1
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Bell F, Ouwehand J, Both C, Briedis M, Lisovski S, Wang X, Bearhop S, Burgess M. Individuals departing non-breeding areas early achieve earlier breeding and higher breeding success. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4075. [PMID: 38374332 PMCID: PMC10876959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53575-2] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Conditions experienced by an individual during migration have the potential to shape migratory tactic and in turn fitness. For large birds, environmental conditions encountered during migration have been linked with survival and subsequent reproductive output, but this is less known for smaller birds, hindering our understanding of mechanisms driving population change. By combining breeding and tracking data from 62 pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) representing two breeding populations collected over 2016-2020, we determine how variation in migration phenology and tactic among individuals affects subsequent breeding. Departure date from West African non-breeding areas to European breeding grounds was highly variable among individuals and had a strong influence on migration tactic. Early departing individuals had longer spring migrations which included longer staging duration yet arrived at breeding sites and initiated breeding earlier than later departing individuals. Individuals with longer duration spring migrations and early arrival at breeding sites had larger clutches, and for males higher fledging success. We suggest that for pied flycatchers, individual carry-over effects may act through departure phenology from West Africa, and the associated spring migration duration, to influence reproduction. While our results confirm that departure date from non-breeding areas can be associated with breeding success in migratory passerines, we identify spring staging duration as a key component of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fraser Bell
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK.
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK.
| | - Janne Ouwehand
- Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martins Briedis
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Lab of Ornithology, Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Xuelai Wang
- Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, UK
| | - Malcolm Burgess
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK
- PiedFly.Net, Yarner Wood, Bovey Tracey, Devon, UK
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2
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Züst Z, Mukhin A, Taylor PD, Schmaljohann H. Pre-migratory flights in migrant songbirds: the ecological and evolutionary importance of understudied exploratory movements. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:78. [PMID: 38115134 PMCID: PMC10731812 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00440-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, from honeybees to cranes to beavers, exploratory movements to exploit resources, scout prospective territories, or otherwise gain valuable experiences and information that promote fitness have been documented. For example, exploratory movements to investigate potential dispersal targets have been observed in roe deer, Northern cardinals, and tigers alike. However, despite how widespread these movements are, a cohesive definition of exploratory movements has been lacking. We first provide a clear definition of exploratory movements, and use one particular group-migratory songbirds-to catalogue exploratory movements across the annual cycle. The exceptional mobility of migratory songbirds results in exploratory movements not only at a local scale, but also on a regional scale, both in and out of the breeding season. We review the extent to which these movements are made within this group, paying particular attention to how such movements confer fitness benefits, as by securing high-quality territories, prospecting for extra-pair paternity, or even exploiting ephemeral resources. We then zoom in one step further to a particular exploratory movement that has been, to date, almost completely overlooked within this group: that of pre-migratory flights. These flights, which occur during the transitional period between the stationary breeding period and the onset of migration, occur at night and may not be made by all individuals in a population-reasons why these flights have been heretofore critically understudied. We provide the first definition for this behaviour, summarise the current knowledge of this cryptic movement, and hypothesise what evolutionary/ecological advantages conducting it may confer to the individuals that undertake it. As these flights provide experience to the individuals that undertake them, we expect that birds that make pre-migratory flights are better equipped to survive migration (direct fitness benefits) and, due to orientation/navigation abilities, may also reach preferred territories on breeding and wintering grounds faster (indirect fitness benefits). We hope to encourage ecologists to consider such hidden movements in their research concepts and to enhance the framework of movement ecology by this behaviour due to its presumed high biological importance to the annual cycle of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zephyr Züst
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Andrey Mukhin
- Zoological Institute Russian Academy of Science, Biological Station Rybachy, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia
| | - Philip D Taylor
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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3
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Bellisario B, Cardinale M, Maggini I, Fusani L, Carere C. Co-migration fidelity at a stopover site increases over time in African-European migratory landbirds. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221043. [PMID: 37650061 PMCID: PMC10465194 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Migratory species are changing their timing of departure from wintering areas and arrival to breeding sites (i.e. migration phenology) in response to climate change to exploit maximum food availability at higher latitudes and improve their fitness. Despite the impact of changing migration phenology at population and community level, the extent to which individual and species-specific response affects associations among co-migrating species has been seldom explored. By applying temporal co-occurrence network models on 15 years of standardized bird ringing data at a spring stopover site, we show that African-European migratory landbirds tend to migrate in well-defined groups of species with high temporal overlap. Such 'co-migration fidelity' significantly increased over the years and was higher in long-distance (trans-Saharan) than in short-distance (North African) migrants. Our findings suggest non-random patterns of associations in co-migrating species, possibly related to the existence of regulatory mechanisms associated with changing climate conditions and different uses of stopover sites, ultimately influencing the global economy of migration of landbirds in the Palearctic-African migration system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Bellisario
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Institute of Marine Research, Lysekil, Sweden
| | - Ivan Maggini
- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudio Carere
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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4
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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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5
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Nakul GL. Parameters of the Autumn Migration Stopover of the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita Vieillot, 1817) (Sylviidae, Aves) in the Conditions of the Middle Taiga in the Eastern Russian Plain. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022100156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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6
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Clements SJ, Loghry JP, Ballard BM, Weegman MD. Carry‐over effects of weather and decision‐making on nest success of a migratory shorebird. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9581. [PMCID: PMC9745104 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Clements
- School of Natural Resources University of Missouri Columbia Missouri USA
| | - Jason P. Loghry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University Kingsville Texas USA
| | - Bart M. Ballard
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Texas A&M University Kingsville Texas USA
| | - Mitch D. Weegman
- School of Natural Resources University of Missouri Columbia Missouri USA
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
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7
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Home Range and Habitat Use of the Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides L. 1758) during Wintering in the Seocheon Tidal Flat, South Korea, Using GPS-Based Telemetry. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12213048. [DOI: 10.3390/ani12213048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Seocheon Tidal Flat is an important staging and wintering site for the Far East Russian population of Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides) in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. However, rapid environmental changes for tourism in this area can threaten the survival of this vulnerable population by hindering sufficient rest and wintering; therefore, establishing protection strategies based on Swan Goose behavioral characteristics is necessary. Here, we estimated Swan Goose core home ranges and habitat use based on GPS tracking data collected at the Seocheon Tidal Flat in South Korea from 2017–2018. The home range of Swan Geese was estimated to be an area from Yubu Island in the south to Janggu Bay in the north; however, the core home range and habitat use characteristics differed significantly between daytime and nighttime (Day: 59.9 km2, Night: 40.3 km2, on average, 100% MCP). During the day (08:00–18:00), Swan Geese mostly spent time resting or feeding on tidal flats, especially those around tidal channels or paddy fields near Janggu Bay, whereas they mostly rested on sand dunes near Yubu Island along with the mudflats at Janggu Bay at night. Our results provide practical information on the habitat use of wintering Swan Geese population over time and indicate that Yubu Island is an important resting place. Hence, these results can contribute to evaluating threats to Swan Geese and establishing management and protection strategies for the Seocheon Tidal Flat, a major wintering site for the Far East Russian population of Swan Geese.
