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Sokolovskis K, Caballero-Lopez V, Åkesson S, Lundberg M, Willemoes M, Zhao T, Bensch S. Diurnal migration patterns in willow warblers differ between the western and eastern flyways. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:58. [PMID: 37735665 PMCID: PMC10512566 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00425-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
It is a long-standing view that the main mechanism maintaining narrow migratory divides in passerines is the selection against intermediate and suboptimal migratory direction, but empirical proof of this is still lacking. We present novel results from a willow warbler migratory divide in central Sweden from where birds take the typical SW and SE as well as intermediate routes to winter quarters in Africa. We hypothesized that individuals that take the intermediate route are forced to migrate in daytime more often when crossing wide ecological barriers than birds that follow the typical western or eastern flyways. Analyses of geolocator tracks of willow warblers breeding across the entire Sweden, including the migratory divide, provided no support for our hypothesis. Instead, birds that migrated along the western flyway were the most likely to undertake full day flights. The probability of migrating for a full day when crossing major barriers declined linearly from west to east. We speculate that this difference is possibly caused by more challenging conditions in the western part of the Sahara Desert, such as the lack of suitable day-time roost sites. However, it may equally likely be that willow warblers benefit from migrating in daytime if favorable tailwinds offer assistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristaps Sokolovskis
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Vesilinnantie 5, 20500, Turku, Finland.
| | | | - Susanne Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Max Lundberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mikkel Willemoes
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tianhao Zhao
- GELIFES, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 5172.0664, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
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Rime Y, Nussbaumer R, Briedis M, Sander MM, Chamberlain D, Amrhein V, Helm B, Liechti F, Meier CM. Multi-sensor geolocators unveil global and local movements in an Alpine-breeding long-distance migrant. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:19. [PMID: 37020307 PMCID: PMC10074645 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00381-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To understand the ecology of long-distance migrant bird species, it is necessary to study their full annual cycle, including migratory routes and stopovers. This is especially important for species in high-elevation habitats that are particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Here, we investigated both local and global movements during all parts of the annual cycle in a small trans-Saharan migratory bird breeding at high elevation. METHODS Recently, multi-sensor geolocators have opened new research opportunities in small-sized migratory organisms. We tagged Northern Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe from the central-European Alpine population with loggers recording atmospheric pressure and light intensity. We modelled migration routes and identified stopover and non-breeding sites by correlating the atmospheric pressure measured on the birds with global atmospheric pressure data. Furthermore, we compared barrier-crossing flights with other migratory flights and studied the movement behaviour throughout the annual cycle. RESULTS All eight tracked individuals crossed the Mediterranean Sea, using islands for short stops, and made longer stopovers in the Atlas highlands. Single non-breeding sites were used during the entire boreal winter and were all located in the same region of the Sahel. Spring migration was recorded for four individuals with similar or slightly different routes compared to autumn. Migratory flights were typically nocturnal and characterized by fluctuating altitudes, frequently reaching 2000 to 4000 m a.s.l, with a maximum of up to 5150 m. Barrier-crossing flights, i.e., over the sea and the Sahara, were longer, higher, and faster compared to flights above favourable stopover habitat. In addition, we detected two types of altitudinal movements at the breeding site. Unexpected regular diel uphill movements were undertaken from the breeding territories towards nearby roosting sites at cliffs, while regional scale movements took place in response to local meteorological conditions during the pre-breeding period. CONCLUSION Our data inform on both local and global scale movements, providing new insights into migratory behaviour and local movements in small songbirds. This calls for a wider use of multi-sensor loggers in songbird migration research, especially for investigating both local and global movements in the same individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Rime
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland.
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4051, Switzerland.
| | | | - Martins Briedis
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
- Institute of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, LV-1004, Latvia
| | - Martha Maria Sander
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, IT-10123, Italy
| | - Dan Chamberlain
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, Turin, IT-10123, Italy
| | - Valentin Amrhein
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4051, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Helm
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
| | - Felix Liechti
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
| | - Christoph M Meier
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
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Sitko J, Heneberg P. Long-term study reveals central European aerial insectivores as an unusual group of hosts that harbor mostly helminths that are unable to complete life-cycles in the nesting quarters of their hosts. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:32. [PMID: 36703152 PMCID: PMC9878787 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05636-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central European aerial insectivores are long-distance migrants that winter in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of them employ the fly-and-forage migrating strategy and differ in their food composition. The composition and structure of helminth component communities of these hosts are poorly understood, and information regarding seasonality and long-term changes is unavailable. METHODS From 1963 to 2022, we analyzed the population trends of helminths in five aerial insectivore species. Namely, we examined Apus apus, Hirundo rustica, Delichon urbicum, Riparia riparia, and Ficedula albicollis; all originated from the Czech Republic. RESULTS We identified central European aerial insectivores as hosts that are parasitized mostly by helminths that cannot complete their life-cycles in the nesting quarters of their hosts. This phenomenon is unknown in other bird host species. In contrast, only a single dominant trematode species that completes its life-cycle locally colonized the central European aerial insectivores. All other dominant species of Trematoda, all Nematoda, and all Acanthocephala were dependent on intermediate hosts unavailable in the nesting quarters of the examined bird hosts. Surprisingly, these helminths transmitted from winter quarters or migratory routes were diverse, and many of them were abundant in terms of both prevalence and intensity of infection. The helminth component communities of aerial insectivores were dynamic systems. During the study period, three species became new and regularly encountered members of helminth fauna of examined hosts, and other species gradually increased or decreased their intensity of infection. In contrast to other groups of bird hosts, the dominant helminth species of aerial insectivores did not experience local extinctions or rapid population losses. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of helminths of five central European aerial insectivores revealed component communities that heavily rely on completing host-parasite cycles at migration routes or wintering grounds. The composition of the analyzed component communities changed dynamically during the 60-year-long study period, but there was no evidence of large-scale declines in abundance or prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiljí Sitko
- Moravian Ornithological Station, Comenius Museum, Prerov, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Heneberg
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Pancerasa M, Ambrosini R, Romano A, Rubolini D, Winkler DW, Casagrandi R. Across the deserts and sea: inter-individual variation in migration routes of south-central European barn swallows (Hirundo rustica). MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:51. [PMID: 36419202 PMCID: PMC9682807 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00352-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spatiotemporal organization of migratory routes of long-distance migrants results from trade-offs between minimizing the journey length and en route risk of migration-related mortality, which may be reduced by avoiding crossing inhospitable ecological barriers. Despite flourishing avian migration research in recent decades, little is still known about inter-individual variability in migratory routes, as well as the carry-over effects of spatial and temporal features of migration on subsequent migration stages. METHODS We reconstructed post- and pre-breeding migration routes, barrier crossing behaviour and non-breeding movements of the largest sample (N = 85) analysed to date of individual barn swallows breeding in south-central Europe, which were tracked using light-level geolocators. RESULTS Most birds spent their non-breeding period in the Congo basin in a single stationary area, but a small fraction of itinerant individuals reaching South Africa was also observed. Birds generally followed a 'clockwise loop migration pattern', moving through the central Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert during post-breeding (north to south) migration yet switching to a more western route, along the Atlantic coast of Africa, Iberia and western Mediterranean during the pre-breeding (south to north) migration. Southward migration was straighter and less variable, while northward migration was significantly faster despite the broader detour along the Atlantic coast and Iberia. These patterns showed limited sex-related variability. The timing of different circannual events was tightly linked with previous migration stages, considerably affecting migration route and speed of subsequent movements. Indeed, individuals departing late from Africa performed straighter and faster pre-breeding migrations, partly compensating for the initial departure delays, but likely at the cost of performing riskier movements across ecological barriers. CONCLUSIONS Different spatiotemporal migration strategies during post- and pre-breeding migration suggest that conditions en route may differ seasonally and allow for more efficient travelling along different migration corridors in either season. While highlighting patterns of inter-individual variability, our results support increasing evidence for widespread loop migration patterns among Afro-Palearctic avian migrants. Also, they suggest that carry-over effects acting across different phases of the annual cycle of migratory species can have major impacts on evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Pancerasa
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico Di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrea Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Rubolini
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca sulle Acque, IRSA-CNR, Via del Mulino 19, 20861, Brugherio, MB, Italy
| | | | - Renato Casagrandi
- Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico Di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20131, Milan, Italy.
