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Witczak S, Kormann U, Schaub M, Oppel S, Grüebler MU. Sex and size shape the ontogeny of partial migration. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:406-416. [PMID: 38269638 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The arrival-time hypothesis of partial seasonal migration proposes that over-winter residence is driven by reproductive benefits of early presence on the breeding grounds. Thus, it predicts increased occurrence of residence at reproductive age. In contrast, the body size hypothesis proposes age-independent benefits of residence for large individuals, who should exhibit greater winter tolerance. Despite different expectations in age patterns for the two hypotheses in long-lived partially migrant species, there is little empirical work investigating the ontogeny of migratory phenotypic expression, that is the expression of residence or migration. We investigated the influence of age, sex and body size on migratory phenotype throughout ontogeny (from first year to early adulthood) in a long-lived partially migrant species, the red kite Milvus milvus. We GPS-tracked 311 individuals tagged as juveniles and 70 individuals tagged as adults over multiple years, yielding 881 observed annual cycles. From this data, we estimated age-dependent probabilities of the transition to residence and of survival in migrants and residents using a Bayesian multistate capture-recapture model, as well as the probability of resuming migration once resident. We then calculated the resulting proportion of residents per age class. In both sexes, almost all juveniles migrated in their first winter, after which the probability of becoming resident gradually increased with age class to approximately 0.3 in adults (>3 calendar years). A size effect in third calendar year females suggests that large females adopt residence earlier in life than small females. The transition from residence back to migration only occurred with a probability of 0.15 across all resident individuals. In addition, survival was notably reduced in adult male migrants compared to adult male residents. These results are largely consistent with the arrival-time and body size hypotheses, simultaneously. Our results reveal a plastic, yet primarily directional within-individual change in migratory phenotype towards more residence with increasing age, varying between sexes and between individuals of different size. This study highlights that different individual characteristics can jointly shape the ontogeny of migratory behaviour and result in complex within-population patterns and persistence of migratory phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Witczak
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | | | - Steffen Oppel
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
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2
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Carter WA, Pagano SS, Seewagen CL. The effects of diet-shifting from invertebrates towards fruit on the condition of autumn-migrant Catharus thrushes. Oecologia 2024; 204:559-573. [PMID: 38363323 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05511-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Migration is an energetically challenging and risky life history stage for many animals, but could be supported by dietary choices en route, which may create opportunities to improve body and physiological condition. However, proposed benefits of diet shifts, such as between seasonally available invertebrates and fruits, have received limited investigation in free-living animals. We quantified diet composition and magnitude of autumn diet shifts over two time periods in two closely-related species of migratory songbirds on stopover in the northeastern U.S. (Swainson's thrush [Catharus ustulatus], long-distance migrant, N = 83; hermit thrush [C. guttatus], short-distance migrant, N = 79) and used piecewise structural equation models to evaluate the relationships among (1) migration timing, (2) dietary behavior, and (3) morphometric and physiological condition indices. Tissue isotope composition indicated that both species shifted towards greater fruit consumption. Larger shifts in recent weeks corresponded to higher body condition in Swainson's, but not hermit thrushes, and condition was more heavily influenced by capture date in Swainson's thrushes. Presence of "high-antioxidant" fruits in fecal samples was unrelated to condition in Swainson's thrushes and negatively related to multiple condition indices in hermit thrushes, possibly indicating the value of fruits during migration is related more to their energy and/or macronutrient content than antioxidant content. Our results suggest that increased frugivory during autumn migration can support condition, but those benefits might depend on migration strategy: a longer-distance, more capital-dependent migration strategy could require stricter regulation of body condition aided by increased fruit consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wales A Carter
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center, 225 State Route 37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, USA.
| | - Susan Smith Pagano
- Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, 84 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY, 14623, USA
| | - Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center, 225 State Route 37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, USA
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3
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Diatroptov M, Opaev A. Bigger male Eurasian nuthatches (Sitta europaea) behave more aggressively in playback-simulated territorial intrusion. J ETHOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-023-00784-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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4
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Poblete Y, Contreras C, Fernández C, Flores CR, Vega P, Ávila M, Sabat P. Geographic variation in the altitudinal migration patterns, body size, oxidative status and exploratory behavior in a neotropical bird. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9941. [PMID: 36993153 PMCID: PMC10040957 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
To cope with life in the mountains, populations of the same species can exhibit substantial variability in their altitudinal migration patterns and phenotypes in response to local weather conditions. Studying such variability can provide valuable insights into how local populations respond to environmental challenges, and this information can be useful for conservation efforts in mountain ecosystems. Here, we used δ2H values of feathers and blood to evaluate latitudinal variation in altitudinal migration patterns and its possible links with body size, oxidative status, and exploratory behavior in 72 individuals of rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) that breed at low and high elevations in the center (~33°) and south (~38°) of Chile. Our results show that both altitudinal migration patterns and oxidative status were significantly influenced by the latitude of breeding sites, while exploratory behavior was associated with elevation. Notably, we found that fast-explorer birds inhabiting low elevations in central Chile displayed higher levels of oxidative damage than slow-explorer birds. These outcomes underscore the possibility of local adaptations in response to diverse local environmental conditions in the Andes. We discuss the implications of latitude, elevation, and environmental temperature in shaping the observed patterns and highlight the significance of identifying local adaptations in mountain birds for better predicting their response to climate change and other challenges stemming from anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanina Poblete
- NIAVA: Núcleo de Investigaciones Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y AgronomíaUniversidad de Las Américas, Campus ProvidenciaManuel Montt948SantiagoChile
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES)SantiagoChile
| | - Carolina Contreras
- NIAVA: Núcleo de Investigaciones Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y AgronomíaUniversidad de Las Américas, Campus ProvidenciaManuel Montt948SantiagoChile
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES)SantiagoChile
| | - Carolina Fernández
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Conservación de la NaturalezaUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | | | - Patricia Vega
- Master of Conservation ScienceUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Miguel Ávila
- NIAVA: Núcleo de Investigaciones Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y AgronomíaUniversidad de Las Américas, Campus ProvidenciaManuel Montt948SantiagoChile
| | - Pablo Sabat
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES)SantiagoChile
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Winter Territoriality of the American Redstart in Oil Palm Plantations. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aspects of territorial behavior of Nearctic-neotropical migratory birds during the nonbreeding period are poorly studied. Information about territoriality, site persistence, between-year site fidelity, and territory sizes are not available for most birds, especially in tropical agroecosystems. Given the rapid expansion of oil palm in the neotropics, determining how oil palm affects the territorial behaviors of overwintering migratory birds is an important line of inquiry with conservation implications. The American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) is considered a model species for the study of population dynamics in the neotropics; however, territory size for American Redstart has only been assessed in native habitats. In this study, we outfitted individual redstarts with radio tags, across two winter seasons, to determine variation in territory sizes across oil palm plantations and native forest patches in the State of Tabasco, Mexico. Average redstart territory size was 0.29 ha in oil palm plantations and 0.17 ha in native forest. Albeit presenting larger territories in oil palm plantations, which could indicate poorer habitat quality, the difference between both habitats was not statistically significant. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that American Redstarts hold territories in oil palm plantations and that territory size may serve as an important indicator of relative habitat quality for redstart populations in tropical working landscapes.
