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Smith AD, Sanders FJ, Lefevre KL, Thibault JM, Kalasz KS, Handmaker MC, Smith FM, Keyes TS. Spring migration patterns of red knots in the Southeast United States disentangled using automated telemetry. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11138. [PMID: 37429880 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37517-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Red Knots use the Southeast United States as a stopover during north and southbound migration and during the winter. We examined northbound red knot migration routes and timing using an automated telemetry network. Our primary goal was to evaluate the relative use of an Atlantic migratory route through Delaware Bay versus an inland route through the Great Lakes en route to Arctic breeding grounds and to identify areas of apparent stopovers. Secondarily, we explored the association of red knot routes and ground speeds with prevailing atmospheric conditions. Most Red Knots migrating north from the Southeast United States skipped or likely skipped Delaware Bay (73%) while 27% of the knots stopped in Delaware Bay for at least 1 day. A few knots used an Atlantic Coast strategy that did not include Delaware Bay, relying instead on the areas around Chesapeake Bay or New York Bay for stopovers. Nearly 80% of migratory trajectories were associated with tailwinds at departure. Most knots tracked in our study traveled north through the eastern Great Lake Basin, without stopping, thus making the Southeast United States the last terminal stopover for some knots before reaching boreal or Arctic stopover sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Smith
- U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, Inventory and Monitoring Branch, Athens, GA, 30605, USA
- American Bird Conservancy, The Plains, VA, 20198, USA
| | - Felicia J Sanders
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 220 Santee Gun Club Road, McClellanville, SC, 29458, USA.
| | - Kara L Lefevre
- Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA
- Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Janet M Thibault
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA
| | - Kevin S Kalasz
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Ecological Services Field Office, 28950 Watson Blvd, Big Pine Key, FL, 33043, USA
| | - Maina C Handmaker
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, 160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Fletcher M Smith
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 1 Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA, 31520, USA
| | - Tim S Keyes
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 1 Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA, 31520, USA
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2
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McDuffie LA, Christie KS, Taylor AR, Nol E, Friis C, Harwood CM, Rausch J, Laliberte B, Gesmundo C, Wright JR, Johnson JA. Flyway-scale GPS tracking reveals migratory routes and key stopover and non-breeding locations of lesser yellowlegs. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9495. [PMID: 36381389 PMCID: PMC9646513 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many populations of long-distance migrant shorebirds are declining rapidly. Since the 1970s, the lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) has experienced a pronounced reduction in abundance of ~63%. The potential causes of the species' decline are complex and interrelated. Understanding the timing of migration, seasonal routes, and important stopover and non-breeding locations used by this species will aid in directing conservation planning to address potential threats. During 2018-2022, we tracked 118 adult lesser yellowlegs using GPS satellite tags deployed on birds from five breeding and two migratory stopover locations spanning the boreal forest of North America from Alaska to Eastern Canada. Our objectives were to identify migratory routes, quantify migratory connectivity, and describe key stopover and non-breeding locations. We also evaluated predictors of southbound migratory departure date and migration distance. Individuals tagged in Alaska and Central Canada followed similar southbound migratory routes, stopping to refuel in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America, whereas birds tagged in Eastern Canada completed multi-day transoceanic flights covering distances of >4000 km across the Atlantic between North and South America. Upon reaching their non-breeding locations, lesser yellowlegs populations overlapped, resulting in weak migratory connectivity. Sex and population origin were significantly associated with the timing of migratory departure from breeding locations, and body mass at the time of GPS-tag deployment was the best predictor of southbound migratory distance. Our findings suggest that lesser yellowlegs travel long distances and traverse numerous political boundaries each year, and breeding location likely has the greatest influence on migratory routes and therefore the threats birds experience during migration. Further, the species' dependence on wetlands in agricultural landscapes during migration and the non-breeding period may make them vulnerable to threats related to agricultural practices, such as pesticide exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine S. Christie
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity ProgramAnchorageAlaskaUSA
| | - Audrey R. Taylor
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Alaska AnchorageAnchorageAlaskaUSA
| | - Erica Nol
- BiologyTrent UniversityPeterboroughOntarioCanada
| | - Christian Friis
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaCanadian Wildlife ServiceTorontoOntarioCanada
| | | | - Jennie Rausch
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaCanadian Wildlife ServiceYellowknifeNorthwest TerritoriesCanada
| | - Benoit Laliberte
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaWildlife Management and Regulatory AffairsGatineauQuebecCanada
| | - Callie Gesmundo
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceMigratory Bird ProgramAnchorageAlaskaUSA
| | - James R. Wright
- School of Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - James A. Johnson
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceMigratory Bird ProgramAnchorageAlaskaUSA
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Neima SG, Linhart RC, Hamilton DJ, Gratto-Trevor CL, Paquet J. Length of stay and departure strategies of Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) during post-breeding migration in the upper Bay of Fundy, Canada. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.897197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bay of Fundy, Canada is a critical staging area for Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) during post-breeding migration. Recent range-wide population declines and changes in diet and migratory timing in the Bay of Fundy prompted a re-examination of staging ecology, including length of stay (last estimated in 1981), which is used in calculating migratory population estimates. We used radio-telemetry and the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to estimate individual length of stay and departure conditions for 159 Semipalmated Sandpipers in 2013 and 2014. Using tracking data we compared two estimation methods, minimum length of stay and mark-recapture modelling. Using minimum length of stay, the mean length of stay was approximately 21 days, an increase from the previous estimate of 15 days. Mark-recapture models suggested a much longer staging period that is inconsistent with other data. Sandpipers captured early in the staging period stayed longer on average than those captured later. Departures from the staging area were correlated with north-westerly winds, moderate to high wind speeds and low but rising atmospheric pressures. We suggest that Semipalmated Sandpipers in the Bay of Fundy are not operating on a time-selected migration schedule and instead wait for favourable weather conditions to depart, which occur more often later in the migratory period. Population trends in the Bay of Fundy should be re-evaluated in light of the increased length of stay.