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Hahn S, Emmenegger T, Riello S, Serra L, Spina F, Buttemer WA, Bauer S. Short- and long-distance avian migrants differ in exercise endurance but not aerobic capacity. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:29. [PMID: 37170374 PMCID: PMC10127025 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00134-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Migratory birds differ markedly in their migration strategies, particularly those performing short- versus long-distance migrations. In preparation for migration, all birds undergo physiological and morphological modifications including enlargement of fat stores and pectoral muscles to fuel and power their flights, as well as cardiovascular and biochemical adjustments that improve lipid and oxygen delivery and uptake by flight muscles. While the magnitude of these changes varies in relation to migration strategy, the consequence of these variations on aerobic performance is unknown. We tested whether the aerobic performance of four Old-world flycatcher species (Muscicapidae) varied according to migration strategy by comparing minimum resting metabolic rates (RMRmin), exercise-induced maximum metabolic rates (MMR), and exercise endurance times of short-distance and long-distance migratory birds.
Results
As expected, RMRmin did not vary between short-distance and long-distance migrants but differed between the species within a migration strategy and between sexes. Unexpectedly, MMR did not vary with migration strategy, but MMR and blood haemoglobin content were positively related among the birds tested. Exercise endurance times differed substantially between migration strategies with long-distance migrants sustaining exercise for > 60% longer than short-distance migrants. Blood haemoglobin content had a significant positive effect on endurance among all birds examined.
Conclusions
The lack of difference in RMRmin and MMR between long- and short-distance migrants during this stage of migration suggests that the attributes favouring the greater aerobic endurance of long-distance migrants did not come at the expense of increased maintenance costs or require greater aerobic capacity.
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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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Skinner AA, Ward MP, Souza‐Cole I, Wright JR, Thompson FR, Benson TJ, Matthews SN, Tonra CM. High spatiotemporal overlap in the non‐breeding season despite geographically dispersed breeding locations in the eastern whip‐poor‐will (
Antrostomus vociferus
). DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A. Skinner
- School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Michael P. Ward
- Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Champaign Illinois USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Ian Souza‐Cole
- Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Champaign Illinois USA
| | - James R. Wright
- School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Frank R. Thompson
- United States Forest ServiceNorthern Research Station Columbia Missouri USA
| | - Thomas J. Benson
- Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Champaign Illinois USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Stephen N. Matthews
- School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Christopher M. Tonra
- School of Environment and Natural Resources The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
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Paces B, Waringer BM, Domer A, Burns D, Zvik Y, Wojciechowski MS, Shochat E, Sapir N, Maggini I. Evaporative Water Loss and Stopover Behavior in Three Passerine Bird Species During Autumn Migration. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.704676] [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
Migratory birds are often not specifically adapted to arid conditions, yet several species travel across deserts during their journeys, and often have more or less short stopovers there. We investigated whether differences in thermoregulatory mechanisms, specifically evaporative cooling, explain the different behavior of three passerine species while stopping over in the Negev desert, Israel. We measured cutaneous water loss (CWL) under ambient conditions and the temperature of panting onset in an experimental setup. In addition, we performed behavioral observations of birds at a stopover site where we manipulated water availability. Blackcaps had slightly higher CWL at relatively low temperatures than Willow Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats. When considered relative to total body mass, however, Willow Warblers had the highest CWL of the three species. Blackcaps started panting at lower ambient temperature than the other two species. Taken together, these results suggest that Willow Warblers are the most efficient in cooling their body, possibly with the cost of needing to regain water by actively foraging during their staging. Lesser Whitethroats had a similar pattern, which was reflected in their slightly higher levels of activity and drinking behavior when water was available. However, in general the behavior of migratory species was not affected by the availability of water, and they were observed drinking rather rarely. Our results indicate that differences in thermoregulatory mechanisms might be at the basis of the evolution of different stopover strategies of migratory birds while crossing arid areas such as deserts.
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Åkesson S, Bakam H, Martinez Hernandez E, Ilieva M, Bianco G. Migratory orientation in inexperienced and experienced avian migrants. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1905076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Himma Bakam
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | | | - Mihaela Ilieva
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 22362, Sweden
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Str., Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Giuseppe Bianco
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund 22362, Sweden
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The genetic regulation of avian migration timing: combining candidate genes and quantitative genetic approaches in a long-distance migrant. Oecologia 2021; 196:373-387. [PMID: 33963450 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04930-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Plant and animal populations can adapt to prolonged environmental changes if they have sufficient genetic variation in important phenological traits. The genetic regulation of annual cycles can be studied either via candidate genes or through the decomposition of phenotypic variance by quantitative genetics. Here, we combined both approaches to study the timing of migration in a long-distance migrant, the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). We found that none of the four studied candidate genes (CLOCK, NPAS2, ADCYAP1 and CREB1) had any consistent effect on the timing of six annual cycle stages of geolocator-tracked individuals. This negative result was confirmed by direct observations of males arriving in spring to the breeding site over four consecutive years. Although male spring arrival date was significantly repeatable (R = 0.24 ± 0.08 SE), most was attributable to permanent environmental effects, while the additive genetic variance and heritability were very low (h2 = 0.03 ± 0.17 SE). This low value constrains species evolutionary adaptation, and our study adds to warnings that such populations may be threatened, e.g. by ongoing climate change.