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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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Deakin JE, Guglielmo CG, Morbey YE. Effect of the Social Environment on Spring Migration Timing of a Songbird. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.715418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of the social environment on the timing of the annual cycle is poorly understood. Seasonally migratory birds are under pressure to accurately time their spring migration, and throughout the annual cycle, they may experience variability of the local sex-ratio. A population-level male-biased sex ratio is predicted to advance spring migration timing in males and is attributed to the increased intra-specific competition for access to females and/or breeding territories. The present study had two goals. First, to develop a method that utilizes digitally coded radio-transmitters to quantify the activity of flocked individuals in captivity. Second, to use this method to test the hypothesis that the social environment influences the spring migration traits of male yellow-rumped warblers (Setophaga coronata coronata). To accomplish this, birds were captured in the fall in Long Point, Ontario, and transferred to the Advanced Facility for Avian Research, London, Ontario. In the winter, they were assigned to a slightly male- or female-biased treatment and housed in flocks in large free-flight rooms. Throughout the experimental period, we took body mass measurements and standardized photos to monitor body condition and molt progression. To measure locomotor activity, the birds were outfitted with digitally coded radio-transmitters in April and photo-triggered to enter a migratory phenotype. The tagged birds were released at their capture site in May and the Motus Wildlife Tracking System was used to determine stopover departure timing and migratory movements. Sex ratio did not influence body mass or molt progression. However, males from the male-biased treatment had significantly less locomotor movement than those from the female-biased treatment. Additionally, a lower proportion of males from the male-biased treatment initiated migratory restlessness, an indicator of the urge to migrate. Overall, these findings suggest that the social environment can influence behavior of songbirds, but do not support the hypothesis that a male-biased sex ratio accelerates migration.
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8
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9
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Stanley CQ, Dudash MR, Ryder TB, Gregory Shriver W, Marra PP. Variable tropical moisture and food availability underlie mixed winter space-use strategies in a migratory songbird. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211220. [PMID: 34284621 PMCID: PMC8292764 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying environmental correlates driving space-use strategies can be critical for predicting population dynamics; however, such information can be difficult to attain for small mobile species such as migratory songbirds. We combined radio-telemetry and high-resolution GPS tracking to examine space-use strategies under different moisture gradients for wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). We explored the role moisture plays in driving food abundance and, in turn, space-use strategies at a wintering site in Belize across 3 years. Individuals occupying drier habitats experienced lower food abundance and poorer body condition. Using data from our radio-tracked study population and GPS tracking from across five breeding populations, we detected low rates of overwinter site persistence across the wood thrush wintering range. Contrary to expectations, individuals in wetter habitats were more likely to engage in permanent mid-winter relocations, up to 148 km. We suggest facultative movements are instead a condition-dependent strategy that enables wintering wood thrush to locate alternative habitat as food availability declines throughout the dry season. Increased aridity is predicted across the wintering range of wood thrush, and future research should delve deeper into understanding how moisture impacts within and between season space-use dynamics and its ultimate impact on the population dynamics of this declining species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calandra Q. Stanley
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
- Graduate Program in Behaviour, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Michele R. Dudash
- Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
| | - Thomas B. Ryder
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, 230 Cherry Street, Suite 150, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - W. Gregory Shriver
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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10
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Akresh ME, King DI, Marra PP. Hatching date influences winter habitat occupancy: Examining seasonal interactions across the full annual cycle in a migratory songbird. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:9241-9253. [PMID: 34306620 PMCID: PMC8293775 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds experience a sequence of critical events during their life cycle, and past events can subsequently determine future performance via carry-over effects. Events during the non-breeding season may influence breeding season phenology or productivity. Less is understood about how events during the breeding season affect individuals subsequently in their life cycle. Using stable carbon isotopes, we examined carry-over effects throughout the annual cycle of prairie warblers (Setophaga discolor), a declining Nearctic-Neotropical migratory passerine bird. In drier winters, juvenile males that hatched earlier at our study site in Massachusetts, USA, occupied wetter, better-quality winter habitat in the Caribbean, as indicated by depleted carbon isotope signatures. For juveniles that were sampled again as adults, repeatability in isotope signatures indicated similar winter habitat occupancy across years. Thus, hatching date of juvenile males appears to influence lifetime winter habitat occupancy. For adult males, reproductive success did not carry over to influence winter habitat occupancy. We did not find temporally consecutive "domino" effects across the annual cycle (breeding to wintering to breeding) or interseasonal, intergenerational effects. Our finding that a male's hatching date can have a lasting effect on winter habitat occupancy represents an important contribution to our understanding of seasonal interactions in migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Akresh
- Department of Environmental StudiesAntioch University New EnglandKeeneNHUSA
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMAUSA
| | - David I. King
- U.S. Forest Service Northern Research StationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMAUSA
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Department of Biology and McCourt School of Public PolicyGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
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Fokkema RW, Korsten P, Schmoll T, Wilson AJ. Social competition as a driver of phenotype-environment correlations: implications for ecology and evolution. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2561-2572. [PMID: 34145714 PMCID: PMC9290562 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
While it is universally recognised that environmental factors can cause phenotypic trait variation via phenotypic plasticity, the extent to which causal processes operate in the reverse direction has received less consideration. In fact individuals are often active agents in determining the environments, and hence the selective regimes, they experience. There are several important mechanisms by which this can occur, including habitat selection and niche construction, that are expected to result in phenotype–environment correlations (i.e. non‐random assortment of phenotypes across heterogeneous environments). Here we highlight an additional mechanism – intraspecific competition for preferred environments – that may be widespread, and has implications for phenotypic evolution that are currently underappreciated. Under this mechanism, variation among individuals in traits determining their competitive ability leads to phenotype–environment correlation; more competitive phenotypes are able to acquire better patches. Based on a concise review of the empirical evidence we argue that competition‐induced phenotype–environment correlations are likely to be common in natural populations before highlighting the major implications of this for studies of natural selection and microevolution. We focus particularly on two central issues. First, competition‐induced phenotype–environment correlation leads to the expectation that positive feedback loops will amplify phenotypic and fitness variation among competing individuals. As a result of being able to acquire a better environment, winners gain more resources and even better phenotypes – at the expense of losers. The distinction between individual quality and environmental quality that is commonly made by researchers in evolutionary ecology thus becomes untenable. Second, if differences among individuals in competitive ability are underpinned by heritable traits, competition results in both genotype–environment correlations and an expectation of indirect genetic effects (IGEs) on resource‐dependent life‐history traits. Theory tells us that these IGEs will act as (partial) constraints, reducing the amount of genetic variance available to facilitate evolutionary adaptation. Failure to recognise this will lead to systematic overestimation of the adaptive potential of populations. To understand the importance of these issues for ecological and evolutionary processes in natural populations we therefore need to identify and quantify competition‐induced phenotype–environment correlations in our study systems. We conclude that both fundamental and applied research will benefit from an improved understanding of when and how social competition causes non‐random distribution of phenotypes, and genotypes, across heterogeneous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rienk W Fokkema
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany.,Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany.,Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen, 9747AG, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Korsten
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Tim Schmoll
- Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
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12
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Perrig PL, Lambertucci SA, Alarcón PAE, Middleton AD, Padró J, Plaza PI, Blanco G, Zapata JAS, Donázar JA, Pauli JN. Limited sexual segregation in a dimorphic avian scavenger, the Andean condor. Oecologia 2021; 196:77-88. [PMID: 33837824 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04909-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sexual segregation is widely reported among sexually dimorphic species and generally attributed to intraspecific competition. Prey diversity and human activities can reinforce niche segregation by increasing resource heterogeneity. Here, we explored trophic and spatial sexual segregation in the only avian scavenger that exhibits pronounced sexual size dimorphism (up to 50% difference in body mass) and a highly despotic social system, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). We predicted that larger and dominant males would exclude smaller and subordinate females from high-quality resources, leading to sexual segregation particularly in human-dominated landscapes showing increased prey diversity. We compared resource use between females and males across six sites in Argentina featuring a range of prey diversity via stable isotopes analysis of molted feathers (n = 141 individuals). We then focused on two sites featuring contrasting levels of prey diversity and quantified assimilated diet via stable isotopes and space use via GPS monitoring (n = 23 and 12 tagged individuals). We found no clear differences in isotopic niche space, individual variation in isotopic signature, or assimilated diet between females and males. However, there were differences in foraging locations between sexes, with females apparently using areas of fewer food resources more frequently than males. Local conditions defined the dynamics of fine-scale sexual differences in foraging sites; yet, unpredictable and ephemeral carrion resources likely prevent segregation by sexes at the landscape scale. Our study highlights complex dynamics of sexual segregation in vultures and the relevancy of analyses under multiple spatial-temporal scales to explore segregation in social species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula L Perrig
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA. .,Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina.
