1
|
Becciu P, Troupin D, Dinevich L, Leshem Y, Sapir N. Soaring migrants flexibly respond to sea-breeze in a migratory bottleneck: using first derivatives to identify behavioural adjustments over time. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:44. [PMID: 37501209 PMCID: PMC10375660 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00402-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Millions of birds travel every year between Europe and Africa detouring ecological barriers and funnelling through migratory corridors where they face variable weather conditions. Little is known regarding the response of migrating birds to mesoscale meteorological processes during flight. Specifically, sea-breeze has a daily cycle that may directly influence the flight of diurnal migrants. METHODS We collected radar tracks of soaring migrants using modified weather radar in Latrun, central Israel, in 7 autumns between 2005 and 2016. We investigated how migrating soaring birds adjusted their flight speed and direction under the effects of daily sea-breeze circulation. We analysed the effects of wind on bird groundspeed, airspeed and the lateral component of the airspeed as a function of time of day using Generalized Additive Mixed Models. To identify when birds adjusted their response to the wind over time, we estimated first derivatives. RESULTS Using data collected during a total of 148 days, we characterised the diel dynamics of horizontal wind flow relative to the migration goal, finding a consistent rotational movement of the wind blowing towards the East (morning) and to the South-East (late afternoon), with highest crosswind speed around mid-day and increasing tailwinds towards late afternoon. Airspeed of radar detected birds decreased consistently with increasing tailwind and decreasing crosswinds from early afternoon, resulting in rather stable groundspeed of 16-17 m/s. In addition, birds fully compensated for lateral drift when crosswinds were at their maximum and slightly drifted with the wind when crosswinds decreased and tailwinds became more intense. CONCLUSIONS Using a simple and broadly applicable statistical method, we studied how wind influences bird flight through speed adjustments over time, providing new insights regarding the flexible behavioural responses of soaring birds to wind conditions. These adjustments allowed the birds to compensate for lateral drift under crosswind and reduced their airspeed under tailwind. Our work enhances our understanding of how migrating birds respond to changing wind conditions during their long-distance journeys through migratory corridors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Becciu
- Animal Flight Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave. Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - David Troupin
- Animal Flight Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave. Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Leonid Dinevich
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Tel Aviv, 69978, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yossi Leshem
- Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Tel Aviv, 69978, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nir Sapir
- Animal Flight Laboratory, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave. Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pelagic seabirds reduce risk by flying into the eye of the storm. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2212925119. [PMID: 36194636 PMCID: PMC9565516 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2212925119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclones can cause mass mortality of seabirds, sometimes wrecking thousands of individuals. The few studies to track pelagic seabirds during cyclones show they tend to circumnavigate the strongest winds. We tracked adult shearwaters in the Sea of Japan over 11 y and found that the response to cyclones varied according to the wind speed and direction. In strong winds, birds that were sandwiched between the storm and mainland Japan flew away from land and toward the eye of the storm, flying within ≤30 km of the eye and tracking it for up to 8 h. This exposed shearwaters to some of the highest wind speeds near the eye wall (≤21 m s-1) but enabled them to avoid strong onshore winds in the storm's wake. Extreme winds may therefore become a threat when an inability to compensate for drift could lead to forced landings and collisions. Birds may need to know where land is in order to avoid it. This provides additional selective pressure for a map sense and could explain why juvenile shearwaters, which lack a map sense, instead navigating using a compass heading, are susceptible to being wrecked. We suggest that the ability to respond to storms is influenced by both flight and navigational capacities. This may become increasingly pertinent due to changes in extreme weather patterns.