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Lavallée CD, Assadi SB, Korpach AM, Ray JD, Fischer JD, Siegrist J, Fraser KC. The use of nocturnal flights for barrier crossing in a diurnally migrating songbird. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:21. [PMID: 33902693 PMCID: PMC8073915 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00257-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The migration patterns of land birds can generally be divided into those species that migrate principally during the day and those that migrate during the night. Some species may show individual plasticity in the use of day or night flight, particularly when crossing large, open-water or desert barriers. However, individual plasticity in circadian patterns of migratory flights in diurnally migrating songbirds has never been investigated. METHODS We used high precision GPS tracking of a diurnal, migratory swallow, the purple martin (Progne subis), to determine whether individuals were flexible in their spring migration strategies to include some night flight, particularly at barrier crossing. RESULTS Most (91%) of individuals made large (sometimes > 1000 km), open-water crossings of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico that included the use of night flight. 32% of all water crossings were initiated at night, demonstrating that night flight is not only used to complete large crossings but may confer other advantages for diurnal birds. Birds were not more likely to initiate crossings with supportive winds, however crossings were more likely when they reduced travel distances. Our results are consistent with diurnal birds using night flight to help achieve time- and energy-savings through 'short cuts' at barrier crossings, at times and locations when foraging opportunities are not available. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results demonstrate the use of nocturnal flight and a high degree of individual plasticity in migration strategies on a circadian scale in a species generally considered to be a diurnal migrant. Nocturnal flights at barrier crossing may provide time and energy savings where foraging opportunities are low in an otherwise diurnal strategy. Future research should target how diel foraging and refueling strategies support nocturnal flights and barrier crossing in this and other diurnal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christie D Lavallée
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Saeedeh Bani Assadi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Alicia M Korpach
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - James D Ray
- Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, Pantex Plant, Amarillo, TX, 79120, USA
| | - Jason D Fischer
- Disney's Animals, Science, and Environment, Lake Buena Vista, FL, 32830, USA
| | - Joe Siegrist
- Purple Martin Conservation Association, Erie, PA, USA
| | - Kevin C Fraser
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
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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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Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in wild bird species of the order Columbiformes. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:1405-1420. [PMID: 33521839 PMCID: PMC7940316 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07053-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Diseases can play a role in species decline. Among them, haemosporidian parasites, vector-transmitted protozoan parasites, are known to constitute a risk for different avian species. However, the magnitude of haemosporidian infection in wild columbiform birds, including strongly decreasing European turtle doves, is largely unknown. We examined the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus in six species of the order Columbiformes during breeding season and migration by applying nested PCR, one-step multiplex PCR assay and microscopy. We detected infections in 109 of the 259 screened individuals (42%), including 15 distinct haemosporidian mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages, representing five H. (Haemoproteus), two H. (Parahaemoproteus), five Leucocytozoon and three Plasmodium lineages. Five of these lineages have never been described before. We discriminated between single and mixed infections and determined host species-specific prevalence for each parasite genus. Observed differences among sampled host species are discussed with reference to behavioural characteristics, including nesting and migration strategy. Our results support previous suggestions that migratory birds have a higher prevalence and diversity of blood parasites than resident or short-distance migratory species. A phylogenetic reconstruction provided evidence for H. (Haemoproteus) as well as H. (Parahaemoproteus) infections in columbiform birds. Based on microscopic examination, we quantified parasitemia, indicating the probability of negative effects on the host. This study provides a large-scale baseline description of haemosporidian infections of wild birds belonging to the order Columbiformes sampled in the northern hemisphere. The results enable the monitoring of future changes in parasite transmission areas, distribution and diversity associated with global change, posing a potential risk for declining avian species as the European turtle dove.
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Emmenegger T, Bensch S, Hahn S, Kishkinev D, Procházka P, Zehtindjiev P, Bauer S. Effects of blood parasite infections on spatiotemporal migration patterns and activity budgets in a long-distance migratory passerine. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:753-762. [PMID: 33520163 PMCID: PMC7820147 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
How blood parasite infections influence the migration of hosts remains a lively debated issue as past studies found negative, positive, or no response to infections. This particularly applies to small birds, for which monitoring of detailed migration behavior over a whole annual cycle has been technically unachievable so far. Here, we investigate how bird migration is influenced by parasite infections. To this end, we tracked great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) with multisensor loggers, characterized general migration patterns as well as detailed flight bout durations, resting times and flight heights, and related these to the genus and intensity of their avian haemosporidian infections. We found migration distances to be shorter and the onset of autumn migration to be delayed with increasing intensity of blood parasite infection, in particular for birds with Plasmodium and mixed-genus infections. Additionally, the durations of migratory flight bout were prolonged for infected compared to uninfected birds. But since severely infected birds and particularly birds with mixed-genus infections had shorter resting times, initial delays seemed to be compensated for and the timing in other periods of the annual cycle was not compromised by infection. Overall, our multisensor logger approach revealed that avian blood parasites have mostly subtle effects on migratory performance and that effects can occur in specific periods of the year only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Emmenegger
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
- Institute of Integrative BiologyETH ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution LabDepartment of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
| | - Dmitry Kishkinev
- School of Natural SciencesBangor UniversityBangorUK
- Biological Station RybachyZoological Institute of Russian Academy of SciencesRybachyRussia
- School of Life SciencesKeele UniversityKeeleUK
| | - Petr Procházka
- Institute of Vertebrate BiologyThe Czech Academy of SciencesBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Pavel Zehtindjiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem ResearchBulgarian Academy of SciencesSofiaBulgaria
| | - Silke Bauer
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
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15
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Gangoso L, Viana DS, Dokter AM, Shamoun‐Baranes J, Figuerola J, Barbosa SA, Bouten W. Cascading effects of climate variability on the breeding success of an edge population of an apex predator. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2631-2643. [PMID: 33439490 PMCID: PMC7692887 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale environmental forces can influence biodiversity at different levels of biological organization. Climate, in particular, is often associated with species distributions and diversity gradients. However, its mechanistic link to population dynamics is still poorly understood. Here, we unravelled the full mechanistic path by which a climatic driver, the Atlantic trade winds, determines the viability of a bird population. We monitored the breeding population of Eleonora's falcons in the Canary Islands for over a decade (2007-2017) and integrated different methods and data to reconstruct how the availability of their prey (migratory birds) is regulated by trade winds. We tracked foraging movements of breeding adults using GPS, monitored departure of migratory birds using weather radar and simulated their migration trajectories using an individual-based, spatially explicit model. We demonstrate that regional easterly winds regulate the flux of migratory birds that is available to hunting falcons, determining food availability for their chicks and consequent breeding success. By reconstructing how migratory birds are pushed towards the Canary Islands by trade winds, we explain most of the variation (up to 86%) in annual productivity for over a decade. This study unequivocally illustrates how a climatic driver can influence local-scale demographic processes while providing novel evidence of wind as a major determinant of population fitness in a top predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gangoso
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem DynamicsUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Estación Biológica de DoñanaCSICSevillaSpain
| | - Duarte S. Viana
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
| | | | - Judy Shamoun‐Baranes
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem DynamicsUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | | | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem DynamicsUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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16
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Telenský T, Klvaňa P, Jelínek M, Cepák J, Reif J. The influence of climate variability on demographic rates of avian Afro-palearctic migrants. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17592. [PMID: 33067507 PMCID: PMC7567877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74658-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate is an important driver of changes in animal population size, but its effect on the underlying demographic rates remains insufficiently understood. This is particularly true for avian long-distance migrants which are exposed to different climatic factors at different phases of their annual cycle. To fill this knowledge gap, we used data collected by a national-wide bird ringing scheme for eight migratory species wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and investigated the impact of climate variability on their breeding productivity and adult survival. While temperature at the breeding grounds could relate to the breeding productivity either positively (higher food availability in warmer springs) or negatively (food scarcity in warmer springs due to trophic mismatch), water availability at the non-breeding should limit the adult survival and the breeding productivity. Consistent with the prediction of the trophic mismatch hypothesis, we found that warmer springs at the breeding grounds were linked with lower breeding productivity, explaining 29% of temporal variance across all species. Higher water availability at the sub-Saharan non-breeding grounds was related to higher adult survival (18% temporal variance explained) but did not carry-over to breeding productivity. Our results show that climate variability at both breeding and non-breeding grounds shapes different demographic rates of long-distance migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Telenský
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Klvaňa
- Bird Ringing Centre, National Museum, Prague, Hornoměcholupská 34, 102 00, Praha 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Jelínek
- Bird Ringing Centre, National Museum, Prague, Hornoměcholupská 34, 102 00, Praha 10, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Cepák
- Bird Ringing Centre, National Museum, Prague, Hornoměcholupská 34, 102 00, Praha 10, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic.