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Using Geolocator Data to Address Changes in Migration Patterns for Black Turnstone. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2022-0118] [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
Black Turnstone is an obligate Pacific coast shorebird that is included as a “Species of High Concern” in both the U.S. and Alaska Shorebird Conservation Plans. Specific migration routes for this species are not well understood, which makes its recent disappearance at a major spring stopover site, northern Montague Island in Prince William Sound, Alaska, difficult to interpret. We tracked 23 Black Turnstones between breeding and wintering areas and examined migration timing, duration, and routes used. We identified two high-use regions during migration: 1) Cook Inlet/Shelikof Strait, Alaska, and 2) the Haida Gwaii Archipelago in British Columbia/Alexander Archipelago in southeastern Alaska. This second region was also an important wintering area. We found that northbound migration was longer than southbound (the reverse of what is often observed in shorebirds) and that staging behavior was primarily seen during northbound migration. No birds were tracked to northern Montague Island, and only a few individuals stopped anywhere in Prince William Sound. Alterations in patterns of spring herring spawn in Prince William Sound may be affecting the routes and stopovers used by Black Turnstones, and birds may be wintering farther north in recent decades due to warmer winter conditions. Additionally, the increasing availability and popularity of citizen science efforts like eBird has created a mechanism for disseminating observations from less accessible parts of the Black Turnstone range, a fact which may confound our understanding of whether migration routes for this species have changed over the last 30 years.
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Catry T, Granadeiro JP, Gutiérrez JS, Correia E. Stopover use of a large estuarine wetland by dunlins during spring and autumn migrations: Linking local refuelling conditions to migratory strategies. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263031. [PMID: 35077514 PMCID: PMC8789102 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory strategies dictate stopover ecology, particularly concerning decisions of when, where and how long to stop, and what to do at stationary periods. In birds, individuals stop primarily to replenish energy stores, although the functions of stopover events vary among and within species, particularly between pre- and post-breeding seasons. Here, we combined plasma metabolite levels and haematological parameters to compare refuelling rates and physiological state within (early, mid, late) and between (spring, autumn) migratory periods, aiming to identify potentially different migratory strategies in a shorebird, the dunlin Calidris alpina, using a key stopover site in Iberia. Plasma triglycerides and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations did not differ between seasons, and small differences were found in haematological profiles (higher haemoglobin and hematocrit levels in spring). Similar refuelling rates and physiological status suggests a single migratory strategy in spring and autumn. During both seasons, dunlins arrive at the Tagus estuary with medium-to-high fuel loads, indicating they do not engage in prolonged fuelling. This agrees with a skipping migratory strategy, where birds fly short-to-medium distances while fuelling at moderate rates along a network of sites. Although we may expect late spring migrants to experience stronger pressures to optimally schedule migratory events, we found no significant differences in physiological profiles among early, mid and late migrants. Unexpectedly, such differences were found in autumn: early birds showed the highest triglycerides and haemoglobin levels and lowest β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. These results denote enhanced refuelling rates and blood oxygen-carrying capacity in early autumn migrants, which is typical of jumpers, i.e., birds travelling with larger fuel loads and performing fewer stops. Our study adds substantially to previous knowledge of stopover ecology in migratory shorebirds in the East Atlantic Flyway. Importantly, it indicates that the Tagus estuary is a high-quality stopover site for intermediate fuelling. Yet, understanding non-fuelling stopping functions is needed to ultimately inform conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Catry
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Campo Grande, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | - José Pedro Granadeiro
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Campo Grande, Portugal
| | - Jorge Sánchez Gutiérrez
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Conservation Biology Research Group, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
- Ecology in the Anthropocene, Associated Unit CSIC-UEX, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Edna Correia
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Campo Grande, Portugal
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Watts BD, Smith FM, Hines C, Duval L, Hamilton DJ, Keyes T, Paquet J, Pirie-Dominix L, Rausch J, Truitt B, Winn B, Woodard P. The annual cycle for whimbrel populations using the Western Atlantic Flyway. PLoS One 2022; 16:e0260339. [PMID: 34972114 PMCID: PMC8719713 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many long-distance migratory birds use habitats that are scattered across continents and confront hazards throughout the annual cycle that may be population-limiting. Identifying where and when populations spend their time is fundamental to effective management. We tracked 34 adult whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) from two breeding populations (Mackenzie Delta and Hudson Bay) with satellite transmitters to document the structure of their annual cycles. The two populations differed in their use of migratory pathways and their seasonal