| | - Sergio A Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Pablo A E Alarcón
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Arthur D Middleton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Julián Padró
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Pablo I Plaza
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de La Conservación, INIBIOMA (Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET), Quintral, 1250 8400, Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
| | - Guillermo Blanco
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC. José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Sánchez Zapata
- Departamento de Biología Aplicada, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche, 03202, Alicante, Spain
| | - José A Donázar
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Américo Vespucio 26, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jonathan N Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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13
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Niederhauser JM, Slevin MC, Noonburg EG, Anderson RC. Body size, habitat quality, and territory defense in Bachman’s sparrow. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many wild populations of animals conform to the ideal despotic distribution (IDD) in which more competitive individuals exclude less competitive individuals from high quality resources. Body size and aggressiveness are two important traits for resource defense, and they positively covary so that larger individuals are usually more aggressive. Using Bachman’s sparrows, we tested the hypothesis that larger birds are more aggressive and are thus able to compete for the best quality territories. We found that larger males were more aggressive, and more aggressive birds fledged at least one young. However, we did not find consistent relationships between aggressiveness and habitat characteristics. Our results suggest that Bachman’s sparrows meet most of the predictions of the IDD. Frequent ecological disturbances, such as fires, might disrupt the IDD or make it difficult to detect. Additional studies are needed to test for relationships between ecological disturbances and territorial behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan C. Slevin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL 33314, USA
| | - Erik G. Noonburg
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL 33314, USA
| | - Rindy C. Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Davie, FL 33314, USA
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14
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Rasool MA, Zhang X, Hassan MA, Hussain T, Lu C, Zeng Q, Peng B, Wen L, Lei G. Construct social-behavioral association network to study management impact on waterbirds community ecology using digital video recording cameras. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2321-2335. [PMID: 33717458 PMCID: PMC7920787 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying social-behavior and species associations in ecological communities is challenging because it is difficult to observe the interactions in the field. Animal behavior is especially difficult to observe when selection of habitat and activities are linked to energy costs of long-distance movement. Migrating communities tend to be resource specific and prefer environments that offer more suitability for coexisting in a shared space and time. Given the recent advances in digital technologies, digital video recording systems are gaining popularity in wildlife research and management. We used digital video recording cameras to study social interactions and species-habitat linkages for wintering waterbirds communities in shared habitats. Examining over 8,640 hr of video footages, we built tetrapartite social-behavioral association network of wintering waterbirds over habitat (n = 5) selection events in sites with distinct management regimes. We analyzed these networks to identify hub species and species role in activity persistence, and to explore the effects of hydrological regime on these network characteristics. Although the differences in network attributes were not significant at treatment level (p = .297) in terms of network composition and keystone species composition, our results indicated that network attributes were significantly different (p = .000, r 2 = .278) at habitat level. There were evidences suggesting that the habitat quality was better at the managed sites, where the formed networks had more species, more network nodes and edges, higher edge density, and stronger intra- and inter-species interactions. In addition, we also calculated the species interaction preference scores (SIPS) and behavioral interaction preference scores (BIPS) of each network. The results showed that species synchronize activities in shared space for temporal niche partitioning in order to avoid or minimize any potential competition for shared space. Our social network analysis (SNA) approach is likely to provide a practical use for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Awais Rasool
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xiaobo Zhang
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Muhammad Azher Hassan
- Key Lab of Indoor Air Environment Quality ControlSchool of Environmental Science and EngineeringTianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Tanveer Hussain
- Department of Forestry, Range and Wildlife ManagementThe Islamia University of BahawalpurBahawalpurPakistan
| | - Cai Lu
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Qing Zeng
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Boyong Peng
- West Dongting Lake National Nature ReserveHunanChina
| | - Li Wen
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Science DivisionNSW Department of Planning, Industry and EnvironmentSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Guangchun Lei
- School of Ecology and Nature ConservationBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
- Center for East Asian‐Australasian Flyway StudiesBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
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15
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Choi DY, Fish AC, Moorman CE, DePerno CS, Schillaci JM. Breeding-Season Survival, Home-Range Size, and Habitat Selection of Female Bachman's Sparrows. SOUTHEAST NAT 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/058.020.0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Y. Choi
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607
| | - Alexander C. Fish
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607
| | - Christopher E. Moorman
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607
| | - Christopher S. DePerno
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607
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16
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Powell LL, Ames EM, Wright JR, Matthiopoulos J, Marra PP. Interspecific competition between resident and wintering birds: experimental evidence and consequences of coexistence. Ecology 2021; 102:e03208. [PMID: 32981090 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The contribution of interspecific competition to structuring population and community dynamics remains controversial and poorly tested. Interspecific competition has long been thought to influence the structure of migrant-resident bird communities in winter, yet experimental evidence remains elusive. The arrival of billions of songbirds into Neotropical habitats, where they co-exist with residents, provides a unique opportunity to assess interspecific competition and its consequences. Working in 15 ha of Jamaican black mangrove forest, we used removal experiments to test whether dominant resident Yellow Warblers compete interspecifically with subordinate wintering American Redstarts; we also used observational evidence (interspecific territorial overlap) to understand whether this coexistence influences physical condition, spring departure dates or annual return rates. Consistent with interspecific competition, after experimental removal of the resident, yearling male Redstarts (but not females or adult males) immediately moved into vacated Yellow Warbler territories, increasing their overlap with the space by 7.3%. Yearling Redstarts also appeared to adjust their territorial space use by actively avoiding Yellow Warblers; for example, Redstarts departing the wintering grounds as yearlings and returning the following winter shifted such that their territories overlapped 32% less with those of Yellow Warblers. Adult Redstarts showed no such territorial flexibility. Adult male Redstarts also showed evidence supporting the consequences of coexistence: territorial overlap with Yellow Warblers was negatively correlated with body condition and annual return rates. Adult male Redstarts with <25% territorial overlap with Yellow Warblers were more than three times as likely to return between seasons than those with 100% overlap. We propose that the territorial inflexibility of adult male Redstarts produces these consequences, which may be due to their years-long investment in that particular territory. More generally, the temporary nature of migrant-resident interspecific competition is likely what allows coexistence during winter, the most resource-poor time of year. Interspecific competition and the consequences of coexistence are likely age- and sex-specific and the product of intraspecific dominance hierarchy in Redstarts. Our observations suggest that interspecific coexistence has measurable consequences, and our experiments support the long-held, but previously untested belief that resident birds compete interspecifically with wintering migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke L Powell
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological 7 Park, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C., 20013-7012, USA.,Institute of Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G128QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth M Ames
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological 7 Park, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C., 20013-7012, USA
| | - James R Wright
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological 7 Park, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C., 20013-7012, USA
| | - Jason Matthiopoulos
- Institute of Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G128QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Peter P Marra
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological 7 Park, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C., 20013-7012, USA
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17
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Chyb A, Jedlikowski J, Włodarczyk R, Minias P. Consistent choice of landscape urbanization level across the annual cycle in a migratory waterbird species. Sci Rep 2021; 11:836. [PMID: 33436983 PMCID: PMC7804327 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80872-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid urbanization has a great impact on avian distribution, ecology, habitat selection, and behavior. Recent avian studies indicated that individuals remain consistent in their behavioral responses to human disturbance across short periods of time. However, there is still little information about keeping consistent behaviors in distinct locations across different stages of the annual cycle. In this study, we aimed to test for long-term consistency in habitat selection with respect to urbanization in a migratory waterbird species, the Eurasian coot Fulica atra. For this purpose, we individually marked ca. 300 coots from four populations that varied in urbanization level and tracked their habitat preferences during the non-breeding season. We found that individuals from urban breeding populations selected habitats with a higher share of artificial areas during the non-breeding season, when compared to non-urban individuals. Also, a comparison of non-breeding sites selected by birds from our study populations with random sites showed that urban birds selected sites with higher urbanization level than resulting from random availability. Finally, we found a seasonal variation in habitat preferences in coots—individuals from all study populations selected more urbanized areas as the non-breeding season progressed. The results indicate that birds are able to remain consistent in habitat preferences not only at a large geographical scale, but also across different seasons. Marked between-population variation in habitat selection across the annual cycle may reflect personality differences of coots from urban and non-urban populations, and it stays in line with the personality-matching habitat choice hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Chyb
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237, Łódź, Poland
| | - Jan Jedlikowski
- Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Radosław Włodarczyk
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237, Łódź, Poland
| | - Piotr Minias
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237, Łódź, Poland.