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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17
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Stępniewska K, Ożarowska A, Busse P, Bobrek R, Zehtindjiev P, Ilieva M, Meissner W. Autumn migration strategy of juvenile great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus on the eastern European flyway: a spatiotemporal pattern of accumulation and utilisation of energy stores. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2020.1814882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- K. Stępniewska
- Avian Ecophysiology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
- Bird Migration Research Station, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - A. Ożarowska
- Avian Ecophysiology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - P. Busse
- Bird Migration Research Foundation, Choczewo, Poland
| | - R. Bobrek
- Rakutowskie Bird Ringing Station, Students Naturalists Association of the Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - P. Zehtindjiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - M. Ilieva
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - W. Meissner
- Avian Ecophysiology Unit, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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18
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Hadjikyriakou TG, Nwankwo EC, Virani MZ, Kirschel ANG. Habitat availability influences migration speed, refueling patterns and seasonal flyways of a fly-and-forage migrant. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2020; 8:10. [PMID: 32082577 PMCID: PMC7017632 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-020-0190-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite our understanding of the principal factors that shape bird migration strategies, there is conflicting evidence regarding the role of habitat in shaping migration routes and schedules, including day and night activity and differences between autumn and spring. For fly-and-forage migrants, we predict that habitat characteristics might guide migration speed, route selection and migrating schedules. METHODS We use solar-powered GPS transmitters, obtaining high accuracy data, to monitor the migratory movements of Eleonora's falcon breeding in Cyprus, which is the easternmost breeding population of the species. We tested for potential preferences in habitat characteristics along the migration routes, separately for the northern, drier part and the more vegetated southern part of the trips. We also examined the relationship between migration speed and vegetative cover during day and at night, accounting for wind support. RESULTS We found that tagged individuals repeatedly exhibited an anticlockwise loop migration pattern with spring routes being more easterly than autumn ones. We identified a preference for migration through vegetation-rich areas, where during daytime tagged individuals travel at slower migration speeds compared to vegetation-poor areas, indicating fly-and-forage activity. Birds roosted during most nights, combining refueling stopovers at selected vegetation-rich areas before or after crossing ecological barriers. Conversely, both during day and night, tagged individuals overflew unsuitable habitats more quickly. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that habitat is an important factor in Eleonora's falcon migratory strategies. Active selection of vegetation rich areas in combination with reduced migration speeds there, allows the migrating falcons to combine migration during the day with fly-and-forage refueling, while roosting most nights.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanuel C. Nwankwo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Munir Z. Virani
- The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709 USA
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19
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Jiguet F, Burgess M, Thorup K, Conway G, Arroyo Matos JL, Barber L, Black J, Burton N, Castelló J, Clewley G, Copete JL, Czajkowski MA, Dale S, Davis T, Dombrovski V, Drew M, Elts J, Gilson V, Grzegorczyk E, Henderson I, Holdsworth M, Husbands R, Lorrilliere R, Marja R, Minkevicius S, Moussy C, Olsson P, Onrubia A, Pérez M, Piacentini J, Piha M, Pons JM, Procházka P, Raković M, Robins H, Seimola T, Selstam G, Skierczyński M, Sondell J, Thibault JC, Tøttrup AP, Walker J, Hewson C. Desert crossing strategies of migrant songbirds vary between and within species. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20248. [PMID: 31882957 PMCID: PMC6934701 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56677-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Each year, billions of songbirds cross large ecological barriers during their migration. Understanding how they perform this incredible task is crucial to predict how global change may threaten the safety of such journeys. Earlier studies based on radar suggested that most songbirds cross deserts in intermittent flights at high altitude, stopping in the desert during the day, while recent tracking with light loggers suggested diurnal prolongation of nocturnal flights and common non-stop flights for some species. We analyzed light intensity and temperature data obtained from geolocation loggers deployed on 130 individuals of ten migratory songbird species, and show that a large variety of strategies for crossing deserts exists between, but also sometimes within species. Diurnal stopover in the desert is a common strategy in autumn, while most species prolonged some nocturnal flights into the day. Non-stop flights over the desert occurred more frequently in spring than in autumn, and more frequently in foliage gleaners. Temperature recordings suggest that songbirds crossed deserts with flight bouts performed at various altitudes according to species and season, along a gradient ranging from low above ground in autumn to probably >2000 m above ground level, and possibly at higher altitude in spring. High-altitude flights are therefore not the general rule for crossing deserts in migrant songbirds. We conclude that a diversity of migration strategies exists for desert crossing among songbirds, with variations between but also within species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Jiguet
- CESCO, UMR7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, CP135, 43 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Malcolm Burgess
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, SG19 2DL, United Kingdom
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Greg Conway
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | | | - Lee Barber
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - John Black
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - Niall Burton
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - Joan Castelló
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, The Lodge, Sandy, SG19 2DL, United Kingdom
| | - Gary Clewley
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - José Luis Copete
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive, Lynx Edicions, Montseny 8, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | - Svein Dale
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Tony Davis
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - Valery Dombrovski
- Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences, Academichnaya 27, 220072, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Mike Drew
- Biodiversity & Catchment, Anglian Water Services Limited, Lancaster House, Lancaster Way, Ermine Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6XU, United Kingdom
| | - Jaanus Elts
- Estonian Ornithological Society, Veski 4, 51005 Tartu, Estonia & Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 46 Vanemuise St., 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Vicky Gilson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - Emilienne Grzegorczyk
- CESCO, UMR7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, CP135, 43 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Ian Henderson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Holdsworth
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Husbands
- 3 Oakhill Road, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, GL17 0BN, United Kingdom
| | - Romain Lorrilliere
- CESCO, UMR7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, CP135, 43 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Riho Marja
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of ecology and Botany, "Lendület" Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Alkotmány u. 2-4, 2163, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | | | - Caroline Moussy
- CESCO, UMR7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, CP135, 43 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Peter Olsson
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Research (CEC), Ekologihuset, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, Sweden
| | - Alejandro Onrubia
- Migres Foundation, International Bird Migration Center (CIMA), N-340, Km 85, P.O. Box 152, 11380, Tarifa, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Marc Pérez
- Nostra Senyora de Montserrat 19, 08756, La Palma de Cervelló, Spain
| | | | - Markus Piha
- Finnish Museum of Natural History LUOMUS, P.O. Box 17 (Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13), FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jean-Marc Pons
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB, UMR7205), MNHN-CNRS-SU-EPHE, 57 Rue Cuvier, CP50, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Petr Procházka
