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Pot MT, Visser ME, Helm B, von Rönn JAC, van der Jeugd HP. Revisiting Perdeck's massive avian migration experiments debunks alternative social interpretations. Biol Lett 2024; 20:20240217. [PMID: 38955225 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2024.0217] [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: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Whether avian migrants can adapt to their changing world depends on the relative importance of genetic and environmental variation for the timing and direction of migration. In the classic series of field experiments on avian migration, A. C. Perdeck discovered that translocated juveniles failed to reach goal areas, whereas translocated adults performed 'true-goal navigation'. His translocations of > 14 000 common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) suggested that genetic mechanisms guide juveniles into a population-specific direction, i.e. 'vector navigation'. However, alternative explanations involving social learning after release in juveniles could not be excluded. By adding historical data from translocation sites, data that was unavailable in Perdeck's days, and by integrated analyses including the original data, we could not explain juvenile migrations from possible social information upon release. Despite their highly social behaviour, our findings are consistent with the idea that juvenile starlings follow inherited information and independently reach their winter quarters. Similar to more solitarily migrating songbirds, starlings would require genetic change to adjust the migration route in response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morrison T Pot
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Vogeltrekstation - Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel E Visser
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Helm
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | | | - Henk P van der Jeugd
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Vogeltrekstation - Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Shakhparonov VV, Golovlev AP, Grytsyshina EE, Bolshakova AA. Orientation in the European common frogs Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758 during their first wintering migration. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276386. [PMID: 35984329 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The orientation of naive animals during their first migration is extensively studied in birds and sea turtles, whereas the data for other groups such as amphibians are still scarce. To date, it is unknown whether young-of-the-year anurans perform a random or directional search for the hibernation sites, and what cues (global or local) do they use. We conducted a series of field experiments to study the orientation behavior of juvenile common frogs during their first wintering migration. We captured 1614 froglets from two subpopulations with different directions of migration and assessed their orientation in large circular outdoor arenas (20 m in diameter) on the opposite sides of the river. Before the migration, froglets used local cues and moved back towards the forest (summer habitat). At the start of migration, the froglets do not move randomly: they navigate towards the river using local cues; later, however, before approaching the hibernation site, they memorize the compass direction of migration and follow it using global cues. Orientation along a memorized compass heading begins to dominate in the hierarchy of orientation mechanisms, and this predominance is maintained even after reaching the hibernation site. Unlike in birds, no innate direction of migration was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir V Shakhparonov
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia.,Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Torez 44, Saint-Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Aleksander P Golovlev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Ekaterina E Grytsyshina
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Alisa A Bolshakova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia
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3
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Meyburg BU, Bergmanis U, Langgemach T, Graszynski K, Hinz A, Börner I, Meyburg C, Vansteelant WMG. Orientation of native versus translocated juvenile lesser spotted eagles ( Clanga pomarina) on the first autumn migration. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 220:2765-2776. [PMID: 28768749 PMCID: PMC5558239 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.148932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ontogeny of migration routines used by wild birds remains unresolved. Here we investigated the migratory orientation of juvenile lesser spotted eagles (LSE; Clanga pomarina) based on translocation and satellite tracking. Between 2004 and 2016, 85 second-hatched juveniles (Abels) were reared in captivity for release into the declining German population, including 50 birds that were translocated 940 km from Latvia. In 2009, we tracked 12 translocated juveniles, as well as eight native juveniles and nine native adults, to determine how inexperienced birds come to use strategic migration routes. Native juveniles departed around the same time as the adults and six of eight used the eastern flyway around the Mediterranean, which was used by all adults. In contrast, translocated juveniles departed on average 6 days before native LSEs, and five travelled southward and died in the central Mediterranean region. Consequently, fewer translocated juveniles (4/12) than native juveniles (7/8) reached Africa. We conclude that juvenile LSEs have a much better chance of learning the strategic southeastern flyway if they leave at an appropriate time to connect with experienced elders upon departure. It is not clear why translocated juveniles departed so early. Regardless, by the end of the year, most juveniles had perished, whether they were translocated (10/12) or not (6/8). The small number of surviving translocated juveniles thus still represents a significant increase in the annual productivity of the German LSE population in 2009.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd-U Meyburg