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8
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McLaren JD, Schmaljohann H, Blasius B. Predicting performance of naïve migratory animals, from many wrongs to self-correction. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1058. [PMID: 36195660 PMCID: PMC9532420 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03995-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory orientation of many animals is inheritable, enabling inexperienced (naïve) individuals to migrate independently using a geomagnetic or celestial compass. It remains unresolved how naïve migrants reliably reach remote destinations, sometimes correcting for orientation error or displacement. To assess naïve migratory performance (successful arrival), we simulate and assess proposed compass courses for diverse airborne migratory populations, accounting for spherical-geometry effects, compass precision, cue transfers (e.g., sun to star compass), and geomagnetic variability. We formulate how time-compensated sun-compass headings partially self-correct, according to how inner-clocks are updated. For the longest-distance migrations simulated, time-compensated sun-compass courses are most robust to error, and most closely resemble known routes. For shorter-distance nocturnal migrations, geomagnetic or star-compass courses are most robust, due to not requiring nightly cue-transfers. Our predictive study provides a basis for assessment of compass-based naïve migration and mechanisms of self-correction, and supports twilight sun-compass orientation being key to many long-distance inaugural migrations. A model is developed for assessing compass-based naïve animal migration, revealing effects of spherical geometry on migratory performance, and related mechanisms of self-correction.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D McLaren
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.,Institute of Avian Research, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Bernd Blasius
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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9
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Food limitation modulates the endogenous control of spring migratory behavior in a captive long-distance migratory bird population. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03242-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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10
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Lathouwers M, Artois T, Dendoncker N, Beenaerts N, Conway G, Henderson I, Kowalczyk C, Davaasuren B, Bayrgur S, Shewring M, Cross T, Ulenaers E, Liechti F, Evens R. Rush or relax: migration tactics of a nocturnal insectivore in response to ecological barriers. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4964. [PMID: 35322145 PMCID: PMC8943004 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09106-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
During their annual migration, avian migrants alternate stopover periods, for refuelling, with migratory flight bouts. We hypothesise that European Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) adapt their daily migration tactics in association with biomes. We tracked the autumn migration of 24 European Nightjars, from breeding populations in Mongolia, Belgium and UK, using GPS-loggers and multi-sensor data loggers. We quantified crepuscular and nocturnal migration and foraging probabilities, as well as daily travel speed and flight altitude during active migration in response to biomes. Nightjars adopt a rush tactic, reflected in high daily travel speed, flight altitude and high migration probabilities at dusk and at night, when travelling through ecological barriers. Migration is slower in semi-open, hospitable biomes. This is reflected in high foraging probabilities at dusk, lower daily travel speed and lower migration probabilities at dusk. Our study shows how nightjars switch migration tactics during autumn migration, and suggest nightjars alternate between feeding and short migratory flight bouts within the same night when travelling through suitable habitats. How this may affect individuals’ fuel stores and whether different biomes provide refuelling opportunities en route remains to be investigated, to understand how future land-use change may affect migration patterns and survival probabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Lathouwers
- Research Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and Toxicology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, Gebouw D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium. .,Department of Geography, Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium.
| | - Tom Artois
- Research Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and Toxicology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, Gebouw D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Dendoncker
- Department of Geography, Institute of Life, Earth and Environment (ILEE), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - Natalie Beenaerts
- Research Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and Toxicology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, Gebouw D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Greg Conway
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Ian Henderson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Céline Kowalczyk
- Research Group: Zoology, Biodiversity and Toxicology, Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan, Gebouw D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | | | - Soddelgerekh Bayrgur
- Department of Biology, Mongolian National University of Education, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Mike Shewring
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,MPS Ecology, Heol y Cyw, Bridgend, UK
| | | | - Eddy Ulenaers
- Agentschap Natuur en Bos, Regio Noord-Limburg, Herman Teirlinck Havenlaan 88 bus 75, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Felix Liechti
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Ruben Evens
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany.,Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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11
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Rueda-Uribe C, Lötberg U, Åkesson S. Foraging on the wing for fish while migrating over changing landscapes: traveling behaviors vary with available aquatic habitat for Caspian terns. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:9. [PMID: 35236399 PMCID: PMC8892754 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00307-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Birds that forage while covering distance during migration should adjust traveling behaviors as the availability of foraging habitat changes. Particularly, the behavior of those species that depend on bodies of water to find food yet manage to migrate over changing landscapes may be limited by the substantial variation in feeding opportunities along the route. METHODS Using GPS tracking data, we studied how traveling behaviors vary with available foraging habitat during the long-distance migration of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia), a bird with a specialized diet based on fish that needs bodies of water to forage. We measured individual variation in five traveling behaviors related to foraging along the route and used linear mixed effects models to test the following variables as predictors of traveling behaviors: proportion of overlap with water bodies, weather conditions, days at previous stopover and days of migration. Also, we tested if during traveling days flight height and speed varied with time of day and if birds were in areas with greater proportion of water bodies compared to what would be expected by chance from the landscape. RESULTS We found variation in migratory traveling behaviors that was mainly related to the proportion of overlap with water bodies and experienced tailwinds. Suggesting a mixed migratory strategy with fly-and-foraging, Caspian terns reduced travel speed, flew fewer hours of the day, had lower flight heights and increased diurnal over nocturnal migratory flight hours as the proportion of overlap with water bodies increased. Birds had lower flight speeds and higher flight heights during the day, were in foraging habitats with greater proportions of water than expected by chance but avoided foraging detours. Instead, route tortuosity was associated with lower wind support and cloudier skies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show how birds may adjust individual behavior as foraging habitat availability changes during migration and contribute to the growing knowledge on mixed migratory strategies of stopover use and fly-and-forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Rueda-Uribe
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - U Lötberg
- BirdLife Sweden, Stenhusa gård, Lilla Brunneby 106, 386 62, Mörbylånga, Sweden
| | - S Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
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12
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Schmaljohann H, Eikenaar C, Sapir N. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary function of stopover in migrating birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1231-1252. [PMID: 35137518 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Global movement patterns of migratory birds illustrate their fascinating physical and physiological abilities to cross continents and oceans. During their voyages, most birds land multiple times to make so-called 'stopovers'. Our current knowledge on the functions of stopover is mainly based on the proximate study of departure decisions. However, such studies are insufficient to gauge fully the ecological and evolutionary functions of stopover. If we study how a focal trait, e.g. changes in energy stores, affects the decision to depart from a stopover without considering the trait(s) that actually caused the bird to land, e.g. unfavourable environmental conditions for flight, we misinterpret the function of the stopover. It is thus important to realise and acknowledge that stopovers have many different functions, and that not every migrant has the same (set of) reasons to stop-over. Additionally, we may obtain contradictory results because the significance of different traits to a migrant is context dependent. For instance, late spring migrants may be more prone to risk-taking and depart from a stopover with lower energy stores than early spring migrants. Thus, we neglect that departure decisions are subject to selection to minimise immediate (mortality risk) and/or delayed (low future reproductive output) fitness costs. To alleviate these issues, we first define stopover as an interruption of migratory endurance flight to minimise immediate and/or delayed fitness costs. Second, we review all probable functions of stopover, which include accumulating energy, various forms of physiological recovery and avoiding adverse environmental conditions for flight, and list potential other functions that are less well studied, such as minimising predation, recovery from physical exhaustion and spatiotemporal adjustments to migration. Third, derived from these aspects, we argue for a paradigm shift in stopover ecology research. This includes focusing on why an individual interrupts its migratory flight, which is more likely to identify the individual-specific function(s) of the stopover correctly than departure-decision studies. Moreover, we highlight that the selective forces acting on stopover decisions are context dependent and are expected to differ between, e.g. K-/r-selected species, the sexes and migration strategies. For example, all else being equal, r-selected species (low survival rate, high reproductive rate) should have a stronger urge to continue the migratory endurance flight or resume migration from a stopover because the potential increase in immediate fitness costs suffered from a flight is offset by the expected higher reproductive success in the subsequent breeding season. Finally, we propose to focus less on proximate mechanisms controlling landing and departure decisions, and more on ultimate mechanisms to identify the selective forces shaping stopover decisions. Our ideas are not limited to birds but can be applied to any migratory species. Our revised definition of stopover and the proposed paradigm shift has the potential to stimulate a fruitful discussion towards a better evolutionary ecological understanding of the functions of stopover. Furthermore, identifying the functions of stopover will support targeted measures to conserve and restore the functionality of stopover sites threatened by anthropogenic environmental changes. This is especially important for long-distance migrants, which currently are in alarming decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, Oldenburg, 26129, Germany.,Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, 26386, Germany
| | - Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, 26386, Germany
| | - Nir Sapir
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
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13
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Herbert JA, Mizrahi D, Taylor CM. Migration tactics and connectivity of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:819-830. [PMID: 35118651 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
During long-distance spring migrations, birds may rest and refuel at numerous stopover sites while minimizing the time to reach the breeding grounds. If habitat is limited along the migration route, pre-breeding birds optimize flight range by having longer stopovers at higher quality sites compared to poorer quality sites. Stopover duration also depends on distance remaining to breeding grounds, ecological barriers, and individual characteristics. We assessed spring migration tactics and connectivity of a Nearctic-Neotropical migratory shorebird, the semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla), at two sites with known relative habitat quality on the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) coast, the first land encountered after crossing the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). We used automated radio telemetry (Motus) to estimate stopover duration and probability of departure. Migration speed was estimated for individuals detected at subsequent receivers on the Motus Network. To measure migratory connectivity, we used morphometrics and the Motus network to assign general breeding regions. Additionally, feather stable isotope ratios of C and N provided coarse information about over-wintering regions. Stopover duration declined with higher fuel loads at capture as expected under a time-minimizing strategy. After accounting for fuel load, stopover duration was approximately 40% longer at the higher quality site. We found no detectable effect of age, sex, or breeding location on stopover behavior. Probability of departure was strongly affected by humidity and also by tailwind and weather conditions. Birds stopping at the higher-quality site had earlier apparent arrival to the breeding grounds. The Louisiana coast is an apparent stopover hub for this species, since the individuals were departing to range-wide breeding regions and isotope values suggested birds were also using widespread wintering regions. Our study shows how high-quality, coastal wetlands along the NGOM coast serve a critical role in the annual cycle of a migratory shorebird. Stopover behavior indicated that high quality habitat may be limited for this species during spring migration. As threats to the GOM coast increase, protection of these already limited wetlands is vitally important.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Herbert
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA, 70118
| | - David Mizrahi
- New Jersey Audubon Society, Cape May Bird Observatory Center for Research and Education, Cape May Court House, NJ, USA
| | - Caz M Taylor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA, USA, 70118
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14
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Paxton KL, Baker KM, Crytser ZB, Guinto RMP, Brinck KW, Rogers HS, Paxton EH. Optimizing trilateration estimates for tracking fine-scale movement of wildlife using automated radio telemetry networks. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8561. [PMID: 35169450 PMCID: PMC8831095 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A major advancement in the use of radio telemetry has been the development of automated radio tracking systems (ARTS), which allow animal movements to be tracked continuously. A new ARTS approach is the use of a network of simple radio receivers (nodes) that collect radio signal strength (RSS) values from animal-borne radio transmitters. However, the use of RSS-based localization methods in wildlife tracking research is new, and analytical approaches critical for determining high-quality location data have lagged behind technological developments. We present an analytical approach to optimize RSS-based localization estimates for a node network designed to track fine-scale animal movements in a localized area. Specifically, we test the application of analytical filters (signal strength, distance among nodes) to data from real and simulated node networks that differ in the density and configuration of nodes. We evaluate how different filters and network configurations (density and regularity of node spacing) may influence the accuracy of RSS-based localization estimates. Overall, the use of signal strength and distance-based filters resulted in a 3- to 9-fold increase in median accuracy of location estimates over unfiltered estimates, with the most stringent filters providing location estimates with a median accuracy ranging from 28 to 73 m depending on the configuration and spacing of the node network. We found that distance filters performed significantly better than RSS filters for networks with evenly spaced nodes, but the advantage diminished when nodes were less uniformly spaced within a network. Our results not only provide analytical approaches to greatly increase the accuracy of RSS-based localization estimates, as well as the computer code to do so, but also provide guidance on how to best configure node networks to maximize the accuracy and capabilities of such systems for wildlife tracking studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina L. Paxton
- Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies UnitUniversity of Hawaiʻi HiloHawaiʻi National ParkHawaiiUSA
| | - Kayla M. Baker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Zia B. Crytser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Ray Mark P. Guinto
- U.S. Geological SurveyPacific Island Ecosystems Research CenterHawaiʻi National ParkHawaiiUSA
| | - Kevin W. Brinck
- Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies UnitUniversity of Hawaiʻi HiloHawaiʻi National ParkHawaiiUSA
| | - Haldre S. Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Eben H. Paxton
- U.S. Geological SurveyPacific Island Ecosystems Research CenterHawaiʻi National ParkHawaiiUSA
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15
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Revealing migratory path, important stopovers and non-breeding areas of a boreal songbird in steep decline. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2020-0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) is a steeply declining aerial insectivore with one of the longest migrations of any North American passerine. We deployed light-level geolocators and archival GPS tags on breeders in boreal Alaska to determine migratory routes, important stopovers and non-breeding locations. Data from 16 individuals revealed a median 23,555 km annual journey (range: 19,387, 27,292 km) over 95 days (range: 83, 139 days) with wintering occurring in three regions of South America (NW Colombia/Ecuador, central Peru and W Brazil/S Peru). We developed a new method to identify “Important Stopovers” by quantifying intensity of use (a function of bird numbers and stop durations) along migratory routes. We identified 13 Important Stopovers that accounted for ~66% of the annual migratory period, suggestive of refueling activities. Some sites coincided with key areas previously identified for other Neotropical-Nearctic migrants. Percent land “protected” at Important Stopovers, as defined by IUCN, ranged from 3.8% to 49.3% (mean [95% CI]: 17.3% [9.6, 25.0]). Total migration speed did not differ by season (median: 255 km day-1, range: 182, 295km day-1), despite greater spring travel distances. Birds with longer non-breeding periods, however, migrated north faster. Climate-driven mismatches in migratory timing may be less of a concern for western than for eastern flycatcher populations, given recent con-generic analyses (C. sordidulus, C. virens). However, accelerated high-latitude changes, may nonetheless impact boreal breeders.
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16
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Kelsey NA, Hüppop O, Bairlein F. Days to visit an offshore island: effect of weather conditions on arrival fuel load and potential flight range for common blackbirds Turdus merula migrating over the North Sea. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:53. [PMID: 34674773 PMCID: PMC8529821 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00290-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Crossing open water instead of following the coast(line) is one way for landbirds to continue migration. However, depending on prevailing weather and the birds' physiological conditions, it is also a risky choice. To date, the question remains as to which interplay between environmental and physiological conditions force landbirds to stop on remote islands. We hypothesise that unfavourable winds affect lean birds with low energy resources, while poor visibility affects all birds regardless of their fuel loads. METHODS To test this hypothesis, we caught 1312 common blackbirds Turdus merula stopping over on Helgoland during autumn and spring migration. Arrival fuel load was measured using quantitative magnetic resonance technology. Weather parameters (wind and relative humidity as a proxy for visibility) were interpolated for the night before arrival. Further, we calculated whether caught individuals would have successfully crossed the North Sea instead of landing on Helgoland, depending on wind conditions. RESULTS Both wind and relative humidity the night before arrival were correlated with arrival fuel load. After nights with strong headwinds, birds caught the following day were mostly lean, most of which would not have managed to cross the sea if they had not stopped on Helgoland. In contrast, fat birds that could have successfully travelled on were caught mainly after nights with high relative humidity (≥ 80%). Furthermore, the rate of presumably successful flights was lower due to wind: although only 9% of all blackbirds captured on Helgoland had insufficient fuel loads to allow safe onward migration in still air, real wind conditions would have prevented 30% of birds from successfully crossing the sea during autumn and 21% during spring migration. CONCLUSIONS We were able to decipher how physiological condition, wind and relative humidity partially force blackbirds to stop on a remote island. Adverse winds tend to affect lean birds with low energy resources, while poor visibility can affect blackbirds, regardless of whether the arrival fuel load was sufficient for onward flight. Our findings will help to understand different migratory strategies and explain further questions like migration timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A Kelsey