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Květná 8, CZ-603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marko Raković
- Natural History Museum of Belgrade, Njegoševa, 51, Serbia
| | - Harriet Robins
- New buildings, Howle Hill, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5RD, United Kingdom
| | - Tuomas Seimola
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Natural Resources, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gunnar Selstam
- Department of Agricultural Research in Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Department of Molecular Biology, University of Umeå, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Michał Skierczyński
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland, Dziczenie.pl, Gruszki, Poland
| | - Jan Sondell
- Kvismare Bird Observatory, Rulleuddsvägen 10, S-178 51, Ekerö, Sweden
| | - Jean-Claude Thibault
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB, UMR7205), MNHN-CNRS-SU-EPHE, 57 Rue Cuvier, CP50, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Anders P Tøttrup
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Justin Walker
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Hewson
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU, United Kingdom
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20
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Parr N, Bishop CM, Batbayar N, Butler PJ, Chua B, Milsom WK, Scott GR, Hawkes LA. Tackling the Tibetan Plateau in a down suit: insights into thermoregulation by bar-headed geese during migration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/19/jeb203695. [PMID: 31601684 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.203695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Birds migrating through extreme environments can experience a range of challenges while meeting the demands of flight, including highly variable ambient temperatures, humidity and oxygen levels. However, there has been limited research into avian thermoregulation during migration in extreme environments. This study aimed to investigate the effect of flight performance and high altitude on body temperature (T b) of free-flying bar-headed geese (Anser indicus), a species that completes a high-altitude trans-Himalayan migration through very cold, hypoxic environments. We measured abdominal T b, along with altitude (via changes in barometric pressure), heart rate and body acceleration of bar-headed geese during their migration across the Tibetan Plateau. Bar-headed geese vary the circadian rhythm of T b in response to migration, with peak daily T b during daytime hours outside of migration but early in the morning or overnight during migration, reflecting changes in body acceleration. However, during flight, changes in T b were not consistent with changes in flight performance (as measured by heart rate or rate of ascent) or altitude. Overall, our results suggest that bar-headed geese are able to thermoregulate during high-altitude migration, maintaining T b within a relatively narrow range despite appreciable variation in flight intensity and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Parr
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Charles M Bishop
- Bangor University, School of Biological Sciences, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Nyambayar Batbayar
- Wildlife Science & Conservation Centre of Mongolia, Bayanzurkh District, Ulaanbaatar, 210351, Mongolia
| | - Patrick J Butler
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Beverly Chua
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - William K Milsom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8S 4K1
| | - Lucy A Hawkes
- University of Exeter, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hatherly Laboratories, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
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21
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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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22
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Briedis M, Hahn S, Krist M, Adamík P. Finish with a sprint: Evidence for time-selected last leg of migration in a long-distance migratory songbird. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6899-6908. [PMID: 30073054 PMCID: PMC6065334 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Under time-selected migration, birds should choose a strategy for outcompeting rivals over securing access to prime resources at the final destination. Thus, migration can be viewed as a race among individuals where winners are arriving first when conditions are suitable. The sprint migration hypothesis predicts that individuals shift from maximum sustained speed to a final burst of sprint to shorten the transition from migration to breeding (Alerstam, 2006). In this study, we test the hypothesis of a final sprint migration in a long-distance Afro-Palearctic migrant, the collared flycatcher Ficedula albicollis, during autumn and spring, and compare migration strategies between the seasons. In both seasons, collared flycatchers evidently exhibited sprint migration by increasing their overall speed over the last leg of migration after the Sahara crossing. This phenomenon was more pronounced in spring, contributing to overall faster spring migration and possibly highlighting higher importance for early arrival at the breeding grounds. In both seasons and particularly in spring, late departing individuals flew at a faster rate, partially being able to catch up with their early departing conspecifics. Differential fueling strategies may play an important role in determining migration speed, especially during the early stages of the migration, and might explain the observed differences in migration speeds between late and early departing individuals. Our findings suggest competition for early arrival at the breeding and at the nonbreeding destinations alike. Sprint migration might be an appropriate strategy to gain advantage over conspecifics and settle in prime territories as well as to cope with the increasingly earlier springs at high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martins Briedis
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
- Department of ZoologyPalacký UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
| | - Miloš Krist
- Department of ZoologyPalacký UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Museum of Natural HistoryOlomoucCzech Republic
| | - Peter Adamík
- Department of ZoologyPalacký UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Museum of Natural HistoryOlomoucCzech Republic
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23
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Briedis M, Krist M, Král M, Voigt CC, Adamík P. Linking events throughout the annual cycle in a migratory bird—non-breeding period buffers accumulation of carry-over effects. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2509-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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24
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Müller F, Eikenaar C, Crysler ZJ, Taylor PD, Schmaljohann H. Nocturnal departure timing in songbirds facing distinct migratory challenges. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1102-1115. [PMID: 29504627 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Most migratory songbirds travel between their breeding areas and wintering grounds through a series of nocturnal flights. The timing of their departures defines the potential flight duration and thus the distance covered during a migratory night. Yet, migratory songbirds show substantial variation in their nocturnal departure timing. With this study, we aim to assess whether the respective challenges of the migration route, namely its distance and nature, help to explain this variation. At a stopover site, we caught Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) of two subspecies that differ in distance and nature of their onward migration route in spring, but not in autumn. We determined the start of their nocturnal migratory restlessness during short-term captivity, and radiotracked their nocturnal departure timing after release in both migration seasons. Northern Wheatears started their nocturnal migratory restlessness earlier when facing a long remaining migration distance and an extended sea barrier in spring. Individual departure directions generally affected the nocturnal departure timing with early departures being directed towards the respective migratory destination. In spring, this pattern was predominantly found in birds carrying relatively large fuel stores, but was absent in lean birds. At the same time, birds facing a short remaining migration distance and no extended sea barrier strongly reacted to relatively large fuel stores by an early start of nocturnal migratory behaviour (migratory restlessness and departure timing), whereas this reaction was not found in birds facing a long remaining migration distance and sea barrier. These results suggest that the basic diel schedule of birds' migratory activity is adapted to the onward migration route. Further, they suggest that birds adjust their behavioural response, that is start of nocturnal migratory behaviour, to fuel stores in relation to their impending migratory challenges. This is a substantial step in understanding variation of nocturnal departure timing and its adjustments in migratory songbirds. Further, it emphasizes the importance of interpreting birds' nocturnal migratory behaviour in the respective ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Müller