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18
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Behavioural repeatability in Sardinian warblers (Sylvia melanocephala): larger individuals are more aggressive. Acta Ethol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-020-00358-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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19
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McBlain M, Jones KA, Shannon G. Sleeping Eurasian oystercatchers adjust their vigilance in response to the behaviour of neighbours, human disturbance and environmental conditions. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. McBlain
- School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor UK
| | - K. A. Jones
- School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor UK
| | - G. Shannon
- School of Natural Sciences Bangor University Bangor UK
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20
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Bayly NJ, Norris DR, Taylor PD, Hobson KA, Morales-Rozo A. There's no place like home: tropical overwintering sites may have a fundamental role in shaping migratory strategies. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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21
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Tonra CM, Wright JR, Matthews SN. Remote estimation of overwintering home ranges in an elusive, migratory nocturnal bird. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12586-12599. [PMID: 31788199 PMCID: PMC6875585 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to a long running research bias toward the breeding season, there are major gaps in knowledge on the basic nonbreeding ecology of many species, preventing a full-annual cycle focus in ecology and conservation. Exacerbating this problem is the fact that many species are extremely difficult to detect outside of breeding. Here, we demonstrate a partial solution to this problem by using archival GPS tags to examine the overwintering ecology of a migratory nocturnal bird, the eastern whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferous). We deployed tags on 21 individuals and were able to recover 11 (52%) one year later. Tags collected high precision (approx. 10 m) points throughout the nonbreeding period. With continuous time movement models, we used these data to estimate overwintering home ranges. All individuals exhibited at least one bounded home range during this phase of the annual cycle, three of eleven had two wintering locations, and home range area ranged from 0.50 to 10.85 ha. All overwintering home ranges contained closed-canopy forest land cover (42%-100%), and no other land cover type represented >40% of any home range. We found some evidence, with caveats, that total edge within the landscape surrounding the home range was negatively related to home range area. The prevalence of contiguous closed-canopy forest cover in overwintering home ranges contrasts with apparent breeding habitat preferences, which includes clear-cuts and other, more open, habitats. This study is the first to reveal key aspects of overwintering space use in this species by using archival GPS to overcome both logistical and methodological limitations. Expanded use of such technology is critical to gathering basic ecological and distributional data, necessary for achieving a more complete understanding of full-annual cycles of animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Tonra
- School of Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - James R. Wright
- School of Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Stephen N. Matthews
- School of Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
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22
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Bulluck L, Ames E, Bayly N, Reese J, Viverette C, Wright J, Caguazango A, Tonra C. Habitat-dependent occupancy and movement in a migrant songbird highlights the importance of mangroves and forested lagoons in Panama and Colombia. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:11064-11077. [PMID: 31641455 PMCID: PMC6802017 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is predicted to impact tropical mangrove forests due to decreased rainfall, sea-level rise, and increased seasonality of flooding. Such changes are likely to influence habitat quality for migratory songbirds occupying mangrove wetlands during the tropical dry season. Overwintering habitat quality is known to be associated with fitness in migratory songbirds, yet studies have focused primarily on territorial species. Little is known about the ecology of nonterritorial species that may display more complex movement patterns within and among habitats of differing quality. In this study, we assess within-season survival and movement at two spatio-temporal scales of a nonterritorial overwintering bird, the prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea), that depends on mangroves and tropical lowland forests. Specifically, we (a) estimated within-patch survival and persistence over a six-week period using radio-tagged birds in central Panama and (b) modeled abundance and occupancy dynamics at survey points throughout eastern Panama and northern Colombia as the dry season progressed. We found that site persistence was highest in mangroves; however, the probability of survival did not differ among habitats. The probability of warbler occupancy increased with canopy cover, and wet habitats were least likely to experience local extinction as the dry season progressed. We also found that warbler abundance is highest in forests with the tallest canopies. This study is one of the first to demonstrate habitat-dependent occupancy and movement in a nonterritorial overwintering migrant songbird, and our findings highlight the need to conserve intact, mature mangrove, and lowland forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Bulluck
- Center for Environmental StudiesVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVAUSA
| | - Elizabeth Ames
- School of the Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Nicholas Bayly
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el NeotropicoBogotá D.C.Colombia
| | - Jessie Reese
- Department of BiologyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVAUSA
| | - Cathy Viverette
- Center for Environmental StudiesVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVAUSA
| | - James Wright
- School of the Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Angela Caguazango
- SELVA: Investigación para la Conservación en el NeotropicoBogotá D.C.Colombia
| | - Christopher Tonra
- School of the Environment and Natural ResourcesThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
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23
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Akresh ME, King DI, Marra PP. Rainfall and habitat interact to affect the condition of a wintering migratory songbird in The Bahamas. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8042-8061. [PMID: 31380070 PMCID: PMC6662339 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
On the subtropical and tropical wintering grounds of migratory birds, variation in moisture levels and habitat can influence the availability of food resources and subsequently impact overwintering birds. Using stable carbon isotopes in blood samples as a measure of moisture, we assessed the interactive effects of rainfall, vegetation, and moisture on the demographics and condition of Prairie Warblers (Setophaga discolor) wintering in The Bahamas. Carbon isotopes in Prairie Warbler blood were more depleted in taller, wetter habitats; we additionally detected novel temporal effects of rainfall on isotope values. During a winter with more rainfall, most birds maintained mass and pectoral muscle regardless of the habitat type occupied. In a winter with less rainfall, birds lost mass and pectoral muscle, and this effect was more pronounced in birds with enriched isotope values and birds that occupied drier, shorter habitat. Prairie Warblers exhibited strong patterns of sexual habitat segregation with males disproportionately observed in areas with taller vegetation and females in shorter vegetation. During the drier winter, older males had better maintenance of pectoral muscle compared to females and younger individuals. Also in the drier winter, daily rainfall patterns explained more of the variation in body condition compared to the date of capture; pectoral muscle was best explained by recent precipitation (during the previous 30 days), while size-corrected mass was more a function of longer-term (90-day) rainfall and habitat moisture. Our findings along with other studies suggest that Prairie Warblers and other migratory birds are sensitive to interactions between annual variation in winter rainfall, within-season daily rainfall patterns, and habitat quality. Increasing drought and habitat loss in the Caribbean may be having a negative impact on wintering bird populations. To best conserve Nearctic-Neotropical migratory passerines in the region, we recommend prioritizing the protection of the least drought-prone wintering areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E. Akresh
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMassachusetts
