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Brønnvik H, Nourani E, Fiedler W, Flack A. Experience reduces route selection for conspecifics by the collectively migrating white stork. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2030-2037.e3. [PMID: 38636512 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.052] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Migration can be an energetically costly behavior with strong fitness consequences in terms of mortality and reproduction.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 Migrants should select migratory routes to minimize their costs, but both costs and benefits may change with experience.12,13,14 This raises the question of whether experience changes how individuals select their migratory routes. Here, we investigate the effect of age on route selection criteria in a collectively migrating soaring bird, the white stork (Ciconia ciconia). We perform step-selection analysis on a longitudinal dataset tracking 158 white storks over up to 9 years to quantify how they select their routes based on the social and atmospheric environments and to examine how this selection changes with age. We find clear ontogenetic shifts in route selection criteria. Juveniles choose routes that have good atmospheric conditions and high conspecific densities. Yet, as they gain experience, storks' selection on the availability of social information reduces-after their fifth migration, experienced birds also choose routes with low conspecific densities. Thus, our results suggest that as individuals age, they gradually replace information gleaned from other individuals with information gained from experience, allowing them to shift their migration timing and increasing the timescale at which they select their routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hester Brønnvik
- Collective Migration Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Elham Nourani
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78468 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Fiedler
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Andrea Flack
- Collective Migration Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78468 Konstanz, Germany.
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2
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Sage E, Bouten W, van Dijk W, Camphuysen KCJ, Shamoun-Baranes J. Built up areas in a wet landscape are stepping stones for soaring flight in a seabird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:157879. [PMID: 35944643 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The energy exchange between the Earth's surface and atmosphere results in a highly dynamic habitat through which birds move. Thermal uplift is an atmospheric feature which many birds are able to exploit in order to save energy in flight, but which is governed by complex surface-atmosphere interactions. In mosaic landscapes consisting of multiple land uses, the spatial distribution of thermal uplift is expected to be heterogenous and birds may use the landscape selectively to maximise flight over areas where thermal soaring opportunities are best. Flight generalists such as the lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus, are expected to be less reliant on thermal uplift than obligate soaring birds. Nevertheless, gulls may select flight behaviours and routes in response to or in anticipation of thermal uplift in order to reduce their transport costs, even in landscapes where thermal uplift isn't prevalent. We explore thermal soaring over land in lesser black-backed gulls by using high-resolution GPS tracking to characterise individual instances of thermal soaring and detailed energy exchange modelling to map the thermal landscape which gulls experience. We determine that lesser black-backed gulls are regularly able to undertake thermal soaring, even in a wet temperate landscape below sea level. By examining the relationship between lesser black-backed gull flight, thermal uplift and land use, we determine that built up areas, particularly towns and cities, provide thermal uplift hotspots which lesser black-backed gulls preferentially make use of, resulting in more opportunities for energy saving flight through thermal soaring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth Sage
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Walter van Dijk
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kees C J Camphuysen
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), P.O. Box 59, 1790AB Den Burg, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94240, 1090GE Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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3
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Lato KA, Stepanuk JEF, Heywood EI, Conners MG, Thorne LH. Assessing the accuracy of altitude estimates in avian biologging devices. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276098. [PMID: 36288345 PMCID: PMC9605028 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in animal biologging technologies have greatly improved our understanding of animal movement and distribution, particularly for highly mobile species that travel across vast spatial scales. Assessing the accuracy of these devices is critical to drawing appropriate conclusions from resulting data. While understanding the vertical dimension of movements is key to assessing habitat use and behavior in aerial species, previous studies have primarily focused on assessing the accuracy of biologging devices in the horizontal plane with far less emphasis placed on the vertical plane. Here we use an Unaccompanied Aircraft System (UAS) outfitted with a laser altimeter to broadly assess the accuracy of altitude estimates of three commonly used avian biologging devices during three field trials: stationary flights, continuous horizontal movements, and continuous vertical movements. We found that the device measuring barometric pressure consistently provided the most accurate altitude estimates (mean error of 1.57m) and effectively captured finer-scale vertical movements. Conversely, devices that relied upon GPS triangulation to estimate altitude typically overestimated altitude during horizontal movements (mean error of 6.5m or 40.96m) and underestimated amplitude during vertical movements. Additional factors thought to impact device accuracy, including Horizontal- and Position- Dilution of Precision and the time intervals over which altitude estimates were assessed, did not have notable effects on results in our analyses. Reported accuracy values for different devices may be useful in future studies of aerial species’ behavior relative to vertical obstacles such as wind turbines. Our results suggest that studies seeking to quantify altitude of aerial species should prioritize pressure-based measurements, which provide sufficient resolution for examining broad and some fine-scale behaviors. This work highlights the importance of considering and accounting for error in altitude measurements during avian studies relative to the scale of data needed to address particular scientific questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Lato