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Zoe J Crysler
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada.,Bird Studies Canada, Port Rowan, ON, Canada
| | - Philip D Taylor
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada.,Bird Studies Canada, Port Rowan, ON, Canada
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", Wilhelmshaven, Germany.,Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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Liechti F, Bauer S, Dhanjal-Adams KL, Emmenegger T, Zehtindjiev P, Hahn S. Miniaturized multi-sensor loggers provide new insight into year-round flight behaviour of small trans-Sahara avian migrants. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2018; 6:19. [PMID: 30305904 PMCID: PMC6167888 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-018-0137-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past decade, the miniaturisation of animal borne tags such as geolocators and GPS-transmitters has revolutionized our knowledge of the whereabouts of migratory species. Novel light-weight multi-sensor loggers (1.4 g), which harbour sensors for measuring ambient light intensity, atmospheric pressure, temperature and acceleration, were fixed to two long-distance migrant bird species - eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) and great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Using acceleration and atmospheric pressure data recorded every 5 and 30 min, respectively, we aimed at reconstructing individual diurnal and seasonal patterns of flight activity and flight altitude and thereby, at describing basic, yet hitherto unknown characteristics of migratory flight behaviour. Furthermore, we wanted to characterise the variability in these migration characteristics between individuals, species and migration periods. RESULTS The flight duration from breeding to sub-Saharan African non-breeding sites and back was more variable within than between the species. Great reed warblers were airborne for a total of 252 flight hours and thus, only slightly longer than eurasian hoopoes with 232 h. With a few exceptions, both species migrated predominantly nocturnally - departure around dusk and landing before dawn. Mean flight altitudes were higher during pre- than during post-breeding migration (median 1100 to 1600 m a.s.l.) and flight above 3000 m occurred regularly with a few great reed warblers exceeding 6000 m a.s.l. (max. 6458 m a.s.l.). Individuals changed flight altitudes repeatedly during a flight bout, indicating a continuous search for (more) favourable flight conditions. CONCLUSIONS We found high variation between individuals in the flight behaviour parameters measured - a variation that surprisingly even exceeded the variation between the species. More importantly, our results have shown that multi-sensor loggers have the potential to provide detailed insights into many fundamental aspects of individual behaviour in small aerial migrants. Combining the data recorded on the multiple sensors with, e.g., remote sensing data like weather and habitat quality on the spatial and temporal scale will be a great step forward to explore individual decisions during migration and their consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Liechti
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Department of Bird Migration, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Silke Bauer
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Department of Bird Migration, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Kiran L. Dhanjal-Adams
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Department of Bird Migration, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Emmenegger
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Department of Bird Migration, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Zehtindjiev
- Institute of Biodiversity & Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Department of Bird Migration, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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26
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Óvári M, Laczi M, Török J, Mihucz VG, Záray G. Elemental composition in feathers of a migratory passerine for differentiation of sex, age, and molting areas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:2021-2034. [PMID: 27761869 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7787-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The bulk analysis of single feathers of 263 feathers belonging to 238 individuals of a migratory passerine (collared flycatcher, Ficedula albicollis, originating from a breeding population in the Pilis-Visegrád Mountains in Hungary) by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SF-MS) for determination of elements after proper dissolution allowed the quantitative determination of 38 elements. Calcium, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn were found to have a quantitative determination frequency larger than 80 % and a concentration greater than 100 μg/g. Among ecotoxicologically relevant elements, Ni, Cd, Hg, and Pb could be determined in more than 55 % of the tail feather samples. The concentration of Hg with a quantification limit of 0.006 μg/g and Pb with that of 0.015 μg/g was higher than 1 and 10 μg/g, respectively, in more than 80 % of the investigated samples, but generally lower than levels that could cause adverse behavioral effects. The principal component analyses of elemental concentration data followed by the application of general linear models revealed that, for male collared flycatchers, the concentration of Sn, Pb, Ni, Sr, Mg, Zn, Ba, and Sc differed significantly in the wing and tail feathers collected from the same individuals. With females, only the Ca and Sc concentration showed a significant difference between wing and tail feathers. Moreover, the concentration of rare earth elements, V, Fe, Sr, Mg, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Ba in tail feathers allowed differentiation between sexes while the concentration of Se, Bi, and Sc between yearling and adult male individuals. At the same time, Sc differentiated age categories in females. Distribution of major elements along the rachis of feathers could be monitored by laser ablation ICP-SF-MS after normalization of the intensities to either 13C or 34S signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihály Óvári
- Hungarian Satellite Centre of Trace Elements Institute to UNESCO, Pázmány Péter stny 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Karolina út 29, Budapest, 1113, Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Victor G Mihucz
- Hungarian Satellite Centre of Trace Elements Institute to UNESCO, Pázmány Péter stny 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
| | - Gyula Záray
- Hungarian Satellite Centre of Trace Elements Institute to UNESCO, Pázmány Péter stny 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter stny 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Karolina út 29, Budapest, 1113, Hungary
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Åkesson S, Bianco G, Hedenström A. Negotiating an ecological barrier: crossing the Sahara in relation to winds by common swifts. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0393. [PMID: 27528783 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sahara Desert is one of the largest land-based barriers on the Earth, crossed twice each year by billions of birds on migration. Here we investigate how common swifts migrating between breeding sites in Sweden and wintering areas in sub-Saharan Africa perform the desert crossing with respect to route choice, winds, timing and speed of migration by analysing 72 geolocator tracks recording migration. The swifts cross western Sahara on a broad front in autumn, while in spring they seem to use three alternative routes across the Sahara, a western, a central and an eastern route across the Arabian Peninsula, with most birds using the western route. The swifts show slower migration and travel speeds, and make longer detours with more stops in autumn compared with spring. In spring, the stopover period in West Africa coincided with mostly favourable winds, but birds remained in the area, suggesting fuelling. The western route provided more tailwind assistance compared with the central route for our tracked swifts in spring, but not in autumn. The ultimate explanation for the evolution of a preferred western route is presumably a combination of matching rich foraging conditions (swarming insects) and favourable winds enabling fast spring migration.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Åkesson
- Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Giuseppe Bianco
- Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Anders Hedenström
- Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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28