- Department of Environmental StudiesAntioch University New EnglandKeeneNew Hampshire
| | - David I. King
- U.S. Forest Service Northern Research StationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMassachusetts
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Migratory Bird CenterSmithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonDistrict of Columbia
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24
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Grecian WJ, Williams HJ, Votier SC, Bearhop S, Cleasby IR, Grémillet D, Hamer KC, Le Nuz M, Lescroël A, Newton J, Patrick SC, Phillips RA, Wakefield ED, Bodey TW. Individual Spatial Consistency and Dietary Flexibility in the Migratory Behavior of Northern Gannets Wintering in the Northeast Atlantic. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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King KC, Caven AJ, Leung KG, Ranglack DH, Arcilla N. High society: behavioral patterns as a feedback loop to social structure in Plains bison (Bison bison bison). MAMMAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-019-00416-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Kristensen NP, Johansson J, Chisholm RA, Smith HG, Kokko H. Carryover effects from natal habitat type upon competitive ability lead to trait divergence or source-sink dynamics. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1341-1352. [PMID: 29938889 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Local adaptation to rare habitats is difficult due to gene flow, but can occur if the habitat has higher productivity. Differences in offspring phenotypes have attracted little attention in this context. We model a scenario where the rarer habitat improves offspring's later competitive ability - a carryover effect that operates on top of local adaptation to one or the other habitat type. Assuming localised dispersal, so the offspring tend to settle in similar habitat to the natal type, the superior competitive ability of offspring remaining in the rarer habitat hampers immigration from the majority habitat. This initiates a positive feedback between local adaptation and trait divergence, which can thereafter be reinforced by coevolution with dispersal traits that match ecotype to habitat type. Rarity strengthens selection on dispersal traits and promotes linkage disequilibrium between locally adapted traits and ecotype-habitat matching dispersal. We propose that carryover effects may initiate isolation by ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ryan A Chisholm
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Henrik G Smith
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Centre of Environmental and Climate Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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27
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Chang AM, Wiebe KL. Movement patterns and home ranges of male and female Snowy Owls ( Bubo scandiacus) wintering on the Canadian prairies. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Meeting energy requirements during the nonbreeding season is important for many animals and some defend winter territories to secure a food supply. In birds of prey, females, the larger and competitively dominant sex, may monopolize areas with higher prey abundance than males. We thus predicted that female Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus (Linnaeus, 1758)), which might acquire the high-quality habitats and individuals in better body condition, would be able to persist on smaller home ranges, travel shorter distances, and spend proportionally more time on a home range than males, during the winter. On the prairies in central Saskatchewan, we deployed satellite transmitters on 11 male and 12 female Snowy Owls over two winters. There were no significant differences between the sexes in home-range size or the amount of travelling during the winter months. Mean first home range (95% minimum convex polygon) size was 54.4 km2 for males, 31.9 km2 (estimated marginal means) for females, and 53.8 km2 for the sexes combined. However, within sexes, home-range size was negatively correlated with body condition as predicted. A lack of defense of home-range perimeters against conspecifics could increase variation in home-range size and movement patterns and reduce differences between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M. Chang
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Karen L. Wiebe
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
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28
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High-resolution GPS tracking reveals sex differences in migratory behaviour and stopover habitat use in the Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5391. [PMID: 29599447 PMCID: PMC5876360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-, size- or age-dependent variation in migration strategies in birds is generally expected to reflect differences in competitive abilities. Theoretical and empirical studies thereby focus on differences in wintering areas, by which individuals may benefit from avoiding food competition during winter or ensuring an early return and access to prime nesting sites in spring. Here, we use GPS tracking to assess sex- and size-related variation in the spatial behaviour of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) throughout their annual cycle. We did not find sex- or size-dependent differences in wintering area or the timing of spring migration. Instead, sexual differences occurred prior to, and during, autumn migration, when females strongly focussed on agricultural areas. Females exhibited a more protracted autumn migration strategy, hence spent more time on stopover sites and arrived 15 days later at their wintering areas, than males. This shift in habitat use and protracted autumn migration coincided with the timing of moult, which overlaps with chick rearing and migration. Our results suggest that this overlap between energy-demanding activities may lead females to perform a more prolonged autumn migration, which results in spatiotemporal differences in foraging habitat use between the sexes.
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29
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Wood KA, Ponting J, D'Costa N, Newth JL, Rose PE, Glazov P, Rees EC. Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of aggressive behaviour in waterbird assemblages: a meta-analysis. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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30
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How residents behave: home range flexibility and dominance over migrants in a Mediterranean passerine. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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31
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Rockwell SM, Wunderle JM, Sillett TS, Bocetti CI, Ewert DN, Currie D, White JD, Marra PP. Seasonal survival estimation for a long-distance migratory bird and the influence of winter precipitation. Oecologia 2016; 183:715-726. [PMID: 27942864 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3788-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Conservation of migratory animals requires information about seasonal survival rates. Identifying factors that limit populations, and the portions of the annual cycle in which they occur, are critical for recognizing and reducing potential threats. However, such data are lacking for virtually all migratory taxa. We investigated patterns and environmental correlates of annual, oversummer, overwinter, and migratory survival for adult male Kirtland's warblers (Setophaga kirtlandii), an endangered, long-distance migratory songbird. We used Cormack-Jolly-Seber models to analyze two mark-recapture datasets: 2006-2011 on Michigan breeding grounds, and 2003-2010 on Bahamian wintering grounds. The mean annual survival probability was 0.58 ± 0.12 SE. Monthly survival probabilities during the summer and winter stationary periods were relatively high (0.963 ± 0.005 SE and 0.977 ± 0.002 SE, respectively). Monthly survival probability during migratory periods was substantially lower (0.879 ± 0.05 SE), accounting for ~44% of all annual mortality. March rainfall in the Bahamas was the best-supported predictor of annual survival probability and was positively correlated with apparent annual survival in the subsequent year, suggesting that the effects of winter precipitation carried over to influence survival probability of individuals in later seasons. Projection modeling revealed that a decrease in Bahamas March rainfall >12.4% from its current mean could result in negative population growth in this species. Collectively, our results suggest that increased drought during the non-breeding season, which is predicted to occur under multiple climate change scenarios, could have important consequences on the annual survival and population growth rate of Kirtland's warbler and other Neotropical-Nearctic migratory bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Rockwell
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, MRC 5503, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA. .,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA. .,Klamath Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 758, Ashland, OR, 97520, USA.
