, Rogers DI, Treml EA, Fuller RA. Migratory connectivity magnifies the consequences of habitat loss from sea-level rise for shorebird populations. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130325. [PMID: 23760637 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea-level rise (SLR) will greatly alter littoral ecosystems, causing habitat change and loss for coastal species. Habitat loss is widely used as a measurement of the risk of extinction, but because many coastal species are migratory, the impact of habitat loss will depend not only on its extent, but also on where it occurs. Here, we develop a novel graph-theoretic approach to measure the vulnerability of a migratory network to the impact of habitat loss from SLR based on population flow through the network. We show that reductions in population flow far exceed the proportion of habitat lost for 10 long-distance migrant shorebirds using the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. We estimate that SLR will inundate 23-40% of intertidal habitat area along their migration routes, but cause a reduction in population flow of up to 72 per cent across the taxa. This magnifying effect was particularly strong for taxa whose migration routes contain bottlenecks-sites through which a large fraction of the population travels. We develop the bottleneck index, a new network metric that positively correlates with the predicted impacts of habitat loss on overall population flow. Our results indicate that migratory species are at greater risk than previously realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Iwamura
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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Conklin JR, Battley PF, Potter MA. Absolute consistency: individual versus population variation in annual-cycle schedules of a long-distance migrant bird. PLoS One 2013; 8:e54535. [PMID: 23342168 PMCID: PMC3546993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Flexibility in scheduling varies throughout an organism’s annual cycle, reflecting relative temporal constraints and fitness consequences among life-history stages. Time-selection can act at different scales, either by limiting the range of alternative strategies in the population, or by increasing the precision of individual performance. We tracked individual bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica baueri for two full years (including direct observation during non-breeding seasons in New Zealand and geolocator tracking of round-trip migrations to Alaska) to present a full annual-cycle view of molt, breeding, and migration schedules. At both population and individual scales, temporal variation was greater in post-breeding than pre-breeding stages, and greater in molts than in movements, but schedules did not tighten across successive stages of migration toward the breeding grounds. In general, individual godwits were quite consistent in timing of events throughout the year, and repeatability of pre-breeding movements was particularly high (r = 0.82–0.92). However, we demonstrate that r values misrepresent absolute consistency by confounding inter- and intra-individual variation; the biological significance of r values can only be understood when these are considered separately. By doing so, we show that some stages have considerable tolerance for alternative strategies within the population, whereas scheduling of northbound migratory movements was similar for all individuals. How time-selection simultaneously shapes both individual and population variation is central to understanding and predicting adaptive phenological responses to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse R Conklin
- Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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50
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Winter rainfall predicts phenology in widely separated populations of a migrant songbird. Oecologia 2012; 172:595-605. [PMID: 23161154 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 10/17/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is affecting behaviour and phenology in many animals. In migratory birds, weather patterns both at breeding and at non-breeding sites can influence the timing of spring migration and breeding. However, variation in responses to weather across a species range has rarely been studied, particularly among populations that may winter in different locations. We used prior knowledge of migratory connectivity to test the influence of weather from predicted non-breeding sites on bird phenology in two breeding populations of a long-distance migratory bird species separated by 3,000 km. We found that winter rainfall showed similar associations with arrival and egg-laying dates in separate breeding populations on an east-west axis: greater rainfall in Jamaica and eastern Mexico was generally associated with advanced American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) phenology in Ontario and Alberta, respectively. In Ontario, these patterns of response could largely be explained by changes in the behaviour of individual birds, i.e., phenotypic plasticity. By explicitly incorporating migratory connectivity into responses to climate, our data suggest that widely separated breeding populations can show independent and geographically specific associations with changing weather conditions. The tendency of individuals to delay migration and breeding following dry winters could result in population declines due to predicted drying trends in tropical areas and the tight linkage between early arrival/breeding and reproductive success in long-distance migrants.
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