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Åkesson S, Ilieva M, Karagicheva J, Rakhimberdiev E, Tomotani B, Helm B. Timing avian long-distance migration: from internal clock mechanisms to global flights. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20160252. [PMID: 28993496 PMCID: PMC5647279 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds regularly perform impressive long-distance flights, which are timed relative to the anticipated environmental resources at destination areas that can be several thousand kilometres away. Timely migration requires diverse strategies and adaptations that involve an intricate interplay between internal clock mechanisms and environmental conditions across the annual cycle. Here we review what challenges birds face during long migrations to keep track of time as they exploit geographically distant resources that may vary in availability and predictability, and summarize the clock mechanisms that enable them to succeed. We examine the following challenges: departing in time for spring and autumn migration, in anticipation of future environmental conditions; using clocks on the move, for example for orientation, navigation and stopover; strategies of adhering to, or adjusting, the time programme while fitting their activities into an annual cycle; and keeping pace with a world of rapidly changing environments. We then elaborate these themes by case studies representing long-distance migrating birds with different annual movement patterns and associated adaptations of their circannual programmes. We discuss the current knowledge on how endogenous migration programmes interact with external information across the annual cycle, how components of annual cycle programmes encode topography and range expansions, and how fitness may be affected when mismatches between timing and environmental conditions occur. Lastly, we outline open questions and propose future research directions.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Åkesson
- Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Mihaela Ilieva
- Centre for Animal Movement Research, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria
| | - Julia Karagicheva
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Eldar Rakhimberdiev
- Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Barbara Tomotani
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Helm
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G128QQ, UK
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29
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Zhu H, Yan J, Xu Q, Wei L, Huang X, Chen S, Yi C. TRAIL mutant membrane penetrating peptide alike (TMPPA) TRAIL-Mu3 enhances the antitumor effects of TRAIL in vitro and in vivo. Mol Med Rep 2017; 16:9607-9612. [DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Vansteelant WMG, Kekkonen J, Byholm P. Wind conditions and geography shape the first outbound migration of juvenile honey buzzards and their distribution across sub-Saharan Africa. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170387. [PMID: 28539514 PMCID: PMC5454264 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary tracking studies reveal that low migratory connectivity between breeding and non-breeding ranges is common in migrant landbirds. It is unclear, however, how internal factors and early-life experiences of individual migrants shape the development of their migration routes and concomitant population-level non-breeding distributions. Stochastic wind conditions and geography may determine whether and where migrants end up by the end of their journey. We tested this hypothesis by satellite-tagging 31 fledgling honey buzzards Pernis apivorus from southern Finland and used a global atmospheric reanalysis model to estimate the wind conditions they encountered on their first outbound migration. Migration routes diverged rapidly upon departure and the birds eventually spread out across 3340 km of longitude. Using linear regression models, we show that the birds' longitudinal speeds were strongly affected by zonal wind speed, and negatively affected by latitudinal wind, with significant but minor differences between individuals. Eventually, 49% of variability in the birds' total longitudinal displacements was accounted for by wind conditions on migration. Some birds circumvented the Baltic Sea via Scandinavia or engaged in unusual downwind movements over the Mediterranean, which also affected the longitude at which these individuals arrived in sub-Saharan Africa. To understand why adult migrants use the migration routes and non-breeding sites they use, we must take into account the way in which wind conditions moulded their very first journeys. Our results present some of the first evidence into the mechanisms through which low migratory connectivity emerges.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M G Vansteelant
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vansteelant Eco Research, Dijkgraaf 35, 6721 NJ Bennekom, The Netherlands
| | - J Kekkonen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - P Byholm
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, 10600 Ekenäs, Finland
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31
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Ouwehand J, Both C. Alternate non-stop migration strategies of pied flycatchers to cross the Sahara desert. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2015.1060. [PMID: 27072404 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.1060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Each year more than two billion songbirds cross the Sahara, but how they perform this formidable task is largely unknown. Using geolocation tracks from 27 pied flycatchers, a nocturnally migrating passerine, we show that most birds made diurnal flights in both autumn and spring. These diurnal flights were estimated to be part of non-stop flights of mostly 40-60 h. In spring, birds flew across the Sahara, while autumn migration probably circumpassed part of the desert, through a long oversea flight. Our data contradict claims that passerines cross the Sahara by intermittent flight and daytime resting. The frequent occurrence of long non-stop flights to cross the desert shows migrants' physiological abilities and poses the question why this would not be the general migration strategy to cross the Sahara.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Ouwehand
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, Groningen 9700 CC, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, Groningen 9700 CC, The Netherlands
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32
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Briedis M, Hahn S, Adamík P. Cold spell en route delays spring arrival and decreases apparent survival in a long-distance migratory songbird. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:11. [PMID: 28376915 PMCID: PMC5381016 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0121-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adjusting the timing of annual events to gradual changes in environmental conditions is necessary for population viability. However, adaptations to weather extremes are poorly documented in migratory species. Due to their vast seasonal movements, long-distance migrants face unique challenges in responding to changes as they rely on an endogenous circannual rhythm to cue the timing of their migration. Furthermore, the exact mechanisms that explain how environmental factors shape the migration schedules of long-distance migrants are often unknown. Results Here we show that long-distance migrating semi-collared flycatchers Ficedula semitorquata delayed the last phase of their spring migration and the population suffered low return rates to breeding sites while enduring a severe cold spell en route. We found that the onset of spring migration in Africa and the timing of Sahara crossing were consistent between early and late springs while the arrival at the breeding site depended on spring phenology at stopover areas in each particular year. Conclusion Understanding how environmental stimuli and endogenous circannual rhythms interact can improve predictions of the consequences of climate changes on migratory animals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-017-0121-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martins Briedis
- Department of Zoology, Palacký University, tř. 17. listopadu 50, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Peter Adamík
- Department of Zoology, Palacký University, tř. 17. listopadu 50, 77146, Olomouc, Czech Republic.,Museum of Natural History, nám. Republiky 5, 77173, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Actogram analysis of free-flying migratory birds: new perspectives based on acceleration logging. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:543-564. [PMID: 28343237 PMCID: PMC5522517 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1165-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The use of accelerometers has become an important part of biologging techniques for large-sized birds with accelerometer data providing information about flight mode, wing-beat pattern, behaviour and energy expenditure. Such data show that birds using much energy-saving soaring/gliding flight like frigatebirds and swifts can stay airborne without landing for several months. Successful accelerometer studies have recently been conducted also for free-flying small songbirds during their entire annual cycle. Here we review the principles and possibilities for accelerometer studies in bird migration. We use the first annual actograms (for red-backed shrike Lanius collurio) to explore new analyses and insights that become possible with accelerometer data. Actogram data allow precise estimates of numbers of flights, flight durations as well as departure/landing times during the annual cycle. Annual and diurnal rhythms of migratory flights, as well as prolonged nocturnal flights across desert barriers are illustrated. The shifting balance between flight, rest and different intensities of activity throughout the year as revealed by actogram data can be used to analyse exertion levels during different phases of the life cycle. Accelerometer recording of the annual activity patterns of individual birds will open up a new dimension in bird migration research.