| | - Joseph M Wunderle
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Sabana Field Research Station, Luquillo, PR, 00773, USA
| | - T Scott Sillett
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, MRC 5503, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
| | - Carol I Bocetti
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA, 15419, USA
| | - David N Ewert
- The Nature Conservancy, 101 East Grand River Ave., Lansing, MI, 48906, USA
| | - Dave Currie
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Sabana Field Research Station, Luquillo, PR, 00773, USA.,Puerto Rican Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 362495, San Juan, PR, 00936, USA
| | - Jennifer D White
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Sabana Field Research Station, Luquillo, PR, 00773, USA.,Puerto Rican Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 362495, San Juan, PR, 00936, USA.,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 50 Bend Rd., Charlestown, RI, 02813, USA
| | - Peter P Marra
- Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, MRC 5503, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
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Plumage quality mediates a life-history trade-off in a migratory bird. Front Zool 2016; 13:47. [PMID: 27766111 PMCID: PMC5057445 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0179-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Moult is one of the most costly activities in the annual cycle of birds and most avian species separate moult from other energy-demanding activities, such as migration. To this end, young birds tend to undergo the first post-juvenile moult before the onset of migration, but in some species the time window for the pre-migratory feather replacement is too narrow. We hypothesized that in such species an increased investment in the structural quality of juvenile feathers may allow to retain juvenile plumage throughout the entire migratory period and delay moult until arriving at wintering grounds, thus avoiding a moult-migration overlap. Methods The effect of juvenile plumage quality on the occurrence of moult-migration overlap was studied in a migratory shorebird, the common snipe Gallinago gallinago. Ca. 400 of first-year common snipe were captured during their final stage of autumn migration through Central Europe. The quality of juvenile feathers was assessed as the mass-length residuals of retained juvenile rectrices. Condition of migrating birds was assessed with the mass of accumulated fat reserves and whole-blood hemoglobin concentration. Path analysis was used to disentangle complex interrelationships between plumage quality, moult and body condition. Results Snipe which grew higher-quality feathers in the pre-fledging period were less likely to initiate moult during migration. Individuals moulting during migration had lower fat loads and hemoglobin concentrations compared to non-moulting birds, suggesting a trade-off in resource allocation, where energetic costs of moult reduced both energy reserves available for migration and resources available for maintenance of high oxygen capacity of blood. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that a major life-history trade-off in a migratory bird may be mediated by the quality of juvenile plumage. This is consistent with a silver spoon effect, where early-life investment in feather quality affects future performance of birds during migration period. Our results strongly suggest that the juvenile plumage, although retained for a relatively short period of time, may have profound consequences for individuals’ fitness. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0179-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Catry P, Campos AR, Granadeiro JP, Neto JM, Ramos J, Newton J, Bearhop S. Provenance does matter: links between winter trophic segregation and the migratory origins of European robins. Oecologia 2016; 182:985-994. [PMID: 27638183 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3725-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amongst migratory species, it is common to find individuals from different populations or geographical origins sharing staging or wintering areas. Given their differing life histories, ecological theory would predict that the different groups of individuals should exhibit some level of niche segregation. This has rarely been investigated because of the difficulty in assigning migrating individuals to breeding areas. Here, we start by documenting a broad geographical gradient of hydrogen isotopes (δ 2H) in robin Erithacus rubecula feathers across Europe. We then use δ 2H, as well as wing-tip shape, as surrogates for broad migratory origin of birds wintering in Iberia, to investigate the ecological segregation of populations. Wintering robins of different sexes, ages and body sizes are known to segregate between habitats in Iberia. This has been attributed to the despotic exclusion of inferior competitors from the best patches by dominant individuals. We find no segregation between habitats in relation to δ 2H in feathers, or to wing-tip shape, which suggests that no major asymmetries in competitive ability exist between migrant robins of different origins. Trophic level (inferred from nitrogen isotopes in blood) correlated both with δ 2H in feathers and with wing-tip shape, showing that individuals from different geographic origins display a degree of ecological segregation in shared winter quarters. Isotopic mixing models indicate that wintering birds originating from more northerly populations consume more invertebrates. Our multi-scale study suggests that trophic-niche segregation may result from specializations (arising in the population-specific breeding areas) that are transported by the migrants into the shared wintering grounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Catry
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Ana R Campos
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José Pedro Granadeiro
- CESAM and Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Júlio M Neto
- CIBIO/UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, MEMEG, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jaime Ramos
- MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jason Newton
- NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility, SUERC, Rankine Avenue, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 0QF, UK.,Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Exeter, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Exeter, TR10 9FE, UK
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34
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Early-life sexual segregation: ontogeny of isotopic niche differentiation in the Antarctic fur seal. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33211. [PMID: 27620663 PMCID: PMC5020412 DOI: 10.1038/srep33211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigating the ontogeny of niche differentiation enables to determine at which life-stages sexual segregation arises, providing insights into the main factors driving resource partitioning. We investigated the ontogeny of foraging ecology in Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), a highly dimorphic species with contrasting breeding strategies between sexes. Sequential δ(13)C and δ(15)N values of whiskers provided a longitudinal proxy of the foraging niche throughout the whole life of seals, from weaning, when size dimorphism is minimal to the age of 5. Females exhibited an early-life ontogenetic shift, from a total segregation during their first year at-sea, to a similar isotopic niche as breeding females as early as age 2. In contrast, males showed a progressive change in isotopic niche throughout their development such that 5-year-old males did not share the same niche as territorial bulls. Interestingly, males and females segregated straight after weaning with males appearing to feed in more southerly habitats than females. This spatial segregation was of similar amplitude as observed in breeding adults and was maintained throughout development. Such early-life niche differentiation is an unusual pattern and indicates size dimorphism and breeding constraints do not directly drive sexual segregation contrary to what has been assumed in otariid seals.
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35
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Cain KE, Langmore NE. Female song and aggression show contrasting relationships to reproductive success when habitat quality differs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2192-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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36
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Morrison CA, Robinson RA, Clark JA, Gill JA. Causes and consequences of spatial variation in sex ratios in a declining bird species. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1298-306. [PMID: 27390034 PMCID: PMC5006867 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Male‐biased sex ratios occur in many bird species, particularly in those with small or declining populations, but the causes of these skews and their consequences for local population demography are rarely known. Within‐species variation in sex ratios can help to identify the demographic and behavioural processes associated with such biases. Small populations may be more likely to have skewed sex ratios if sex differences in survival, recruitment or dispersal vary with local abundance. Analyses of species with highly variable local abundances can help to identify these mechanisms and the implications for spatial variation in demography. Many migratory bird species are currently undergoing rapid and severe declines in abundance in parts of their breeding ranges and thus have sufficient spatial variation in abundance to explore the extent of sex ratio biases, their causes and implications. Using national‐scale bird ringing data for one such species (willow warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus), we show that sex ratios vary greatly across Britain and that male‐biased sites are more frequent in areas of low abundance, which are now widespread across much of south and east England. These sex ratio biases are sufficient to impact local productivity, as the relative number of juveniles caught at survey sites declines significantly with increasing sex ratio skew. Sex differences in survival could influence this sex ratio variation, but we find little evidence for sex differences in survival increasing with sex ratio skew. In addition, sex ratios have become male‐biased over the last two decades, but there are no such trends in adult survival rates for males or females. This suggests that lower female recruitment into low abundance sites is contributing to these skews. These findings suggest that male‐biased sex ratios in small and declining populations can arise through local‐scale sex differences in survival and dispersal, with females recruiting disproportionately into larger populations. Given the high level of spatial variation in population declines and abundance of many migratory bird species across Europe at present, male‐biased small populations may be increasingly common. As singing males are the primary records used in surveys of these species, and as unpaired males often sing throughout the breeding season, local sex ratio biases could also be masking the true extent of these population declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catriona A Morrison
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | | | | | - Jennifer A Gill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
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37
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Rushing CS, Marra PP, Dudash MR. Winter habitat quality but not long‐distance dispersal influences apparent reproductive success in a migratory bird. Ecology 2016; 97:1218-27. [DOI: 10.1890/15-1259.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clark S. Rushing
- Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute National Zoological Park Washington D.C. 20013 USA
- Graduate Program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
| | - Peter P. Marra
- Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute National Zoological Park Washington D.C. 20013 USA
| | - Michele R. Dudash
- Graduate Program in Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park Maryland 20742 USA
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Ruiz-Gutierrez V, Kendall WL, Saracco JF, White GC. Overwintering strategies of migratory birds: a novel approach for estimating seasonal movement patterns of residents and transients. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - William L. Kendall
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
- US Geological Survey; Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
| | - James F. Saracco
- The Institute for Bird Populations; PO Box 1346 Point Reyes Station CA 94956 USA
| | - Gary C. White
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 USA
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39
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Marra PP, Studds CE, Wilson S, Sillett TS, Sherry TW, Holmes RT. Non-breeding season habitat quality mediates the strength of density-dependence for a migratory bird. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.0624. [PMID: 26136445 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of when natural populations are regulated during their annual cycle is limited, particularly for migratory species. This information is needed for parametrizing models that can inform management and conservation. Here, we use 14 years of data on colour-marked birds to investigate how conspecific density and habitat quality during the tropical non-breeding period interact to affect body condition and apparent annual survival of a long-distance migratory songbird, the American redstart (Setophagaruticilla). Body condition and survival of birds in high-quality mangrove habitat declined as density increased. By contrast, body condition improved and survival did not vary as density increased in adjacent, lower quality scrub habitat, although mean condition and survival were almost always lower than in mangrove. High rainfall enhanced body condition in scrub but not in mangrove, suggesting factors such as food availability outweighed consequences of crowding in lower quality habitat. Thus, survival of overwintering redstarts in mangrove habitat, disproportionately males,appears to be regulated by a crowding mechanism based on density-dependent resource competition. Survival of individuals in scrub, mostly females, appears to be limited by density-independent environmental factors but not regulated by crowding. The contrasting effects of density and food limitation on individuals overwintering in adjacent habitats illustrate the complexity of processes operating during the non-breeding period for migratory animals, and emphasize the need for long-term studies of animals in multiple habitats and throughout their annual cycles.