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Ommo Hüppop
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research 'Vogelwarte Helgoland', An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
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17
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Domer A, Vinepinsky E, Bouskila A, Shochat E, Ovadia O. Optimal stopover model: A state-dependent habitat selection model for staging passerines. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2793-2805. [PMID: 34455596 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
During their seasonal migration, birds stage in areas comprising stopover sites of varying quality. Given that migrating birds have a limited information about their environment, they may land at a low-quality stopover site in which their fuel deposition rate (FDR) is low. Birds landing at such sites should decide either to extend their stopover duration or to quickly depart in search for a better site. These decisions, however, strongly depend on their body condition upon landing. To understand the decision-making process of passerines within a stopover area, comprising stopover sites of varying quality, prior to the crossing of a large ecological barrier, we constructed a state-dependent habitat selection model. The model assumes that even if migrating birds have an expectation of encountered area quality, they cannot control for their initial landing site. Once landing, movement between low- and high-quality stopover sites will occur only if the body condition of these birds is high to the extent that they can entail the energetic cost of movement. Birds in the model aim to maximize their fuel load at the end of the stopover period, to suffice for successfully crossing a large ecological barrier. The model is based on empirical data on autumn migrating Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla, collected at two important stopover sites in the Negev desert of Israel. Migrating passerines staging at these two sites differ in their FDR and body condition. The model shows that the optimal behaviour when arriving at a low-quality stopover site is to abandon it quickly. However, as lean individuals cannot entail the costs of searching for an alternative site, they have no other choice but to stay there even if their chances to successfully cross the Sahara Desert ahead are low. Our model can be applied to other ecological systems. Proper use of this model may allow good assessment of stopover site quality, as indicated by the bird's FDR, regardless of specific site characteristics. Hence, it can help applying targeted management decisions regarding the maintenance of stopover sites or establishment of new ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Domer
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ehud Vinepinsky
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Amos Bouskila
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Eyal Shochat
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,Yerucham Center of Ornithology and Ecology, Yerucham, Israel
| | - Ofer Ovadia
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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18
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Imlay TL, Mann HA, Taylor PD. Autumn migratory timing and pace are driven by breeding season carryover effects. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Eichhorn G, Boom MP, van der Jeugd HP, Mulder A, Wikelski M, Maloney SK, Goh GH. Circadian and Seasonal Patterns of Body Temperature in Arctic Migratory and Temperate Non-migratory Geese. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.699917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Arctic migration presents unique challenges to circadian physiology. In addition to the metabolic cost of maintaining a relatively high body temperature (Tb) above ambient temperature, migratory birds are also exposed to rapidly changing light conditions as they transition between light-dark cycles and a 24-hour polar day. A previous study suggested that Arctic-migratory barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) may utilise adaptive heterothermy (i.e., a controlled decrease in core Tb) during and around the autumn migratory period in order to minimise the metabolic cost of migration, but the impact of seasonally changing daylight conditions on other parameters of the circadian profile of Tb in these geese remained obscure. Here, we provide a detailed comparative analysis on the circadian rhythm of Tb and its seasonal development in free-living barnacle geese from three study populations that differ in their migratory behaviour and in the environments they occupy. We recorded abdominal Tb in non-migratory geese from a temperate breeding colony in Netherlands and in migratory geese from a colony in the Russian low Arctic, and analysed these data together with previously published Tb data on geese from a migratory colony in the high Arctic of Svalbard. We found that the circadian Tb profile in the barnacle goose was well aligned with the daily and seasonally changing daylight conditions. In the migratory populations, a fast re-entrainment of the rhythm and its phase was observed when zeitgeber conditions changed during migratory movements. The circadian rhythmicity of Tb was lost once the geese encountered permanent daylight at their northern staging and breeding sites. Circadian Tb rhythmicity was re-established when the period of permanent daylight ended, at rates corresponding to rates of seasonal changes in daylength in the high and low Arctic. Although our data corroborated findings of a decrease in daily mean Tb before autumn migration in both migratory populations in this study, the pre-migratory decrease in Tb was less drastic than previously reported. Moreover, in contrast to previous study, the decrease in Tb stopped at the onset of migration. Overall, our data reveal no evidence that heterothermy in the barnacle goose is functionally linked to migration.
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20
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Cárdenas-Ortiz L, Bayly NJ, Hobson KA. Fuel loads of Neotropical migrant songbirds on autumn passage through the Darién region of Colombia: Influence of migratory distance, route, ENSO, age and body size. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2020-0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Available energy stores determine stopover length, migration speed and likely survival in migrating birds. We measured energy stores by estimating fuel load in 11 species of Neotropical migrant songbirds in the Darién of Colombia over five years. We evaluated 1) whether individuals flying further from breeding origin arrived with smaller fuel loads, 2) if the ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) cycle affected fuel load and 3) if species known to migrate mostly overwater arrived with less fuel relative to those migrating overland. Breeding origin, inferred from feather δ2H values, only had a significant positive effect on fuel load in Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus). Veery (Catharus fuscescens) and Swainson’s thrush had higher and lower fuel loads, respectively, in El Niño years. Multi-species mixed-effects models revealed support for larger fuel loads in larger-bodied species and in species taking overwater routes, contrary to our prediction. Across species, we found no support for common effects of breeding origin or ENSO on fuel loads, in contrast to community-wide effects of migration route and body-size. In general, the variables considered here explained little of the variance in fuel loads, suggesting that inter-individual differences likely have a greater impact than broad-scale factors in our study system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cárdenas-Ortiz
- University of Saskatchewan . Department of Biology . 112 Science Place Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Saskatchewan , Canada
| | - Nicholas J. Bayly
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico . Diagonal 42A # 20-37, Bogotá D.C , Colombia
| | - Keith A. Hobson
- University of Saskatchewan . Department of Biology . 112 Science Place Saskatoon S7N 5E2, Saskatchewan, Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada. 11 Innovation Blvd., Saskatoon, S7N 3H5, Saskatchewan , Canada
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21
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Bégin-Marchand C, Desrochers A, Taylor PD, Tremblay JA, Berrigan L, Frei B, Morales A, Mitchell GW. Spatial structure in migration routes maintained despite regional convergence among eastern populations of Swainson's Thrushes. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:23. [PMID: 33985582 PMCID: PMC8117314 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00263-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Migratory connectivity links the different populations across the full cycle and across the species range and may lead to differences in survival among populations. Studies on spatial and temporal migratory connectivity along migration routes are rare, especially for small migratory animals. METHODS We used an automated radio-telemetry array to assess migratory connectivity en route and between early and later stages of the fall migration of the eastern populations of Swainson's Thrush, and to assess the variation of migration pace between consecutive detection from the different receiving stations along the migratory journey. We tracked 241 individuals from across eastern Canada to determine if populations were mixing around the Gulf of Mexico. We also tested the influence of tagging longitude, latitude and age on migration pace. RESULTS Migration routes varied and converged towards the northeast coast of the Gulf of Mexico, but in this region, populations maintained finer-scale spatial structure. Migration pace increased as birds progressed south, independent of age and tagging site. CONCLUSIONS We showed that for songbirds, migratory connectivity can be maintained at fine spatial scales despite the regional convergence of populations, highlighting the importance of detailed spatial tracking for identification of population specific migration routes. Overall, our study provides a portrait of migratory movements of eastern Swainson's Thrush and a framework for understanding spatial structure in migration routes for other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Bégin-Marchand
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1550 d'Estimauville, Québec, QC, G1J 0C3, Canada.