Collapse
|
3
|
Pinti J, Celani A, Thygesen UH, Mariani P. Optimal navigation and behavioural traits in oceanic migrations. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-020-00469-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
4
|
Aurbach A, Schmid B, Liechti F, Chokani N, Abhari R. Simulation of broad front bird migration across Western Europe. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
5
|
|
6
|
Yoshioka H. A stochastic differential game approach toward animal migration. Theory Biosci 2019; 138:277-303. [PMID: 30972714 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-019-00292-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A stochastic differential game model for animal migration between two habitats under uncertain environment, a new population dynamics model, is formulated. Its novelty is the use of an impulse control formalism to naturally describe migrations with different timings and magnitudes that the conventional models could not handle. Uncertainty of the environment that the population faces with is formulated in the context of the multiplier robust control. The optimal migration strategy to give the maximized minimal profit is found through a Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman quasi-variational inequality (HJBQVI). A key message from HJBQVI is that its free boundary determines the optimal migration strategy. Solving the HJBQVI is carried out with a specialized stable and convergent finite difference scheme. This paper theoretically suggests that the sub-additivity of the performance index, the index to be optimized through the migration, critically affects the resulting strategy. The computational results with the established scheme are consistent with the theoretical predictions and support importance of the sub-additivity property. Social interaction to reduce the net mortality rate is also quantified, suggesting a linkage between the present and existing population dynamics models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hidekazu Yoshioka
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, 1060, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
In the context of climate change, how extreme climatic events, such as cyclones, will affect the foraging abilities of marine vertebrates is still poorly known. During the course of a study on the foraging behaviour of two tropical seabirds, red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds, several cyclones have affected their breeding grounds and foraging zones, allowing us to study their response to extreme wind conditions. We examined whether adults and young naïve birds were able to predict the arrival of a cyclone and behave accordingly to reduce mortality risks and optimise foraging. We show that when a cyclone approached, juveniles and adults of the two species differed in their decisions to leave the colony for the sea. When the winds reached gale force, the juveniles of both species and adult frigatebirds remained at the colony, whereas adult boobies continued their foraging routine. The mortality of the individuals remaining on land remained limited. When encountering at-sea gale conditions, adult birds were able to avoid the centre of the low pressure systems and moved westward to bypass the route of the cyclones and circumvent the moving cyclone. Frigatebirds climb to high altitudes when close to the eye of the cyclone to bypass it at high speeds. These movements likely reduce the mortality risk at sea but can temporarily cause birds to move outside their normal range at sea or over land masses. We discuss the potential consequences of an increase in cyclonic conditions on seabird populations.
Collapse
|
8
|
Cerritelli G, Bianco G, Santini G, Broderick AC, Godley BJ, Hays GC, Luschi P, Åkesson S. Assessing reliance on vector navigation in the long-distance oceanic migrations of green sea turtles. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giacomo Santini
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | | | - Brendan J Godley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, UK
| | | | - Paolo Luschi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Nadler LE, Killen SS, Domenici P, McCormick MI. Role of water flow regime in the swimming behaviour and escape performance of a schooling fish. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio.031997. [PMID: 30237289 PMCID: PMC6215405 DOI: 10.1242/bio.031997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are exposed to variable and rapidly changing environmental flow conditions, such as wind in terrestrial habitats and currents in aquatic systems. For fishes, previous work suggests that individuals exhibit flow-induced changes in aerobic swimming performance. Yet, no one has examined whether similar plasticity is found in fast-start escape responses, which are modulated by anaerobic swimming performance, sensory stimuli and neural control. In this study, we used fish from wild schools of the tropical damselfish Chromis viridis from shallow reefs surrounding Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The flow regime at each site was measured to ascertain differences in mean water flow speed and its temporal variability. Swimming and escape behaviour in fish schools were video-recorded in a laminar-flow swim tunnel. Though each school's swimming behaviour (i.e. alignment and cohesion) was not associated with local flow conditions, traits linked with fast-start performance (particularly turning rate and the distance travelled with the response) were significantly greater in individuals from high-flow habitats. This stronger performance may occur due to a number of mechanisms, such as an i n s itu training effect or greater selection pressure for faster performance phenotypes in areas with high flow speed.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Nadler
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia .,Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Shaun S Killen
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Domenici
- CNR-IAMC, Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero, Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09170, Oristano, Italy
| | - Mark I McCormick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.,Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Complex behaviour in complex terrain - Modelling bird migration in a high resolution wind field across mountainous terrain to simulate observed patterns. J Theor Biol 2018; 454:126-138. [PMID: 29874554 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Crossing of large ecological barriers, such as mountains, is in terms of energy considered to be a demanding and critical step during bird migration. Besides forming a geographical barrier, mountains have a profound impact on the resulting wind flow. We use a novel framework of mathematical models to investigate the influences of wind and topography on nocturnal passerine bird behaviour, and to assess the energy costs for different flight strategies for crossing the Jura Mountains. The mathematical models include three biological models of bird behaviour: i) wind drift compensation; ii) adaptation of flight height for favourable winds; and, iii) avoidance of obstacles (cross over and/or circumvention of an obstacle following a minimum energy expenditure strategy), which are assessed separately and in combination. Further, we use a mesoscale weather model for high-resolution predictions of the wind fields. We simulate the broad front nocturnal passerine migration for autumn nights with peak migration intensities. The bird densities retrieved from a weather radar are used as the initial intensities and to specify the vertical distributions of the simulated birds. It is shown that migration over complex terrain represents the most expensive flight option in terms of energy expenditure, and wind is seen to be the main factor that influences the energy expenditure in the bird's preferred flight direction. Further, the combined effects of wind and orography lead to a high concentration of migratory birds within the favourable wind conditions of the Swiss lowlands and north of the Jura Mountains.