- BirdLife Germany (NABU), PO Box 330451, Berlin 14199, Germany
| | - Ugis Bergmanis
- Latvijas valsts meži, Vaiņodes iela 1, Rīga LV -1004, Latvia
| | - Torsten Langgemach
- Brandenburg State Bird Conservation Centre, Dorfstr. 34, Buckow, Nennhausen 14715, Germany
| | - Kai Graszynski
- Department of Biology, Free University Berlin, Schreberstr. 8 A, Berlin 14167, Germany
| | - Arno Hinz
- Agency of Forestry, Vietmannsdorfer Str. 39, Templin 17269, Germany
| | - Ingo Börner
- Veterinarian practice, Neuer Weg 5, Templin 17268, Germany
| | - Christiane Meyburg
- World Working Group on Birds of Prey, 31, Avenue du Maine, Paris 75015, France
| | - Wouter M G Vansteelant
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Inst. for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Vansteelant Eco Research, Dijkgraaf 35, Bennekom 6721NJ, The Netherlands
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Vansteelant WMG, Kekkonen J, Byholm P. Wind conditions and geography shape the first outbound migration of juvenile honey buzzards and their distribution across sub-Saharan Africa. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170387. [PMID: 28539514 PMCID: PMC5454264 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary tracking studies reveal that low migratory connectivity between breeding and non-breeding ranges is common in migrant landbirds. It is unclear, however, how internal factors and early-life experiences of individual migrants shape the development of their migration routes and concomitant population-level non-breeding distributions. Stochastic wind conditions and geography may determine whether and where migrants end up by the end of their journey. We tested this hypothesis by satellite-tagging 31 fledgling honey buzzards Pernis apivorus from southern Finland and used a global atmospheric reanalysis model to estimate the wind conditions they encountered on their first outbound migration. Migration routes diverged rapidly upon departure and the birds eventually spread out across 3340 km of longitude. Using linear regression models, we show that the birds' longitudinal speeds were strongly affected by zonal wind speed, and negatively affected by latitudinal wind, with significant but minor differences between individuals. Eventually, 49% of variability in the birds' total longitudinal displacements was accounted for by wind conditions on migration. Some birds circumvented the Baltic Sea via Scandinavia or engaged in unusual downwind movements over the Mediterranean, which also affected the longitude at which these individuals arrived in sub-Saharan Africa. To understand why adult migrants use the migration routes and non-breeding sites they use, we must take into account the way in which wind conditions moulded their very first journeys. Our results present some of the first evidence into the mechanisms through which low migratory connectivity emerges.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M G Vansteelant
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94248, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vansteelant Eco Research, Dijkgraaf 35, 6721 NJ Bennekom, The Netherlands
| | - J Kekkonen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - P Byholm
- Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, 10600 Ekenäs, Finland
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Vega ML, Willemoes M, Thomson RL, Tolvanen J, Rutila J, Samaš P, Strandberg R, Grim T, Fossøy F, Stokke BG, Thorup K. First-Time Migration in Juvenile Common Cuckoos Documented by Satellite Tracking. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168940. [PMID: 28005960 PMCID: PMC5179092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Being an obligate parasite, juvenile common cuckoos Cuculus canorus are thought to reach their African wintering grounds from Palearctic breeding grounds without guidance from experienced conspecifics but this has not been documented. We used satellite tracking to study naïve migrating common cuckoos. Juvenile cuckoos left breeding sites in Finland moving slowly and less consistently directed than adult cuckoos. Migration of the juveniles (N = 5) was initiated later than adults (N = 20), was directed toward the southwest-significantly different from the initial southeast direction of adults-and included strikingly long Baltic Sea crossings (N = 3). After initial migration of juvenile cuckoos toward Poland, the migration direction changed and proceeded due south, directly toward the winter grounds, as revealed by a single tag transmitting until arrival in Northwest Angola where northern adult cuckoos regularly winter. Compared to adults, the juvenile travelled straighter and faster, potentially correcting for wind drift along the route. That both migration route and timing differed from adults indicates that juvenile cuckoos are able to reach proper wintering grounds independently, guided only by their innate migration programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lomas Vega
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Mikkel Willemoes
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert L. Thomson
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jere Tolvanen
- Department of Ecology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jarkko Rutila