| | - André Desrochers
- Université Laval, 2325 Rue de l'Université, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Philip D Taylor
- Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
- Birds Canada, P.O. Box 6227, 17 Waterfowl Lane, Sackville, NB, E4L 1G6, Canada
| | - Junior A Tremblay
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1550 d'Estimauville, Québec, QC, G1J 0C3, Canada
- Université Laval, 2325 Rue de l'Université, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Lucas Berrigan
- Birds Canada, P.O. Box 6227, 17 Waterfowl Lane, Sackville, NB, E4L 1G6, Canada
| | - Barbara Frei
- McGill Bird Observatory, The Migration Research Foundation, Inc., PO Box 10005, Ste Anne de Bellevue, QC, H9X 0A6, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 351 boul. Saint-Joseph, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Ana Morales
- McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste., Anne de Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Greg W Mitchell
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Rd., Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
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22
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Stanley CQ, Dudash MR, Ryder TB, Shriver WG, Serno K, Adalsteinsson S, Marra PP. Seasonal variation in habitat selection for a Neotropical migratory songbird using high‐resolution GPS tracking. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Calandra Q. Stanley
- Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Washington D. C.20008USA
- Graduate Program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics University of Maryland College Park Maryland20742USA
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy Georgetown University 37th and O Streets NW Washington D. C.20057USA
| | - Michele R. Dudash
- Department of Natural Resource Management South Dakota State University Brookings South Dakota57007USA
| | - Thomas B. Ryder
- Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Washington D. C.20008USA
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies 230 Cherry St, Suite 150 Fort Collins Colorado80521USA
| | - W. Gregory Shriver
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware19716USA
| | - Kimberly Serno
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware19716USA
| | - Solny Adalsteinsson
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology University of Delaware Newark Delaware19716USA
- Tyson Research Center Washington University in St. Louis 6750 Tyson Valley Road Eureka Missouri63025USA
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Washington D. C.20008USA
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy Georgetown University 37th and O Streets NW Washington D. C.20057USA
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23
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Ferretti A, Maggini I, Fusani L. How to recover after sea crossing: the importance of small islands for passerines during spring migration. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1886181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferretti
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
| | - Ivan Maggini
- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
- Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1, Vienna 1160, Austria
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24
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Crewe TL, Kendal D, Campbell HA. Motivations and fears driving participation in collaborative research infrastructure for animal tracking. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241964. [PMID: 33216810 PMCID: PMC7678966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic derived environmental change is challenging earth's biodiversity. To implement effective management, it is imperative to understand how organisms are responding over broad spatiotemporal scales. Collection of these data is generally beyond the budget of individual researchers and the integration and sharing of ecological data and associated infrastructure is becoming more common. However, user groups differ in their expectations, standards of performance, and desired outputs from research investment, and accommodating the motivations and fears of potential users from the outset may lead to higher levels of participation. Here we report upon a study of the Australian ornithology community, which was instigated to better understand perceptions around participation in nationally coordinated research infrastructure for detecting and tracking the movement of birds. The community was surveyed through a questionnaire and individuals were asked to score their motivations and fears around participation. Principal Components Analysis was used to reduce the dimensionality of the data and identify groups of questions where respondents behaved similarly. Linear regressions and model selection were then applied to the principal components to determine how career stage, employment role, and years of biotelemetry experience affected the respondent's motivations and fears for participation. The analysis showed that across all sectors (academic, government, NGO) there was strong motivation to participate and belief that national shared biotelemetry infrastructure would facilitate bird management and conservation. However, results did show that a cross-sector cohort of the Australian ornithology community were keen and ready to progress collaborative infrastructure for tracking birds, and measures including data-sharing agreements could increase participation. It also informed that securing initial funding would be a significant challenge, and a better option to proceed may be for independent groups to coordinate through existing database infrastructure to form the foundation from which a national network could grow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L. Crewe
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Dave Kendal
- Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Hamish A. Campbell
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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25
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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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26
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Cohen EB, Horton KG, Marra PP, Clipp HL, Farnsworth A, Smolinsky JA, Sheldon D, Buler JJ. A place to land: spatiotemporal drivers of stopover habitat use by migrating birds. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:38-49. [PMID: 33026159 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13618] [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: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Migrating birds require en route habitats to rest and refuel. Yet, habitat use has never been integrated with passage to understand the factors that determine where and when birds stopover during spring and autumn migration. Here, we introduce the stopover-to-passage ratio (SPR), the percentage of passage migrants that stop in an area, and use 8 years of data from 12 weather surveillance radars to estimate over 50% SPR during spring and autumn through the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts of the south-eastern US, the most prominent corridor for North America's migratory birds. During stopovers, birds concentrated close to the coast during spring and inland in forested landscapes during autumn, suggesting seasonal differences in habitat function and highlighting the vital role of stopover habitats in sustaining migratory communities. Beyond advancing understanding of migration ecology, SPR will facilitate conservation through identification of sites that are disproportionally selected for stopover by migrating birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily B Cohen
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Kyle G Horton
- Center of Avian Population Studies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Peter P Marra
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Hannah L Clipp
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Ave, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Andrew Farnsworth
- Center of Avian Population Studies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Jaclyn A Smolinsky
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Ave, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Daniel Sheldon
- College of Information and Computer Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Buler
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, 531 South College Ave, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
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Kelsey NA, Schmaljohann H, Bairlein F. A handy way to estimate lean body mass and fuel load from wing length: a quantitative approach using magnetic resonance data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03078698.2019.1759909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A. Kelsey
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’ (IfV), An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’ (IfV), An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Postfach 2503, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’ (IfV), An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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Ferretti A, McWilliams SR, Rattenborg NC, Maggini I, Cardinale M, Fusani L. Energy Stores, Oxidative Balance, and Sleep in Migratory Garden Warblers ( Sylvia borin) and Whitethroats ( Sylvia communis) at a Spring Stopover Site. Integr Org Biol 2020; 2:obaa010. [PMID: 33791554 PMCID: PMC7671129 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obaa010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how songbirds modulate sleep during migratory periods. Due to the alternation of nocturnal endurance flights and diurnal refueling stopovers, sleep is likely to be a major constraint for many migratory passerine species. Sleep may help to increase the endogenous antioxidant capacity that counteracts free radicals produced during endurance flight and reduces energy expenditure. Here, we investigated the relationship between sleep behavior, food intake, and two markers of physiological condition-the amount of energy reserves and oxidative status-in two migratory songbird species, the garden warbler (Sylvia borin) and the whitethroat (Sylvia communis). In garden warblers, birds with high energy stores were more prone to sleep during the day, while this condition-dependent sleep pattern was not present in whitethroats. In both species, birds with low energy stores were more likely to sleep with their head tucked in the feathers during nocturnal sleep. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between food intake and the extent of energy reserves in garden warblers, but not in whitethroats. Finally, we did not find significant correlations between oxidative status and sleep, or oxidative status and energy stores. Despite our study was not comparative, it suggests that different species might use different strategies to manage their energy during stopover and, additionally, it raises the possibility that migrants have evolved physiological adaptations to deal with oxidative damage produced during migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferretti
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14 (UZA1), Wien 1090, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, Wien 1160, Austria
| | - Scott R McWilliams
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Niels C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, Seewiesen 8231, Germany
| | - Ivan Maggini
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, Wien 1160, Austria
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- Marine Research Institute, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, Lysekil SE-453 30, Sweden
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14 (UZA1), Wien 1090, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, Wien 1160, Austria
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Bayly NJ, Norris DR, Taylor PD, Hobson KA, Morales-Rozo A. There's no place like home: tropical overwintering sites may have a fundamental role in shaping migratory strategies. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Artificial Light at Night is Related to Broad-Scale Stopover Distributions of Nocturnally Migrating Landbirds along the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12030395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The distributions of birds during migratory stopovers are influenced by a hierarchy of factors. For example, in temperate regions, migrants are concentrated near areas of bright artificial light at night (ALAN) and also the coastlines of large water bodies at broad spatial scales. However, less is known about what drives broad-scale stopover distributions in the tropics. We quantified seasonal densities of nocturnally migrating landbirds during spring and fall of 2011–2015, using two weather radars on the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico (Sabancuy and Cancun). We tested the influence of environmental predictors in explaining broad-scale bird stopover densities. We predicted higher densities in areas (1) closer to the coast in the fall and farther away in spring and (2) closer to bright ALAN and with lower ALAN intensity in both seasons. We found that birds were more concentrated near the coastline in the fall and away from it in spring around Cancun but not Sabancuy. Counter to our expectations, we detected increased bird densities with increased distance from lights in spring around Sabancuy, and in both seasons around Cancun, suggesting avoidance of bright areas during those seasons. This is the first evidence of broad-scale bird avoidance of bright areas during stopover.