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Schmaljohann H, Eikenaar C. How do energy stores and changes in these affect departure decisions by migratory birds? A critical view on stopover ecology studies and some future perspectives. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:411-429. [PMID: 28332031 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1166-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In birds, accumulating energy is far slower than spending energy during flight. During migration, birds spend, therefore, most of the time at stopover refueling energy used during the previous flight. This elucidates why current energy stores and actual rate of accumulating energy are likely crucial factors influencing bird's decision when to resume migration in addition to other intrinsic (sex, age) and extrinsic (predation, weather) factors modulating the decision within the innate migration program. After first summarizing how energy stores and stopover durations are generally determined, we critically review that high-energy stores and low rates of accumulating energy were significantly related to high departure probabilities in several bird groups. There are, however, also many studies showing no effect at all. Recent radio-tracking studies highlighted that migrants leave a site either to resume migration or to search for a better stopover location, so-called "landscape movements". Erroneously treating such movements as departures increases the likelihood of type II errors which might mistakenly suggest no effect of either trait on departure. Furthermore, we propose that energy loss during the previous migratory flight in relation to bird's current energy stores and migration strategy significantly affects its urge to refuel and hence its departure decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Cas Eikenaar
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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Abstract
Wakefulness enables animals to interface adaptively with the environment. Paradoxically, in insects to humans, the efficacy of wakefulness depends on daily sleep, a mysterious, usually quiescent state of reduced environmental awareness. However, several birds fly non-stop for days, weeks or months without landing, questioning whether and how they sleep. It is commonly assumed that such birds sleep with one cerebral hemisphere at a time (i.e. unihemispherically) and with only the corresponding eye closed, as observed in swimming dolphins. However, the discovery that birds on land can perform adaptively despite sleeping very little raised the possibility that birds forgo sleep during long flights. In the first study to measure the brain state of birds during long flights, great frigatebirds (Fregata minor) slept, but only during soaring and gliding flight. Although sleep was more unihemispheric in flight than on land, sleep also occurred with both brain hemispheres, indicating that having at least one hemisphere awake is not required to maintain the aerodynamic control of flight. Nonetheless, soaring frigatebirds appeared to use unihemispheric sleep to watch where they were going while circling in rising air currents. Despite being able to engage in all types of sleep in flight, the birds only slept for 0.7 h d-1 during flights lasting up to 10 days. By contrast, once back on land they slept 12.8 h d-1. This suggests that the ecological demands for attention usually exceeded that afforded by sleeping unihemispherically. The ability to interface adaptively with the environment despite sleeping very little challenges commonly held views regarding sleep, and therefore serves as a powerful system for examining the functions of sleep and the consequences of its loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group , Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Seewiesen , Germany
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36
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La Sorte FA, Fink D. Projected changes in prevailing winds for transatlantic migratory birds under global warming. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:273-284. [PMID: 27973732 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A number of terrestrial bird species that breed in North America cross the Atlantic Ocean during autumn migration when travelling to their non-breeding grounds in the Caribbean or South America. When conducting oceanic crossings, migratory birds tend to associate with mild or supportive winds, whose speed and direction may change under global warming. The implications of these changes for transoceanic migratory bird populations have not been addressed. We used occurrence information from eBird (1950-2015) to estimate the geographical location of population centres at a daily temporal resolution across the annual cycle for 10 transatlantic migratory bird species. We used this information to estimate the location and timing of autumn migration within the transatlantic flyway. We estimated how prevailing winds are projected to change within the transatlantic flyway during this time using daily wind speed anomalies (1996-2005 and 2091-2100) from 29 Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models implemented under CMIP5. Autumn transatlantic migrants have the potential to encounter strong westerly crosswinds early in their transatlantic journey at intermediate and especially high migration altitudes, strong headwinds at low and intermediate migration altitudes within the Caribbean that increase in strength as the season progresses, and weak tailwinds at intermediate and high migration altitudes east of the Caribbean. The CMIP5 simulations suggest that, during this century, the likelihood of autumn transatlantic migrants encountering strong westerly crosswinds will diminish. As global warming progresses, the need for species to compensate or drift under the influence of strong westerly crosswinds during the initial phase of their autumn transatlantic journey may be diminished. Existing strategies that promote headwind avoidance and tailwind assistance will likely remain valid. Thus, climate change may reduce time and energy requirements and the chance of mortality or vagrancy during a specific but likely critical portion of these species' autumn migration journey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank A La Sorte
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Daniel Fink
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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Müller F, Taylor PD, Sjöberg S, Muheim R, Tsvey A, Mackenzie SA, Schmaljohann H. Towards a conceptual framework for explaining variation in nocturnal departure time of songbird migrants. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2016; 4:24. [PMID: 27833750 PMCID: PMC5066284 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-016-0089-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Most songbird migrants travel between their breeding areas and wintering grounds by a series of nocturnal flights. The exact nocturnal departure time for these flights varies considerably between individuals even of the same species. Although the basic circannual and circadian rhythms of songbirds, their adaptation to migration, and the factors influencing the birds' day-to-day departure decision are reasonably well studied, we do not understand how birds time their departures within the night. These decisions are crucial, because the nocturnal departure time defines the potential flight duration of the migratory night. The distances covered during the nocturnal migratory flights in the course of migration in turn directly affect the overall speed of migration. To understand the factors influencing the arrival of the birds in the breeding/wintering areas, we need to investigate the mechanisms that control nocturnal departure time. Here, we provide the first conceptual framework for explaining the variation commonly observed in this migratory trait. The basic schedule of nocturnal departure is likely regulated by both the circannual and circadian rhythms of the innate migration program. We postulate that the endogenously controlled schedule of nocturnal departures is modified by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. So far there is only correlative evidence that birds with a high fuel load or a considerable increase in fuel load and significant wind (flow) assistance towards their migratory goal depart early within the night. In contrast, birds migrating with little fuel and under unfavorable wind conditions show high variation in their nocturnal departure time. The latter may contain an unknown proportion of nocturnal movements not directly related to migratory flights. Excluding such movements is crucial to clearly identify the main drivers of the variation in nocturnal departure time. In general we assume that the observed variation in the nocturnal departure time is explained by individually different reactions norms of the innate migration program to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Müller
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Philip D. Taylor
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 Canada
- Bird Studies Canada, 115 Front Street, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0 Canada
| | - Sissel Sjöberg
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Rachel Muheim
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Arseny Tsvey
- Biological Station Rybachy, Zoological Institute RAS, RU-238535 Rybachy, Kaliningrad region Russia
| | | | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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