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Peter Samaš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | | | - Tomáš Grim
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Frode Fossøy
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Sluppen, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bård Gunnar Stokke
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Sluppen, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Vansteelant WMG, Shamoun-Baranes J, van Manen W, van Diermen J, Bouten W. Seasonal detours by soaring migrants shaped by wind regimes along the East Atlantic Flyway. J Anim Ecol 2016; 86:179-191. [PMID: 27757959 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Avian migrants often make substantial detours between their seasonal destinations. It is likely some species do this to make the most of predictable wind regimes along their respective flyways. We test this hypothesis by studying orientation behaviour of a long-distance soaring migrant in relation to prevailing winds along the East Atlantic Flyway. We tracked 62 migratory journeys of 12 adult European Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus with GPS loggers. Hourly fixes were annotated with local wind vectors from a global atmospheric model to determine orientation behaviours with respect to the buzzards' seasonal goal destinations. This enabled us to determine hot spots where buzzards overdrifted and overcompensated for side winds. We then determined whether winds along the buzzards' detours differed from winds prevailing elsewhere in the flyway. Honey Buzzards cross western Africa using different routes in autumn and spring. In autumn, they overcompensated for westward winds to circumvent the Atlas Mountains on the eastern side and then overdrifted with south-westward winds while crossing the Sahara. In spring, however, they frequently overcompensated for eastward winds to initiate a westward detour at the start of their journey. They later overdrifted with side winds north-westward over the Sahel and north-eastward over the Sahara, avoiding adverse winds over the central Sahara. We conclude that Honey Buzzards make seasonal detours to utilize more supportive winds further en route and thereby expend less energy while crossing the desert. Lifelong tracking studies will be helpful to elucidate how honey buzzards and other migrants learn complex routes to exploit atmospheric circulation patterns from local to synoptic scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter M G Vansteelant
- Computational Geo-ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Computational Geo-ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem van Manen
- Treetop Foundation, Talmastraat 112, 9406 KN, Assen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan van Diermen
- Treetop Foundation, Talmastraat 112, 9406 KN, Assen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Flahr LM, Michel NL, Zahara ARD, Jones PD, Morrissey CA. Developmental Exposure to Aroclor 1254 Alters Migratory Behavior in Juvenile European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:6274-6283. [PMID: 25893686 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Birds exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals during development could be susceptible to neurological and other physiological changes affecting migratory behaviors. We investigated the effects of ecologically relevant levels of Aroclor 1254, a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture, on moult, fattening, migratory activity, and orientation in juvenile European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Birds were orally administered 0 (control), 0.35 (low), 0.70 (intermediate), or 1.05 (high) μg Aroclor 1254/g-body weight by gavage from 1 through 18 days posthatch and later exposed in captivity to a photoperiod shift simulating an autumn migration. Migratory activity and orientation were examined using Emlen funnel trials. Across treatments, we found significant increases in mass, fat, and moulting and decreasing plasma thyroid hormones over time. We observed a significant increase in activity as photoperiod was shifted from 13L:11D (light:dark) to 12L:12D, demonstrating that migratory condition was induced in captivity. At 12L:12D, control birds oriented to 155.95° (South-Southeast), while high-dosed birds did not. High-dosed birds showed a delayed orientation to 197.48° (South-Southwest) under 10L:14D, concomitant with apparent delays in moult. These findings demonstrate how subtle contaminant-induced alterations during development could lead to longer-scale effects, including changes in migratory activity and orientation, which could potentially result in deleterious effects on fitness and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Flahr
- †Toxicology Graduate Program, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5B3
- ‡Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5B3
| | - Nicole L Michel
- §School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5C8
| | - Alexander R D Zahara
- ∥Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
| | - Paul D Jones
- ‡Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5B3
- §School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5C8
| | - Christy A Morrissey
- ‡Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5B3
- ∥Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
