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Macías-Torres P, Alerstam T, Andersson A, Bäckman J, Thorup K, Tøttrup AP, Sjöberg S. Activity patterns throughout the annual cycle in a long-distance migratory songbird, the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:55. [PMID: 36457000 PMCID: PMC9716747 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00355-0] [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: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-distance migratory birds undergo complex annual cycles during which they must adjust their behaviour according to the needs and conditions encountered throughout the year. Yet, variation in activity throughout the entire annual cycle has rarely been studied in wild migratory birds. METHODS We used multisensor data loggers to evaluate the patterns of activity throughout the complete annual cycle of a long-distance migratory bird, the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio. Accelerometer data was used to identify life-history stages and to estimate levels of activity during various phases of the annual cycle. In this study, we analysed the variation in daytime activity along the annual cycle and between migratory and non-migratory days. RESULTS The birds' daytime activity varied throughout the annual cycle while night-time activity was almost exclusively restricted to migratory flights. The highest daytime activity levels were observed during the breeding season, while it remained low during autumn migration and the winter period. Daytime activity differed between sexes during the breeding period, when the males showed the highest level in activity. During migratory periods, both sexes exhibited a higher daytime activity in spring compared to autumn migration, being particularly high in the final migratory leg towards the breeding ground. The birds showed a lower daytime activity on migratory days (days when a migratory flight took place during the succeeding night) than on non-migratory days during both migratory seasons. CONCLUSIONS Activity measured during daytime results from a combination of several behaviours, and a high daytime activity during spring migration and the breeding period is possibly reflecting particularly energy-demanding periods in the annual cycle of migratory birds. The use of multisensor data loggers to track annual activity provides us with a full annual perspective on variation in activity in long-distance migratory species, an essential approach for understanding possible critical life-history stages and migration ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Macías-Torres
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, Sweden.
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Thomas Alerstam
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, Sweden
| | - Arne Andersson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, Sweden
| | - Johan Bäckman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders P Tøttrup
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sissel Sjöberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, Sweden
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Lupi S, Morbey YE, MacDougall-Shackleton SA, Kaiya H, Fusani L, Guglielmo CG. Experimental ghrelin administration affects migratory behaviour in a songbird. Horm Behav 2022; 141:105139. [PMID: 35299118 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Twice a year, billions of birds take on drastic physiological and behavioural changes to migrate between breeding and wintering areas. On migration, most passerine birds regularly stop over along the way to rest and refuel. Endogenous energy stores are not only the indispensable fuel to complete long distance flights, but are also important peripheral signals that once integrated in the brain modulate crucial behavioural decisions, such as the decision to resume migration after a stopover. A network of hormones signals metabolic fuel availability to the brain in vertebrates, including the recently discovered gut-hormone ghrelin. Here, we show that ghrelin takes part in the control of migratory behaviour during spring migration in a wild migratory passerine. We manipulated blood concentrations of ghrelin of 53 yellow-rumped warblers (Setophaga coronata coronata) caught during stopover and automatically radio-tracked their migratory behaviour following release. We found that injections of acylated and unacylated ghrelin rapidly induced movements away from the release site, indicating that the ghrelin system acts centrally to mediate stopover departure decisions. The effects of the hormone manipulation declined within 8 h following release, and did not affect the overall rate of migration. These results provide experimental evidence for a pivotal role of ghrelin in the modulation of behavioural decisions during migration. In addition, this study offers insights into the regulatory functions of metabolic hormones in the dialogue between gut and brain in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lupi
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1A, 1160 Vienna, Austria; Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Yolanda E Morbey
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.
| | - Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
- Department of Psychology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
| | - Hiroyuki Kaiya
- Department of Biochemistry, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, 6-1 Kishibe-shinmachi, Suita 564-8565, Japan.
| | - Leonida Fusani
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1A, 1160 Vienna, Austria; Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Christopher G Guglielmo
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada.
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McWilliams S, Carter W, Cooper-Mullin C, DeMoranville K, Frawley A, Pierce B, Skrip M. How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.742642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they incur physiological demands that challenge their antioxidant system. Migrating birds presumably respond to these oxidative challenges by up-regulating protective endogenous systems or accumulating dietary antioxidants at stopover sites, although our understanding of the pre-migration preparations and mid-migration responses of birds to such oxidative challenges is as yet incomplete. Here we review evidence from field and captive-bird studies that address the following questions: (1) Do migratory birds build antioxidant capacity as they build fat stores in preparation for long flights? (2) Is oxidative damage an inevitable consequence of oxidative challenges such as flight, and, if so, how is the extent of damage affected by factors such as the response of the antioxidant system, the level of energetic challenge, and the availability of dietary antioxidants? (3) Do migratory birds ‘recover’ from the oxidative damage accrued during long-duration flights, and, if so, does the pace of this rebalancing of oxidative status depend on the quality of the stopover site? The answer to all these questions is a qualified ‘yes’ although ecological factors (e.g., diet and habitat quality, geographic barriers to migration, and weather) affect how the antioxidant system responds. Furthermore, the pace of this dynamic physiological response remains an open question, despite its potential importance for shaping outcomes on timescales ranging from single flights to migratory journeys. In sum, the antioxidant system of birds during migration is impressively dynamic and responsive to environmental conditions, and thus provides ample opportunities to study how the physiology of migratory birds responds to a changing and challenging world.