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Packmor F, Klinner T, Woodworth BK, Eikenaar C, Schmaljohann H. Stopover departure decisions in songbirds: do long-distance migrants depart earlier and more independently of weather conditions than medium-distance migrants? MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:6. [PMID: 32047634 PMCID: PMC7006082 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-0193-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Songbirds following distinct migration strategies (e.g. long- vs. short- to medium-distance migrants) often differ in their speed of migration during autumn and, thus, are assumed to face different time constraints. During migration, most songbird species alternate migratory flights with stopover periods. Many of them restrict these migratory flights to the night, i.e., they are nocturnal migrants. At stopover, nocturnal migrants need to select a specific night (night-to-night decision) and time of night (within-night decision) to resume migration. These departure decisions, which largely determine the speed of migration, are jointly affected by a set of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, i.e., departure cues. Here we aim to assess whether the set of intrinsic and extrinsic factors and the magnitude of their respective effects on stopover departure decisions differs between nocturnally migrating songbird species, depending on their migration strategy and associated time constraints. METHODS We radio-tracked migrating Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe; long-distance migrant), European robins (Erithacus rubecula) and Common Blackbirds (Turdus merula; both medium-distance migrants) during autumn stopover and analysed their night-to-night and within-night departure timing in relation to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. RESULTS Species generally differed in their departure timing on both temporal scales, with shortest stopovers and earliest nocturnal departures in the long-distance migrant. Some factors, such as day of year, fuel load, cloud cover and crosswind, had consistent effects on stopover departure decisions in all three species. However, species differed in the effects of tailwind assistance, change in atmospheric pressure and air temperature on their stopover departure decisions. Whereas night-to-night decisions were affected by these extrinsic factors in either both or one of the medium-distance migrants, such effects were not found in the long-distance migrant. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the general timing of departures in songbirds is affected by the species-specific migration strategy and associated time constraints. Further, they imply that the assessment and usage of specific extrinsic factors, i.e., weather conditions, as departure cues is adjusted based on this migration strategy, with the long-distance migrants being least selective at departure. Other intrinsic and extrinsic factors, however, seem to be used as departure cues independent of migration strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Packmor
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, LL57 2UW UK
| | - Thomas Klinner
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Bradley K. Woodworth
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Institute for Biology und Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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Ferretti A, Maggini I, Lupi S, Cardinale M, Fusani L. The amount of available food affects diurnal locomotor activity in migratory songbirds during stopover. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19027. [PMID: 31836848 PMCID: PMC6910983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55404-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory passerine birds fly long distances twice a year alternating nocturnal flights with stopovers to rest and replenish energy stores. The duration of each stopover depends on several factors including internal clocks, meteorological conditions, and environmental factors such as availability of food. Foraging entails energetic costs, and if birds need to refuel efficiently, they should modulate their activity in relation to food availability. We investigated how food availability influences locomotor activity in migrating birds of six passerine species at a spring stopover site in the central Mediterranean Sea. We selected birds with low fat scores which we expected to be strongly motivated to refuel. We simulated stopover sites of different quality by providing temporarily caged birds with different amounts of food to simulate scarce to abundant food. We analysed the diurnal locomotory activity as a proxy for food searching effort. Low food availability resulted in an increased diurnal locomotor activity in almost all species, while all birds showed low intensity of nocturnal migratory restlessness. In conclusion, our study shows that food availability in an important determinant of behaviour of migratory birds at stopover sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferretti
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria. .,Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ivan Maggini
- 0000 0000 9686 6466grid.6583.8Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sara Lupi
- 0000 0000 9686 6466grid.6583.8Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- 0000 0000 8578 2742grid.6341.0Department of Aquatic Resources, Marine Research Institute, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Turistgatan 5, 45330 Lysekil, Sweden
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria. .,Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
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de Zwaan DR, Wilson S, Gow EA, Martin K. Sex-Specific Spatiotemporal Variation and Carry-Over Effects in a Migratory Alpine Songbird. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
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Knight SM, Pitman GM, Flockhart DTT, Norris DR. Radio-tracking reveals how wind and temperature influence the pace of daytime insect migration. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190327. [PMID: 31266418 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects represent the most diverse and functionally important group of flying migratory animals around the globe, yet their small size makes tracking even large migratory species challenging. We attached miniaturized radio transmitters (less than 300 mg) to monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus) and common green darner dragonflies ( Anax junius) and tracked their autumn migratory movements through southern Ontario, Canada and into the United States using an automated array of over 100 telemetry towers. The farthest estimated distance a monarch travelled in a single day was 143 km at a wind-assisted groundspeed of 31 km h-1 (8.7 m s-1) and the farthest estimated distance a green darner travelled in a single day was 122 km with a wind-assisted groundspeed of up to 77 km h-1 (21.5 m s-1). For both species, increased temperature and wind assistance positively influenced the pace of migration, but there was no effect of precipitation. While limitations to tracking such small animals remain, our approach and results represent a fundamental advance in understanding the natural history of insect migration and environmental factors that govern their movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Knight
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1.,2 Nature Conservancy of Canada , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M4P 3J1
| | - Grace M Pitman
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1.,2 Nature Conservancy of Canada , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M4P 3J1
| | - D T Tyler Flockhart
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1.,3 Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science , Frostburg, MD 21532 , USA
| | - D Ryan Norris
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph , Guelph, Ontario , Canada N1G 2W1.,2 Nature Conservancy of Canada , Toronto, Ontario , Canada M4P 3J1
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Nadal J, Ponz C, Comas C, Margalida A. Time, geography and weather provide insights into the ecological strategy of a migrant species. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 649:1096-1104. [PMID: 30308881 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Farmland and migratory bird populations are in decline. The Common quail (Coturnix coturnix) provides an exception to this trend and its populations have remained stable over the last two decades. However, some basic facts regarding quail biology and ecology, such as the geographic distribution of age and sex classes during the summer, remain poorly understood. We analyzed 43,194 Spanish quail ringing records from 1961 to 2014 to assess the effects of geography and weather conditions on the probability that individuals will be ringed during the various stages of their annual cycle (arrival -spring migration-, stationary breeding period, departure -autumn migration- and winter) for the different quail age-sex classes over time. We found that spatial distribution of the age and sex classes can be explained by date, latitude, longitude, altitude, rainfall, and temperature. Our results suggest that date accounts for most of the variation in the distribution of quail age classes, followed by the weather variables, and then latitude, and altitude. Similarly, date also accounts for most of the variation in the distribution of the two sexes. These results could partially explain why this species has avoided population decline, since its ecological strategy is based on its temporal and spatial distribution combined with the segregation of age and sex groups. We hypothesize that the distribution of quail age and sex classes follows variations in weather and habitat suitability to exploit seasonal and geographic variations in resource availability. The migratory and nomadic movements of quail, combined with the occurrence of multiple breeding attempts within a single season, may also allow these birds to overcome the impacts of predators and anthropogenic environmental change. Conservation and management efforts should therefore take account of these age and sex related temporal and spatial patterns.
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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
| | - Carles Comas
- Department of Mathematics, Agrotecnio Center, University of Lleida, 25001 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; Institute for Game and Wildlife Research, IREC (CSIC.UCLM-JCCM), 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain
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Gómez C, Guerrero SL, FitzGerald AM, Bayly NJ, Hobson KA, Cadena CD. Range‐wide populations of a long‐distance migratory songbird converge during stopover in the tropics. ECOL MONOGR 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camila Gómez
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogota 111711 Colombia
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico Bogota 111311 Colombia
| | - Sara L. Guerrero
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogota 111711 Colombia
| | - Alyssa M. FitzGerald
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology State University of New York Albany New York 12222 USA
- University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Institute, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - Nicholas J. Bayly
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico Bogota 111311 Colombia
| | | | - Carlos Daniel Cadena
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogota 111711 Colombia
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Schmaljohann H. The start of migration correlates with arrival timing, and the total speed of migration increases with migration distance in migratory songbirds: a cross-continental analysis. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:25. [PMID: 31417677 PMCID: PMC6689889 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0169-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anthropogenic changes in the climate and environment have globally affected ecological processes such that the spatiotemporal occurrence of the main annual cycle events (i.e., breeding, wintering, moulting, and migration) has shifted in migratory birds. Variation in arrival timing at migratory destinations can be proximately caused by an altered start of migration, total migration distance, and/or total speed of migration. Quantifying the relative contributions of these causes is important because this will indicate the mechanisms whereby birds could potentially adjust their annual cycle in response to global change. However, we have relatively little quantitative information about how each of these factors contributes to variation in arrival timing. My main aims are to estimate how arrival timing is correlated with variation in the start of migration and the total migration distance and how the total speed of migration may change with the total migration distance and body mass in a comprehensive analysis including multiple species. METHODS For this purpose, I considered individual tracks covering complete migrations from multiple species and distinguished between within- and between-species effects. RESULTS Assuming that the within- and between-species effects quantified under this approach agree with the effects acting at the individual level, starting migration one day later or increasing the total migration distance by 1000 km would result in later arrival timing by 0.4-0.8 days or 2-5 days, respectively. The generality with which the start of migration is correlated with arrival timing within species suggests that this is the general biological mechanism regulating arrival timing, rather than the total migration distance. The total speed of migration was positively correlated with the total migration distance but not with the bird's body mass. CONCLUSIONS As the start of migration is endogenously controlled and/or affected by hatching date, directional selection can probably act on existing within-species/within-population variation to alter arrival timing. This factor and the importance of variation in the start of migration for arrival timing suggest that migratory species/populations in which there is sufficient variation in the start of migration and transgenerational processes affect the corresponding timing may present an advantage over others in coping with anthropogenic-induced global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Schmaljohann
- Faculty of Biology/Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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Fudickar AM, Ketterson ED. Genomes to space stations: the need for the integrative study of migration for avian conservation. Biol Lett 2018; 14:rsbl.2017.0741. [PMID: 29445045 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing changes to global weather patterns and human modifications of the environment have altered the breeding and non-breeding ranges of migratory species, the timing of their migrations, and even whether they continue to migrate at all. Animal movements are arguably one of the most difficult behaviours to study, particularly in smaller birds that migrate tens to thousands of kilometres seasonally, often moving hundreds of kilometres each day. The recent miniaturization of tracking and logging devices has led to a radical transformation in our understanding of avian migratory behaviour and migratory connectivity. While advances in technology have altered the way researchers study migratory behaviour in the field, advances in techniques related to the study of physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying migratory behaviour have rarely been integrated into field studies of tracking. To predict the capacity of migrants to adjust to a changing planet, it is essential that we combine avian migration data with physiological and genetic measurements taken at key time points prior to, during and after migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Fudickar
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA .,Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Ellen D Ketterson
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.,Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Bianchini K, Morrissey CA. Assessment of Shorebird Migratory Fueling Physiology and Departure Timing in Relation to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contamination in the Gulf of Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:13562-13573. [PMID: 30362719 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b04571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Shorebirds depend on staging sites in the Gulf of Mexico that are frequently subject to pollution by oil and its toxic constituents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). It was hypothesized that PAH contamination lowers staging site quality for migratory shorebirds, with consequences for fueling and departure timing. Sediment total PAH concentrations were measured at six staging sites along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. Sites in Louisiana were expected to have higher total PAH concentrations as they were more heavily impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. From 2015 to 2017, 165 Sanderling ( Calidris alba) and 55 Red knots ( C. canutus) were captured at these same sites during their northward migration (late April to mid May). Mass, body morphometrics, and plasma metabolite measurements were taken to determine fuel loads and fueling rates, and a subset of birds (120 Sanderling and 39 Red knots) received a coded radio tag to determine departure dates using the Motus telemetry array. Compared to Texas sites, sediment in Louisiana had higher total PAH concentrations, dominated by heavier 6 ring indeno[1,2,3- cd]pyrene (48%). Plasma metabolite profiles suggested that fueling rates for Sanderling, but not Red knots, tended to be lower in Louisiana, and both species departed later than the study average from Louisiana. However, multiple factors, including migration patterns, food supply, and other contaminants, also likely influenced fueling and departures. PAH contamination in the Gulf of Mexico remains an ongoing issue that may be impacting the staging site quality and migration timing of long-distance migratory birds.