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40
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Sorensen MC, Jenni-Eiermann S, Spottiswoode CN. Why Do Migratory Birds Sing on Their Tropical Wintering Grounds? Am Nat 2016; 187:E65-76. [PMID: 26913952 DOI: 10.1086/684681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Many long-distance migratory birds sing extensively on their tropical African wintering grounds, but the function of this costly behavior remains unknown. In this study, we carry out a first empirical test of three competing hypotheses, combining a field study of great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) wintering in Africa with a comparative analysis across Palearctic-African migratory songbird species. We asked whether winter song (i) functions to defend nonbreeding territories, (ii) functions as practice to improve complex songs for subsequent breeding, or (iii) is a nonadaptive consequence of elevated testosterone carryover. We found support for neither the long-assumed territory-defense hypothesis (great reed warblers had widely overlapping home ranges and showed no conspecific aggression) nor the testosterone-carryover hypothesis (winter singing in great reed warblers was unrelated to plasma testosterone concentration). Instead, we found strongest support for the song-improvement hypothesis, since great reed warblers sang a mate attraction song type rather than a territorial song type in Africa, and species that sing most intensely in Africa were those in which sexual selection acts most strongly on song characteristics; they had more complex songs and were more likely to be sexually monochromatic. This study underlines how sexual selection can have far-reaching effects on animal ecology throughout the annual cycle.
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41
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Woodworth BK, Newman AEM, Turbek SP, Dossman BC, Hobson KA, Wassenaar LI, Mitchell GW, Wheelwright NT, Norris DR. Differential migration and the link between winter latitude, timing of migration, and breeding in a songbird. Oecologia 2016; 181:413-22. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3527-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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42
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McKellar AE, Reudink MW, Marra PP, Ratcliffe LM, Wilson S. Climate and density influence annual survival and movement in a migratory songbird. Ecol Evol 2016; 5:5892-904. [PMID: 26811763 PMCID: PMC4717330 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessing the drivers of survival across the annual cycle is important for understanding when and how population limitation occurs in migratory animals. Density‐dependent population regulation can occur during breeding and nonbreeding periods, and large‐scale climate cycles can also affect survival throughout the annual cycle via their effects on local weather and vegetation productivity. Most studies of survival use mark–recapture techniques to estimate apparent survival, but true survival rates remain obscured due to unknown rates of permanent emigration. This is especially problematic when assessing annual survival of migratory birds, whose movement between breeding attempts, or breeding dispersal, can be substantial. We used a multistate approach to examine drivers of annual survival and one component of breeding dispersal (habitat‐specific movements) in a population of American redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) over 11 years in two adjacent habitat types. Annual survival displayed a curvilinear relation to the Southern Oscillation Index, with lower survival during La Niña and El Niño conditions. Although redstart density had no impact on survival, habitat‐specific density influenced local movements between habitat types, with redstarts being less likely to disperse from their previous year's breeding habitat as density within that habitat increased. This finding was strongest in males and may be explained by conspecific attraction influencing settlement decisions. Survival was lowest in young males, but movement was highest in this group, indicating that apparent survival rates were likely biased low due to permanent emigration. Our findings demonstrate the utility of examining breeding dispersal in mark–recapture studies and complement recent work using spatially explicit models of dispersal probability to obtain greater accuracy in survival estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann E McKellar
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada 115 Perimeter Road Saskatoon Saskatchewan S7N 0X4 Canada
| | - Matthew W Reudink
- Department of Biological Sciences Thompson Rivers University Kamloops British Columbia V2C 0C8 Canada
| | - Peter P Marra
- Migratory Bird Center Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Washington District of Columbia 20013-7012
| | | | - Scott Wilson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment Canada National Wildlife Research Centre 1125 Colonel by Drive Ottawa Ontario K1A 0H3 Canada
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43
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Covino KM, Morris SR, Moore FR. Patterns of testosterone in three Nearctic-Neotropical migratory songbirds during spring passage. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 224:186-93. [PMID: 26315385 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Preparation for breeding may overlap extensively with vernal migration in long-distance migratory songbirds. Testosterone plays a central role in mediating this transition into breeding condition by facilitating changes to physiology and behavior. While changes in testosterone levels are well studied in captive migrants, these changes are less well known in free-living birds. We examined testosterone levels in free-living Nearctic-Neotropical migrants of three species during their vernal migration. Testosterone levels increased during the migratory period in males of all three species but significantly so in only two. Testosterone levels in females remained the same throughout their migration. Our results support the extensive overlap between vernal migration and breeding preparation in male songbirds. The pattern of testosterone changes during vernal migration is far from clear in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Covino
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive Box 5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA; Shoals Marine Laboratory, 102 Chase Ocean Engineering Lab, 24 Colovos Rd, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
| | - Sara R Morris
- Shoals Marine Laboratory, 102 Chase Ocean Engineering Lab, 24 Colovos Rd, Durham, NH 03824, USA; Biology Department, Canisius College, 2001 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14208, USA
| | - Frank R Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive Box 5018, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
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Colón MR, Martínez, EA, Wolf-Roque, K, Morrison ML. New distributional records for endangered black-capped vireos ( Vireo atricapilla) on their wintering grounds in Mexico. SOUTHWEST NAT 2015. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-60.4.313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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45
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Li J, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Gao C, Xu J, Xi B, Zhu J, Du Z. The Sex Ratio of Orange-flanked Bush-robins (Aves: Passeriformes: Muscicapidae) from a Winter Population in Central China. J NAT HIST 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1105318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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46
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Cooper NW, Sherry TW, Marra PP. Experimental reduction of winter food decreases body condition and delays migration in a long-distance migratory bird. Ecology 2015; 96:1933-42. [PMID: 26378315 DOI: 10.1890/14-1365.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Many tropical habitats experience pronounced dry seasons, during which arthropod food availability declines, potentially limiting resident and migratory animal populations. In response to declines in food, individuals may attempt to alter their space use to enhance access to food resources, but may be socially constrained from doing so by con- and heterospecifics. If social constraints exist, food declines should result in decreased body condition. In migratory birds, correlational evidence suggests a link between body condition and migration timing. Poor body condition and delayed migration may, in turn, impact fitness in subsequent seasons via carry-over effects. To determine if winter food availability affects space use, inter- and intraspecific competition, body composition (i.e., mass, fat, and pectoral muscle), and migration timing, we experimentally decreased food availability on individual American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) territories in high-quality mangrove habitat. Redstarts on control territories experienced -40% loss of food due to the seasonal nature of the environment. Redstarts on experimental territories experienced -80% declines in food, which closely mimicked natural declines in nearby, low-quality, scrub habitat. Individuals on food-reduced territories did not expand their territories locally, but instead either became non-territorial "floaters" or remained on territory. Regardless of territorial status, food-reduced American Redstarts all deposited fat compared to control birds. Fat deposits provide insurance against the risk of starvation, but, for American Redstarts, came at the expense of maintaining pectoral muscle. Subsequently, food-reduced American Redstarts experienced, on average, a one-week delay in departure on spring migration, likely due to the loss of pectoral muscle. Thus, our results demonstrate experimentally, for the first time, that declines in winter food availability can result in a fat-muscle trade-off, which, in turn, delays departure on spring migration. Previous work has demonstrated that, for each day delayed after the first male arrival on the breeding grounds, American Redstarts experience an 11% decrease in the chance of successfully reproducing. Therefore, such delays in departure likely lead to fitness costs for migratory birds. Because tropical seasonal forests are expected to become drier in response to global climate change, Neotropical migratory bird populations may experience significant winter food limitation, further exacerbating population declines in the coming decades.