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Vanni L, Cerritelli G, Turchi A, Giunchi D. Migratory restlessness and stopover duration in Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1878282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Vanni
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Giulia Cerritelli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Alessandro Turchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Dimitri Giunchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
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Davis TJ, Keppel G. Fine‐scale environmental heterogeneity and conservation management: Beach‐cast wrack creates microhabitats for thermoregulation in shorebirds. J Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gunnar Keppel
- UniSA STEMUniversity of South Australia Adelaide SA Australia
- Future Industries Institute University of South Australia Adelaide SA Australia
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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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Zenzal TJ, Ward MP, Diehl RH, Buler JJ, Smolinsky J, Deppe JL, Bolus RT, Celis‐Murillo A, Moore FR. Retreat, detour or advance? Understanding the movements of birds confronting the Gulf of Mexico. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Theodore J. Zenzal
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center Lafayette LA USA
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, Univ. of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg MS USA
| | - Michael P. Ward
- Dept of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Illinois Urbana IL USA
| | - Robert H. Diehl
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center Bozeman MT USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Buler
- Dept of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, Univ. of Delaware Newark DE USA
| | - Jaclyn Smolinsky
- Dept of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, Univ. of Delaware Newark DE USA
- Cherokee Nation System Solutions, contracted to the US Geol. Surv., Wetland and Aguatic Res. Center Lafayette LA USA
| | | | | | | | - Frank R. Moore
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, Univ. of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg MS USA
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Olson B, Marks DL, Grossberg AJ. Diverging metabolic programmes and behaviours during states of starvation, protein malnutrition, and cachexia. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle 2020; 11:1429-1446. [PMID: 32985801 PMCID: PMC7749623 DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our evolutionary history is defined, in part, by our ability to survive times of nutrient scarcity. The outcomes of the metabolic and behavioural adaptations during starvation are highly efficient macronutrient allocation, minimization of energy expenditure, and maximized odds of finding food. However, in different contexts, caloric deprivation is met with vastly different physiologic and behavioural responses, which challenge the primacy of energy homeostasis. METHODS We conducted a literature review of scientific studies in humans, laboratory animals, and non-laboratory animals that evaluated the physiologic, metabolic, and behavioural responses to fasting, starvation, protein-deficient or essential amino acid-deficient diets, and cachexia. Studies that investigated the changes in ingestive behaviour, locomotor activity, resting metabolic rate, and tissue catabolism were selected as the focus of discussion. RESULTS Whereas starvation responses prioritize energy balance, both protein malnutrition and cachexia present existential threats that induce unique adaptive programmes, which can exacerbate the caloric insufficiency of undernutrition. We compare and contrast the behavioural and metabolic responses and elucidate the mechanistic pathways that drive state-dependent alterations in energy seeking and partitioning. CONCLUSIONS The evolution of energetically inefficient metabolic and behavioural responses to protein malnutrition and cachexia reveal a hierarchy of metabolic priorities governed by discrete regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan Olson
- Medical Scientist Training ProgramOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
- Papé Family Pediatric Research InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Daniel L. Marks
- Papé Family Pediatric Research InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
- Brenden‐Colson Center for Pancreatic CareOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Aaron J. Grossberg
- Brenden‐Colson Center for Pancreatic CareOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
- Department of Radiation MedicineOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research CenterOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
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Ferretti A, Maggini I, Cardinale M, Fusani L. Heat loss in sleeping garden warblers (Sylvia borin) during migration. J Therm Biol 2020; 94:102772. [PMID: 33293004 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
For small songbirds, energy is often a limiting factor during migration and, for this reason, they are forced to alternate nocturnal flights with stopovers to rest and replenish energy stores. Stopover duration has a key role for a successful migration and may have an important impact on fitness. Thus, migrants need to optimize their energy consumption at this stage to reduce their permanence at the site. A recent study has shown that lean individuals reduce their metabolic rate when tucking the head in the feathers during sleep. The underlying mechanism is very likely a reduction in conductance, but the thermoregulatory benefit of the increased insulation has never been quantified yet. Here, we compared heat loss in individual migratory birds while sleeping in different postures. Using a thermal camera and a within-individual approach, we estimated that Garden Warblers can reduce their rate of heat loss by 54% by sleeping with the head tucked in the feathers. This energy saving has a relevant impact on the individual's energy balance because it can account for up to 8.69% of daily energy expenditure during stopover. Our study provides novel and important information to understand the fundamental role of thermoregulatory strategies on bird's energy management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ferretti
- University of Vienna, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Ivan Maggini
- University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Massimiliano Cardinale
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Resources, Marine Research Institute, 45330 Lysekil, Sweden.
| | - Leonida Fusani
- University of Vienna, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, Althanstr. 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria.
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10
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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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