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McKinnon EA, Fraser KC, Stanley CQ, Stutchbury BJM. Tracking from the tropics reveals behaviour of juvenile songbirds on their first spring migration. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105605. [PMID: 25141193 PMCID: PMC4139399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Juvenile songbirds on spring migration travel from tropical wintering sites to temperate breeding destinations thousands of kilometres away with no prior experience to guide them. We provide a first glimpse at the migration timing, routes, and stopover behaviour of juvenile wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) on their inaugural spring migration by using miniaturized archival geolocators to track them from Central America to the U.S. and Canada. We found significant differences between the timing of juvenile migration and that of more experienced adults: juveniles not only departed later from tropical wintering sites relative to adults, they also became progressively later as they moved northward. The increasing delay was driven by more frequent short stops by juveniles along their migration route, particularly in the U.S. as they got closer to breeding sites. Surprisingly, juveniles were just as likely as adults to cross the Gulf of Mexico, an open-water crossing of 800-1000 km, and migration route at the Gulf was not significantly different for juveniles relative to adults. To determine if the later departure of juveniles was related to poor body condition in winter relative to adults, we examined percent lean body mass, fat scores, and pectoral muscle scores of juvenile versus adult birds at a wintering site in Belize. We found no age-related differences in body condition. Later migration timing of juveniles relative to adults could be an adaptive strategy (as opposed to condition-dependent) to avoid the high costs of fast migration and competition for breeding territories with experienced and larger adults. We did find significant differences in wing size between adults and juveniles, which could contribute to lower flight efficiency of juveniles and thus slower overall migration speed. We provide the first step toward understanding the "black box" of juvenile songbird migration by documenting their migration timing and en route performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. McKinnon
- Dept. of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Affiliation(s)
- R. A. Holland
- School of Biological Sciences; Queen's University of Belfast; Belfast UK
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10
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Is there a different response to winds during migration between soaring and flapping raptors? An example with the Montagu’s harrier and the lesser kestrel. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1506-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Wiltschko W, Wiltschko R. Global navigation in migratory birds: tracks, strategies, and interactions between mechanisms. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2012; 22:328-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Bridge ES, Thorup K, Bowlin MS, Chilson PB, Diehl RH, Fléron RW, Hartl P, Kays R, Kelly JF, Robinson WD, Wikelski M. Technology on the Move: Recent and Forthcoming Innovations for Tracking Migratory Birds. Bioscience 2011. [DOI: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.9.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 321] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Thorup K, Ortvad TE, Rabøl J, Holland RA, Tøttrup AP, Wikelski M. Juvenile songbirds compensate for displacement to oceanic islands during autumn migration. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17903. [PMID: 21464975 PMCID: PMC3064565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2010] [Accepted: 02/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To what degree juvenile migrant birds are able to correct for orientation errors
or wind drift is still largely unknown. We studied the orientation of passerines
on the Faroe Islands far off the normal migration routes of European migrants.
The ability to compensate for displacement was tested in naturally occurring
vagrants presumably displaced by wind and in birds experimentally displaced 1100
km from Denmark to the Faroes. The orientation was studied in orientation cages
as well as in the free-flying birds after release by tracking departures using
small radio transmitters. Both the naturally displaced and the experimentally
displaced birds oriented in more easterly directions on the Faroes than was
observed in Denmark prior to displacement. This pattern was even more pronounced
in departure directions, perhaps because of wind influence. The clear
directional compensation found even in experimentally displaced birds indicates
that first-year birds can also possess the ability to correct for displacement
in some circumstances, possibly involving either some primitive form of true
navigation, or ‘sign posts’, but the cues used for this are highly
speculative. We also found some indications of differences between species in
the reaction to displacement. Such differences might be involved in the
diversity of results reported in displacement studies so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and
Climate, Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,
Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Troels Eske Ortvad
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and
Climate, Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,
Denmark
| | - Jørgen Rabøl
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and
Climate, Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,
Denmark
| | - Richard A. Holland
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology,
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Anders P. Tøttrup
- Department of Biology, Center for
Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen,
Denmark
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology,
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
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