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Reward regulation in plant-frugivore networks requires only weak cues. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4838. [PMID: 30446651 PMCID: PMC6240120 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07362-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory assumes that fair trade among mutualists requires highly reliable communication. In plant–animal mutualisms the reliability of cues that indicate reward quality is often low. Therefore, it is controversial whether communication allows animal mutualists to regulate their reward intake. Here we show that even loose relationships between fruit brightness and nutritional rewards (r2 = 0.11–0.35) allow birds to regulate their nutrient intake across distinct European plant–frugivore networks. Resident, over-wintering generalist frugivores that interact with diverse plant species select bright, lipid-rich fruits, whereas migratory birds select dark, sugar- and antioxidant-rich fruits. Both nutritional strategies are consistent with previous physiological experiments suggesting that over-wintering generalists aim to maximize their energy intake, whereas migrants aim to enhance the build-up of body fat, their immune response and oxidative status during migration. Our results suggest that animal mutualists require only weak cues to regulate their reward intake according to specific nutritional strategies. A challenge for mutualists is that partner cue reliability is often low. Here, the authors show that though fruit brightness is weakly predictive of nutritional content, the diets of birds (e.g. migrants vs. residents) are structured by fruit brightness in alignment with expected nutritional needs.
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Winger BM, Auteri GG, Pegan TM, Weeks BC. A long winter for the Red Queen: rethinking the evolution of seasonal migration. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:737-752. [PMID: 30393938 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This paper advances an hypothesis that the primary adaptive driver of seasonal migration is maintenance of site fidelity to familiar breeding locations. We argue that seasonal migration is therefore principally an adaptation for geographic persistence when confronted with seasonality - analogous to hibernation, freeze tolerance, or other organismal adaptations to cyclically fluctuating environments. These ideas stand in contrast to traditional views that bird migration evolved as an adaptive dispersal strategy for exploiting new breeding areas and avoiding competitors. Our synthesis is supported by a large body of research on avian breeding biology that demonstrates the reproductive benefits of breeding-site fidelity. Conceptualizing migration as an adaptation for persistence places new emphasis on understanding the evolutionary trade-offs between migratory behaviour and other adaptations to fluctuating environments both within and across species. Seasonality-induced departures from breeding areas, coupled with the reproductive benefits of maintaining breeding-site fidelity, also provide a mechanism for explaining the evolution of migration that is agnostic to the geographic origin of migratory lineages (i.e. temperate or tropical). Thus, our framework reconciles much of the conflict in previous research on the historical biogeography of migratory species. Although migratory behaviour and geographic range change fluidly and rapidly in many populations, we argue that the loss of plasticity for migration via canalization is an overlooked aspect of the evolutionary dynamics of migration and helps explain the idiosyncratic distributions and migratory routes of long-distance migrants. Our synthesis, which revolves around the insight that migratory organisms travel long distances simply to stay in the same place, provides a necessary evolutionary context for understanding historical biogeographic patterns in migratory lineages as well as the ecological dynamics of migratory connectivity between breeding and non-breeding locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Winger
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, U.S.A
| | - Giorgia G Auteri
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, U.S.A
| | - Teresa M Pegan
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, U.S.A
| | - Brian C Weeks
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, U.S.A
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Whitaker DM, Warkentin IG, Hobson KA, Thomas P, Boardman R. Fall and Winter Movements of Newfoundland Graycheeked Thrushes (Catharus Minimus Minimus). ANIMAL MIGRATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2018-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The Newfoundland subspecies of Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) has declined since the 1980s and degradation of winter habitat has been suggested as a contributing stressor. However, the winter range of this subspecies is not well understood, so we fitted 29 males with archival GPS tags during summer 2016. Four tagged thrushes were recaptured in summer 2017 and, though all tags had missing locations and broken antennae, the data retrieved showed that one thrush wintered in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) in northern Colombia, one in the nearby Sierra de Perija in Venezuela, and a third may have settled in the same region. One tag provided locations until April 21 and that thrush was consistently detected within a ~1 ha area through the winter. Locations obtained during fall migration indicated that thrushes travelled to South America via Central America and possibly by directly crossing the Caribbean. Contemporary research indicates that the SNSM is an important migratory stopover for Northern Gray-cheeked Thrushes (C. m. aliciae) but a historical report coupled with our observations suggest winter use of the SNSM and adjacent areas in northern South America by C. m. minimus, though numbers may be lower than during the 1900s.