Collapse
|
11
|
Shamoun-Baranes J, Bouten W, van Loon EE, Meijer C, Camphuysen CJ. Flap or soar? How a flight generalist responds to its aerial environment. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0395. [PMID: 27528785 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aerial environment is heterogeneous in space and time and directly influences the costs of animal flight. Volant animals can reduce these costs by using different flight modes, each with their own benefits and constraints. However, the extent to which animals alter their flight modes in response to environmental conditions has rarely been studied in the wild. To provide insight into how a flight generalist can reduce the energetic cost of movement, we studied flight behaviour in relation to the aerial environmental and landscape using hundreds of hours of global positioning system and triaxial acceleration measurements of the lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus). Individuals differed largely in the time spent in flight, which increased linearly with the time spent in flight at sea. In general, flapping was used more frequently than more energetically efficient soaring flight. The probability of soaring increased with increasing boundary layer height and time closer to midday, reflecting improved convective conditions supportive of thermal soaring. Other forms of soaring flight were also used, including fine-scale use of orographic lift. We explore the energetic consequences of behavioural adaptations to the aerial environment and underlying landscape and implications for individual energy budgets, foraging ecology and reproductive success.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Computational Geo-Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E Emiel van Loon
- Computational Geo-Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1090GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Meijer
- Netherlands eScience Center, Science Park 140, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C J Camphuysen
- Department Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
McCabe JD, Olsen BJ, Osti B, Koons PO. The influence of wind selectivity on migratory behavioral strategies. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D McCabe
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Ecology, Russell Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME
- Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME
| | - Brian J Olsen
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME
- Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME
| | - Bipush Osti
- Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME
- School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine, ME
| | - Peter O Koons
- Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME
- School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine, ME
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Shamoun-Baranes J, Liechti F, Vansteelant WMG. Atmospheric conditions create freeways, detours and tailbacks for migrating birds. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:509-529. [PMID: 28508130 PMCID: PMC5522504 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1181-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The extraordinary adaptations of birds to contend with atmospheric conditions during their migratory flights have captivated ecologists for decades. During the 21st century technological advances have sparked a revival of research into the influence of weather on migrating birds. Using biologging technology, flight behaviour is measured across entire flyways, weather radar networks quantify large-scale migratory fluxes, citizen scientists gather observations of migrant birds and mechanistic models are used to simulate migration in dynamic aerial environments. In this review, we first introduce the most relevant microscale, mesoscale and synoptic scale atmospheric phenomena from the point of view of a migrating bird. We then provide an overview of the individual responses of migrant birds (when, where and how to fly) in relation to these phenomena. We explore the cumulative impact of individual responses to weather during migration, and the consequences thereof for populations and migratory systems. In general, individual birds seem to have a much more flexible response to weather than previously thought, but we also note similarities in migratory behaviour across taxa. We propose various avenues for future research through which we expect to derive more fundamental insights into the influence of weather on the evolution of migratory behaviour and the life-history, population dynamics and species distributions of migrant birds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Felix Liechti
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Wouter M G Vansteelant
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94248, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Vansteelant Eco Research, Dijkgraaf 35, 6721 NJ, Bennekom, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yoshioka H. A simple game-theoretic model for upstream fish migration. Theory Biosci 2017; 136:99-111. [PMID: 28470443 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-017-0244-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A simple game-theoretic model for upstream fish migration, which is a key element in life history of diadromous fishes, is proposed. Foundation of the model is a minimization problem on the cost of migration with the swimming speed and school size as the variables to be simultaneously optimized. Finding the optimizer ultimately reduces to solving a self-consistency equation without explicit solutions. Mathematical analytical results lead to the sufficient condition that the self-consistency equation has a unique solution, which turns out to be identified with the condition where the unique optimizer exists. Behavior of the optimizer is analyzed both mathematically and numerically to show its biophysical and ecological consequences. The analytical results demonstrate reasonable agreement between the present mathematical model and the theoretical and experimental results of upstream migration of fish schools reported in the past research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hidekazu Yoshioka