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47
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Kernaléguen L, Cherel Y, Knox TC, Baylis AMM, Arnould JPY. Sexual Niche Segregation and Gender-Specific Individual Specialisation in a Highly Dimorphic Marine Mammal. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133018. [PMID: 26244371 PMCID: PMC4526469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While sexual segregation is expected in highly dimorphic species, the local environment is a major factor driving the degree of resource partitioning within a population. Sexual and individual niche segregation was investigated in the Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), which is a benthic foraging species restricted to the shallow continental shelf region of south-eastern Australia. Tracking data and the isotopic values of plasma, red blood cells and whiskers were combined to document spatial and dietary niche segregation throughout the year. Tracking data indicated that, in winter, males and females overlapped in their foraging habitat. All individuals stayed within central Bass Strait, relatively close (< 220 km) to the breeding colony. Accordingly, both genders exhibited similar plasma and red cell δ13C values. However, males exhibited greater δ13C intra-individual variation along the length of their whisker than females. This suggests that males exploited a greater diversity of foraging habitats throughout the year than their female counterparts, which are restricted in their foraging grounds by the need to regularly return to the breeding colony to suckle their pup. The degree of dietary sexual segregation was also surprisingly low, both sexes exhibiting a great overlap in their δ15N values. Yet, males displayed higher δ15N values than females, suggesting they fed upon a higher proportion of higher trophic level prey. Given that males and females exploit different resources (mainly foraging habitats), the degree of individual specialisation might differ between the sexes. Higher degrees of individual specialisation would be expected in males which exploit a greater range of resources. However, comparable levels of inter-individual variation in δ15N whisker values were found in the sampled males and females, and, surprisingly, all males exhibited similar seasonal and inter-annual variation in their δ13C whisker values, suggesting they all followed the same general dispersion pattern throughout the year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laëtitia Kernaléguen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Travis C. Knox
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alastair M. M. Baylis
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
- South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, Stanley, FIQQ1ZZ, Falkland Islands
| | - John P. Y. Arnould
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
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48
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Seasonal change in tropical habitat quality and body condition for a declining migratory songbird. Oecologia 2015; 179:363-75. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3343-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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49
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Mettke-Hofmann C, Hamel PB, Hofmann G, Zenzal TJ, Pellegrini A, Malpass J, Garfinkel M, Schiff N, Greenberg R. Competition and habitat quality influence age and sex distribution in wintering rusty blackbirds. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123775. [PMID: 25946335 PMCID: PMC4422684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bird habitat quality is often inferred from species abundance measures during the breeding and non-breeding season and used for conservation management decisions. However, during the non-breeding season age and sex classes often occupy different habitats which suggest a need for more habitat-specific data. Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) is a forested wetland specialist wintering in bottomland hardwood forests in the south-eastern U. S. and belongs to the most steeply declining songbirds in the U.S. Little information is available to support priority birds such as the Rusty Blackbird wintering in this threatened habitat. We assessed age and sex distribution and body condition of Rusty Blackbirds among the three major habitats used by this species in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and also measured food availability. Overall, pecan groves had the highest biomass mainly driven by the amount of nuts. Invertebrate biomass was highest in forests but contributed only a small percentage to overall biomass. Age and sex classes were unevenly distributed among habitats with adult males primarily occupying pecan groves containing the highest nut biomass, females being found in forests which had the lowest nut biomass and young males primarily staying in forest fragments along creeks which had intermediate nut biomass. Males were in better body condition than females and were in slightly better condition in pecan groves. The results suggest that adult males occupy the highest quality habitat and may competitively exclude the other age and sex classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mettke-Hofmann
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, D. C., United States of America
| | - Paul B Hamel
- US Forest Service, Stoneville, MS, United States of America
| | | | - Theodore J Zenzal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, United States of America
| | - Anne Pellegrini
- SWCA Environmental Consultants, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Malpass
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus OH, United States of America
| | - Megan Garfinkel
- Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata CA, United States of America
| | - Nathan Schiff
- US Forest Service, Stoneville, MS, United States of America
| | - Russell Greenberg
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, D. C., United States of America
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Vafidis JO, Vaughan IP, Jones TH, Facey RJ, Parry R, Thomas RJ. Habitat Use and Body Mass Regulation among Warblers in the Sahel Region during the Non-Breeding Season. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113665. [PMID: 25426716 PMCID: PMC4245214 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds face significant challenges across their annual cycle, including occupying an appropriate non-breeding home range with sufficient foraging resources. This can affect demographic processes such as over-winter survival, migration mortality and subsequent breeding success. In the Sahel region of Africa, where millions of migratory songbirds attempt to survive the winter, some species of insectivorous warblers occupy both wetland and dry-scrubland habitats, whereas other species are wetland or dry-scrubland specialists. In this study we examine evidence for strategic regulation of body reserves and competition-driven habitat selection, by comparing invertebrate prey activity-density, warbler body size and extent of fat and pectoral muscle deposits, in each habitat type during the non-breeding season. Invertebrate activity-density was substantially higher in wetland habitats than in dry-scrubland. Eurasian reed warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus occupying wetland habitats maintained lower body reserves than conspecifics occupying dry-scrub habitats, consistent with buffering of reserves against starvation in food-poor habitat. A similar, but smaller, difference in body reserves between wet and dry habitat was found among subalpine warblers Sylvia cantillans but not in chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita inhabiting dry-scrub and scrub fringing wetlands. Body reserves were relatively low among habitat specialist species; resident African reed warbler A. baeticatus and migratory sedge warbler A. schoenobaenus exclusively occupying wetland habitats, and Western olivaceous warblers Iduna opaca exclusively occupying dry habitats. These results suggest that specialists in preferred habitats and generalists occupying prey-rich habitats can reduce body reserves, whereas generalists occupying prey-poor habitats carry an increased level of body reserves as a strategic buffer against starvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O. Vafidis
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Ian P. Vaughan
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - T. Hefin Jones
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. Facey
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Parry
- Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Parc Slip, Tondu, Bridgend, CF32 0EW, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Thomas
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, CF10 3AX, United Kingdom
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