schedules. Mackenzie Delta whimbrels made long (22,800 km) loop migrations with different autumn and spring routes. Hudson Bay whimbrels made shorter (17,500 km) and more direct migrations along the same route during autumn and spring. The two populations overlap on the winter grounds and within one spring staging area. Mackenzie Delta whimbrels left the breeding ground, arrived on winter grounds, left winter grounds and arrived on spring staging areas earlier compared to whimbrels from Hudson Bay. For both populations, migration speed was significantly higher during spring compared to autumn migration. Faster migration was achieved by having fewer and shorter stopovers en route. We identified five migratory staging areas including four that were used during autumn and two that were used during spring. Whimbrels tracked for multiple years had high (98%) fidelity to staging areas. We documented dozens of locations where birds stopped for short periods along nearly all migration routes. The consistent use of very few staging areas suggests that these areas are integral to the annual cycle of both populations and have high conservation value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D. Watts
- Center for Conservation Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Fletcher M. Smith
- Center for Conservation Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Non-Game Conservation Section, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Chance Hines
- Center for Conservation Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Laura Duval
- Center for Conservation Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | | | - Tim Keyes
- Non-Game Conservation Section, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Brunswick, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Julie Paquet
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Lisa Pirie-Dominix
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
| | - Jennie Rausch
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
| | - Barry Truitt
- The Nature Conservancy’s Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve, Nassawadox, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Brad Winn
- Manoment Inc., Manomet, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Paul Woodard
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
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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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Li D, Davison G, Lisovski S, Battley PF, Ma Z, Yang S, How CB, Watkins D, Round P, Yee A, Srinivasan V, Teo C, Teo R, Loo A, Leong CC, Er K. Shorebirds wintering in Southeast Asia demonstrate trans-Himalayan flights. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21232. [PMID: 33311583 PMCID: PMC7732824 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77897-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many birds wintering in the Indian subcontinent fly across the Himalayas during migration, including Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus), Demoiselle Cranes (Anthropoides virgo) and Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea). However, little is known about whether shorebirds migrate across the Himalayas from wintering grounds beyond the Indian subcontinent. Using geolocators and satellite tracking devices, we demonstrate for the first time that Common Redshanks (Tringa totanus) and Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) wintering in Singapore can directly fly over the Himalayas to reach breeding grounds in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and north-central Russia respectively. The results also show that migratory shorebirds wintering in Southeast Asia can use both the Central Asian Flyway and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. For Redshanks, westerly-breeding birds crossed the Himalayas while more easterly breeders on the Plateau migrated east of the Himalayas. For Whimbrels, an individual that crossed the Himalayas was probably from a breeding population that was different from the others that migrated along the coast up the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. The minimum required altitude of routes of trans-Himalayan Redshanks were no higher on average than those of eastern migrants, but geolocator temperature data indicate that birds departing Singapore flew at high elevations even when not required to by topography, suggesting that the Himalayan mountain range may be less of a barrier than assumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Li
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore.
| | | | - Simeon Lisovski
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz Centre for Marine and Polar Research, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Phil F Battley
- Wildlife & Ecology Group, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Shufen Yang
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | | | - Doug Watkins
- Australasian Wader Studies Group, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Philip Round
- Department of Biology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Alex Yee
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | | | - Clarice Teo
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | - Robert Teo
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | - Adrian Loo
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
| | | | - Kenneth Er
- National Parks Board, Singapore, 718925, Singapore
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Hope DD, Lank DB, Smith PA, Paquet J, Ydenberg RC. Migrant Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) Have Over Four Decades Steadily Shifted Towards Safer Stopover Locations. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Anderson AM, Duijns S, Smith PA, Friis C, Nol E. Migration Distance and Body Condition Influence Shorebird Migration Strategies and Stopover Decisions During Southbound Migration. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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