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Shimane University, Nishikawatsu-cho 1060, Matsue, Shimane, 690-8504, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Effects of wind, ambient temperature and sun position on damselfly flight activity and perch orientation. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
16
|
McCracken GF, Safi K, Kunz TH, Dechmann DKN, Swartz SM, Wikelski M. Airplane tracking documents the fastest flight speeds recorded for bats. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160398. [PMID: 28018618 PMCID: PMC5180116 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The performance capabilities of flying animals reflect the interplay of biomechanical and physiological constraints and evolutionary innovation. Of the two extant groups of vertebrates that are capable of powered flight, birds are thought to fly more efficiently and faster than bats. However, fast-flying bat species that are adapted for flight in open airspace are similar in wing shape and appear to be similar in flight dynamics to fast-flying birds that exploit the same aerial niche. Here, we investigate flight behaviour in seven free-flying Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) and report that the maximum ground speeds achieved exceed speeds previously documented for any bat. Regional wind modelling indicates that bats adjusted flight speeds in response to winds by flying more slowly as wind support increased and flying faster when confronted with crosswinds, as demonstrated for insects, birds and other bats. Increased frequency of pauses in wing beats at faster speeds suggests that flap-gliding assists the bats' rapid flight. Our results suggest that flight performance in bats has been underappreciated and that functional differences in the flight abilities of birds and bats require re-evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary F. McCracken
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Kamran Safi
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Dina K. N. Dechmann
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sharon M. Swartz
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
- Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
McCabe JD, Olsen BJ, Hiebeler D. Wind patterns as a potential driver in the evolution and maintenance of a North American migratory suture zone. Evolution 2016; 70:2145-54. [PMID: 27435797 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Suture zones are areas where range contact zones and hybrid zones of multiple taxa are clustered. Migratory divides, contact zones between divergent populations that breed adjacent to one another but use different migratory routes, are a particular case of suture zones. Although multiple hypotheses for both the formation and maintenance of migratory divides have been suggested, quantitative tests are scarce. Here, we tested whether a novel factor, prevailing winds, was sufficient to explain both the evolution and maintenance of the Cordilleran migratory divide using individual-based models. Empirical observations of eastern birds suggest a circuitous migratory route across Canada before heading south. Western breeders, however, travel south along the Pacific coast to their wintering grounds. We modeled the effect of wind on bird migratory flights by allowing them to float at elevation using spatially explicit modeled wind data. Modeled eastern birds had easterly mean trajectories, whereas western breeders showed significantly more southern trajectories. We also determined that a mean airspeed of 18.5 m s(-1) would be necessary to eliminate this difference in trajectory, a speed that is achieved by waterfowl and shorebirds, but is faster than songbird flight speeds. These results lend support for the potential importance of wind in shaping the phylogeographic history of North American songbirds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D McCabe
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706. .,School of Biology & Ecology, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469.
| | - Brian J Olsen
- School of Biology & Ecology, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469
| | - David Hiebeler
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chapman JW, Nilsson C, Lim KS, Bäckman J, Reynolds DR, Alerstam T, Reynolds AM. Detection of flow direction in high-flying insect and songbird migrants. Curr Biol 2016; 25:R751-2. [PMID: 26325133 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Goal-oriented migrants travelling through the sea or air must cope with the effect of cross-flows during their journeys if they are to reach their destination. In order to counteract flow-induced drift from their preferred course, migrants must detect the mean flow direction, and integrate this information with output from their internal compass, to compensate for the deflection. Animals can potentially sense flow direction by two nonexclusive mechanisms: either indirectly, by visually assessing the effect of the current on their movement direction relative to the ground; or directly, via intrinsic properties of the current. Here, we report the first evidence that nocturnal compass-guided insect migrants use a turbulence-mediated mechanism for directly assessing the wind direction hundreds of metres above the ground. By comparison, we find that nocturnally-migrating songbirds do not use turbulence to detect the flow; instead they rely on visual assessment of wind-induced drift to indirectly infer the flow direction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Chapman
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK; Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK.