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Ladin ZS, Van Nieuland S, Adalsteinsson SA, D’Amico V, Bowman JL, Buler JJ, Baetens JM, De Baets B, Shriver WG. Differential post-fledging habitat use of Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds within an urbanized landscape. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2018; 6:17. [PMID: 30151198 PMCID: PMC6100711 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-018-0132-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persistent declines in migratory songbird populations continue to motivate research exploring contributing factors to inform conservation efforts. Nearctic-Neotropical migratory species' population declines have been linked to habitat loss and reductions in habitat quality due to increasing urbanization in areas used throughout the annual cycle. Despite an increase in the number of studies on post-fledging ecology, generally characterized by the period between fledging and dispersal from natal areas or migration, contextual research linking post-fledging survival and habitat use to anthropogenic factors remains limited. METHODS Here, we examined habitat use of post-fledging habitat-generalist gray catbirds (Dumetella caroliniensis), and habitat-specialist wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina), up to 88 days after fledging within an urbanized landscape. These Neotropical migratory species share many life-history traits, exhibit differential degrees of habitat specialization, and co-occur in urbanized landscapes. Starting from daily movement data, we used time-integrated Brownian bridges to generate probability density functions of each species' probability of occurrence, and home range among 16 land cover classes including roads from the US Geological Survey National Land Cover Database for each species. RESULTS Habitat use differed between pre- and post-independence periods. After controlling for factors that influence habitat use (i.e., pre- or post-independence period, fate (whether individuals survived or not), and land cover class), we found that wood thrushes occupied home ranges containing six times more forest land cover than catbirds. In contrast, catbirds occupied home ranges containing twice the area of roads compared to wood thrushes. Wood thrushes had greater variance for area used (km2) among land cover classes within home ranges compared to catbirds. However, once fledglings achieved independence from parents, wood thrushes had lower variance associated with area used compared to catbirds. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support predictions that habitat-generalist gray catbirds spend more time in developed areas, less time in forest habitat, and use areas with more roads than the forest-specialist wood thrush. We found strong effects of pre- and post-independence periods on all of the response variables we tested. Species-specific habitat use patterns will likely be affected by projected increases in urbanization over the next several decades leading to further reductions in available forest habitat and increased road density, and will have important implications for the ecology and conservation of these birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary S. Ladin
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Rm. 250 Townsend Hall, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Steffie Van Nieuland
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Vincent D’Amico
- US Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Newark, DE USA
| | - Jacob L. Bowman
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Rm. 250 Townsend Hall, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Buler
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Rm. 250 Townsend Hall, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Jan M. Baetens
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bernard De Baets
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modeling, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - W. Gregory Shriver
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Rm. 250 Townsend Hall, 531 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19716 USA
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Duijns S, Niles LJ, Dey A, Aubry Y, Friis C, Koch S, Anderson AM, Smith PA. Body condition explains migratory performance of a long-distance migrant. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1374. [PMID: 29093218 PMCID: PMC5698639 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Body condition (i.e. relative mass after correcting for structural size) affects the behaviour of migrating birds, but how body condition affects migratory performance, timing and fitness is still largely unknown. Here, we studied the effects of relative body condition on individual departure decisions, wind selectivity, flight speed and timing of migration for a long-distance migratory shorebird, the red knot Calidris canutus rufa. By using automated VHF telemetry on a continental scale, we studied knots' migratory movements with unprecedented temporal resolution over a 3-year period. Knots with a higher relative body condition left the staging site later than birds in lower condition, yet still arrived earlier to their Arctic breeding grounds compared to knots in lower relative body condition. They accomplished this by selecting more favourable winds at departure, thereby flying faster and making shorter stops en route. Individuals with a higher relative body condition in spring migrated south up to a month later than individuals in lower condition, suggesting that individuals in better condition were more likely to have bred successfully. Moreover, individuals with a lower relative body condition in spring had a lower probability of being detected in autumn, suggestive of increased mortality. The pressure to arrive early to the breeding grounds is considered to be an important constraint of migratory behaviour and this study highlights the important influence of body condition on migratory decisions, performance and potentially fitness of migrant birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoerd Duijns
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6 .,Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
| | - Lawrence J Niles
- LJ Niles Associates LLC, 109 Market Lane, Greenwich, NJ 08323, USA
| | - Amanda Dey
- New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, 8747 Ferry Road, Millville, NJ 08332, USA
| | - Yves Aubry
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 801-1550, avenue d'Estimauville, Quebec, Canada G1J 0C3
| | - Christian Friis
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3H 5T4
| | - Stephanie Koch
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA
| | - Alexandra M Anderson
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7B8
| | - Paul A Smith
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
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Assessing seasonal changes in animal diets with stable-isotope analysis of amino acids: a migratory boreal songbird switches diet over its annual cycle. Oecologia 2018; 187:1-13. [PMID: 29564539 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4113-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Tools to study seasonal changes in animal diets are needed to address a wide range of ecological questions. This is especially true of migratory animals that experience distinct environments where diets may be substantially different. However, tracking diets of individuals that move vast distances has proven difficult. Compound-specific isotope analysis has emerged as a valuable tool to study diets but has been little used to study dietary changes of migratory animals. Using this technique, we quantify seasonal variation in the annual diet of a migratory songbird (gray-cheeked thrush, Catharus minimus) and test the hypothesis that migrants change their diet in response to the energetic requirements of different periods of the annual cycle. By measuring δ13C and δ15N values of amino acids from feathers grown on the breeding grounds, blood formed during migration and claw grown on the wintering grounds, we found that migration is associated with greater consumption of fruit, compared to the breeding or wintering periods. This was confirmed by the lower trophic position of blood compared to feather and claw, by a decrease in the δ15N value of the source amino acid phenylalanine in blood as a function of days of stopover, and by the positive correlation between δ15N and δ13C values of phenylalanine in blood, and not in feather or claw. This study illustrates how isotopic analysis of amino acids can contribute to understand food webs, seasonal dietary changes and metabolic routing of nutrients in migratory animals.
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Abstract
Human obesity has a large genetic component, yet has many serious negative consequences. How this state of affairs has evolved has generated wide debate. The thrifty gene hypothesis was the first attempt to explain obesity as a consequence of adaptive responses to an ancient environment that in modern society become disadvantageous. The idea is that genes (or more precisely, alleles) predisposing to obesity may have been selected for by repeated exposure to famines. However, this idea has many flaws: for instance, selection of the supposed magnitude over the duration of human evolution would fix any thrifty alleles (famines kill the old and young, not the obese) and there is no evidence that hunter-gatherer populations become obese between famines. An alternative idea (called thrifty late) is that selection in famines has only happened since the agricultural revolution. However, this is inconsistent with the absence of strong signatures of selection at single nucleotide polymorphisms linked to obesity. In parallel to discussions about the origin of obesity, there has been much debate regarding the regulation of body weight. There are three basic models: the set-point, settling point and dual-intervention point models. Selection might act against low and high levels of adiposity because food unpredictability and the risk of starvation selects against low adiposity whereas the risk of predation selects against high adiposity. Although evidence for the latter is quite strong, evidence for the former is relatively weak. The release from predation ∼2-million years ago is suggested to have led to the upper intervention point drifting in evolutionary time, leading to the modern distribution of obesity: the drifty gene hypothesis. Recent critiques of the dual-intervention point/drifty gene idea are flawed and inconsistent with known aspects of energy balance physiology. Here, I present a new formulation of the dual-intervention point model. This model includes the novel suggestion that food unpredictability and starvation are insignificant factors driving fat storage, and that the main force driving up fat storage is the risk of disease and the need to survive periods of pathogen-induced anorexia. This model shows why two independent intervention points are more likely to evolve than a single set point. The molecular basis of the lower intervention point is likely based around the leptin pathway signalling. Determining the molecular basis of the upper intervention point is a crucial key target for future obesity research. A potential definitive test to separate the different models is also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Speakman
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China .,Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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Krauel JJ, McGuire LP, Boyles JG. Testing traditional assumptions about regional migration in bats. MAMMAL RES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-017-0346-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Eng ML, Stutchbury BJM, Morrissey CA. Imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos insecticides impair migratory ability in a seed-eating songbird. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15176. [PMID: 29123163 PMCID: PMC5680183 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds that travel long distances between their wintering and breeding grounds may be particularly susceptible to neurotoxic insecticides, but the influence of insecticides on migration ability is poorly understood. Following acute exposure to two widely used agricultural insecticides, imidacloprid (neonicotinoid) and chlorpyrifos (organophosphate), we compared effects on body mass, migratory activity and orientation in a seed-eating bird, the white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys). During spring migration, sparrows were captured, held and dosed by gavage daily for 3 days with either the vehicle control, low (10% LD50) or high (25% LD50) doses of imidacloprid or chlorpyrifos and tested in migratory orientation trials pre-exposure, post-exposure and during recovery. Control birds maintained body mass and a seasonally appropriate northward orientation throughout the experiment. Imidacloprid dosed birds exhibited significant declines in fat stores and body mass (mean loss: -17% low, -25% high dose) and failed to orient correctly. Chlorpyrifos had no overt effects on mass but significantly impaired orientation. These results suggest that wild songbirds consuming the equivalent of just four imidacloprid-treated canola seeds or eight chlorpyrifos granules per day over 3 days could suffer impaired condition, migration delays and improper migratory direction, which could lead to increased risk of mortality or lost breeding opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Eng
- University of Saskatchewan, Toxicology Centre, Saskatoon, S7N 5B3, Canada
| | | | - Christy A Morrissey
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, Saskatoon, S7N 5E2, Canada.
- University of Saskatchewan, School of Environment and Sustainability, Saskatoon, S7N 5C8, Canada.
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