| | - Cecilia Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ka S Lim
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Johan Bäckman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Don R Reynolds
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK; Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Thomas Alerstam
- Department of Biology, Lund University, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Flexible flight response to challenging wind conditions in a commuting Antarctic seabird: do you catch the drift? Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
|
21
|
Horton KG, Van Doren BM, Stepanian PM, Hochachka WM, Farnsworth A, Kelly JF. Nocturnally migrating songbirds drift when they can and compensate when they must. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21249. [PMID: 26879152 PMCID: PMC4754638 DOI: 10.1038/srep21249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The shortest possible migratory route for birds is not always the best route to travel. Substantial research effort has established that birds in captivity are capable of orienting toward the direction of an intended goal, but efforts to examine how free-living birds use navigational information under conditions that potentially make direct flight toward that goal inefficient have been limited in spatiotemporal scales and in the number of individuals observed because of logistical and technological limitations. Using novel and recently developed techniques for analysis of Doppler polarimetric weather surveillance radar data, we examined two impediments for nocturnally migrating songbirds in eastern North America following shortest-distance routes: crosswinds and oceans. We found that migrants in flight often drifted sideways on crosswinds, but most strongly compensated for drift when near the Atlantic coast. Coastal migrants’ tendency to compensate for wind drift also increased through the night, while no strong temporal differences were observed at inland sites. Such behaviors suggest that birds migrate in an adaptive way to conserve energy by assessing while airborne the degree to which they must compensate for wind drift.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle G Horton
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.,Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.,Advanced Radar Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Benjamin M Van Doren
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Phillip M Stepanian
- Advanced Radar Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.,School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | | | | | - Jeffrey F Kelly
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA.,Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bridge ES, Ross JD, Contina AJ, Kelly JF. Do molt-migrant songbirds optimize migration routes based on primary productivity? Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
23
|
Michele P, Viviana S, Carlo C, Mauro S, Giacomo D. Radar tracking reveals influence of crosswinds and topography on migratory behavior of European honey buzzards. J ETHOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-015-0448-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
24
|
Kranstauber B, Weinzierl R, Wikelski M, Safi K. Global aerial flyways allow efficient travelling. Ecol Lett 2015; 18:1338-45. [PMID: 26477348 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Birds migrate over vast distances at substantial costs. The highly dynamic nature of the air makes the selection of the best travel route difficult. We investigated to what extent migratory birds may optimise migratory route choice with respect to wind, and if route choice can be subject to natural selection. Following the optimal route, calculated using 21 years of empirical global wind data, reduced median travel time by 26.5% compared to the spatially shortest route. When we used a time-dependent survival model to quantify the adaptive benefit of choosing a fixed wind-optimised route, 84.8% of pairs of locations yielded a route with a higher survival than the shortest route. This suggests that birds, even if incapable of predicting wind individually, could adjust their migratory routes at a population level. As a consequence, this may result in the emergence of low-cost flyways representing a global network of aerial migratory pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Kranstauber
- Department for Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Plank Institute for Ornithology, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - R Weinzierl
- Department for Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Plank Institute for Ornithology, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - M Wikelski
- Department for Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Plank Institute for Ornithology, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - K Safi
- Department for Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Plank Institute for Ornithology, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Chapman JW, Nilsson C, Lim KS, Bäckman J, Reynolds DR, Alerstam T. Adaptive strategies in nocturnally migrating insects and songbirds: contrasting responses to wind. J Anim Ecol 2015; 85:115-24. [PMID: 26147535 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Animals that use flight as their mode of transportation must cope with the fact that their migration and orientation performance is strongly affected by the flow of the medium they are moving in, that is by the winds. Different strategies can be used to mitigate the negative effects and benefit from the positive effects of a moving flow. The strategies an animal can use will be constrained by the relationship between the speed of the flow and the speed of the animal's own propulsion in relation to the surrounding air. Here we analyse entomological and ornithological radar data from north-western Europe to investigate how two different nocturnal migrant taxa, the noctuid moth Autographa gamma and songbirds, deal with wind by analysing variation in resulting flight directions in relation to the wind-dependent angle between the animal's heading and track direction. Our results, from fixed locations along the migratory journey, reveal different global strategies used by moths and songbirds during their migratory journeys. As expected, nocturnally migrating moths experienced a greater degree of wind drift than nocturnally migrating songbirds, but both groups were more affected by wind in autumn than in spring. The songbirds' strategies involve elements of both drift and compensation, providing some benefits from wind in combination with destination and time control. In contrast, moths expose themselves to a significantly higher degree of drift in order to obtain strong wind assistance, surpassing the songbirds in mean ground speed, at the cost of a comparatively lower spatiotemporal migratory precision. Moths and songbirds show contrasting but adaptive responses to migrating through a moving flow, which are fine-tuned to the respective flight capabilities of each group in relation to the wind currents they travel within.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Chapman
- Department of AgroEcology, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, UK.,Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Cecilia Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ka S Lim
- Department of AgroEcology, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Johan Bäckman
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Don R Reynolds
- Department of AgroEcology, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, UK.,Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Thomas Alerstam
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Fossette S, Gleiss A, Chalumeau J, Bastian T, Armstrong C, Vandenabeele S, Karpytchev M, Hays G. Current-Oriented Swimming by Jellyfish and Its Role in Bloom Maintenance. Curr Biol 2015; 25:342-347. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.11.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|