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Julia E. F. Stepanuk
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Eleanor I. Heywood
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Melinda G. Conners
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Lesley H. Thorne
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
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4
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Poessel SA, Woodbridge B, Smith BW, Murphy RK, Bedrosian BE, Bell DA, Bittner D, Bloom PH, Crandall RH, Domenech R, Fisher RN, Haggerty PK, Slater SJ, Tracey JA, Watson JW, Katzner TE. Interpreting long‐distance movements of non‐migratory golden eagles: Prospecting and nomadism? Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Poessel
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho USA
| | - Brian Woodbridge
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds Management Denver Federal Center Denver Colorado USA
| | - Brian W. Smith
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds Management Denver Federal Center Denver Colorado USA
| | | | | | | | - David Bittner
- Wildlife Research Institute, Inc. Julian California USA
| | | | | | | | - Robert N. Fisher
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | - Patricia K. Haggerty
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Corvallis Oregon USA
| | | | - Jeff A. Tracey
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center San Diego California USA
| | - James W. Watson
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Olympia Washington USA
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho USA
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5
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Eisaguirre JM, Booms TL, Barger CP, Lewis SB, Breed GA. Demographic partitioning of dynamic energy subsidies revealed with an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck space use model. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2542. [PMID: 35137484 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In populations across many taxa, a large fraction of sexually mature individuals do not breed but are attempting to enter the breeding population. Such individuals, often referred to as "floaters," can play critical roles in the dynamics and stability of these populations and buffer them through periods of high adult mortality. Floaters are difficult to study, however, so we lack data needed to understand their roles in the population ecology and conservation status of many species. Here, we analyzed satellite telemetry data with a newly developed mechanistic space use model based on an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process to help overcome the paucity of data in studying the differential habitat selection and space use of floater and territorial golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos. Our sample consisted of 49 individuals tracked over complete breeding seasons across 4 years, totaling 104 eagle breeding seasons. Modeling these data mechanistically was required to disentangle key differences in movement and particularly to separate aspects of movement driven by resource selection from those driven by use of a central place. We found that floaters generally had more expansive space use patterns and larger home ranges, as well as evidence that they partition space with territorial individuals seemingly on fine scales through differential habitat and resource selection. Floater and territorial eagle home ranges overlapped markedly, suggesting that floaters use the interstices between territories. Furthermore, floater and territorial eagles differed in how they selected for uplift variables, key components of soaring birds' energy landscape, with territorial eagles apparently better able to find and use thermal uplift. We also found relatively low individual heterogeneity in resource selection, especially among territorial individuals, suggesting a narrow realized niche for breeding individuals, which varied from the level of among-individual variation present during migration. This work furthers our understanding of floaters' potential roles in the population ecology of territorial species and suggests that conserving landscapes occupied by territorial eagles also protects floaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Eisaguirre
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Travis L Booms
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | | | - Stephen B Lewis
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Juneau, Alaska, USA
| | - Greg A Breed
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
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6
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Stochastic agent-based model for predicting turbine-scale raptor movements during updraft-subsidized directional flights. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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7
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Vignali S, Lörcher F, Hegglin D, Arlettaz R, Braunisch V. A predictive flight-altitude model for avoiding future conflicts between an emblematic raptor and wind energy development in the Swiss Alps. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211041. [PMID: 35154790 PMCID: PMC8826134 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211041] [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: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Deployment of wind energy is proposed as a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, wind energy and large birds, notably soaring raptors, both depend on suitable wind conditions. Conflicts in airspace use may thus arise due to the risks of collisions of birds with the blades of wind turbines. Using locations of GPS-tagged bearded vultures, a rare scavenging raptor reintroduced into the Alps, we built a spatially explicit model to predict potential areas of conflict with future wind turbine deployments in the Swiss Alps. We modelled the probability of bearded vultures flying within or below the rotor-swept zone of wind turbines as a function of wind and environmental conditions, including food supply. Seventy-four per cent of the GPS positions were collected below 200 m above ground level, i.e. where collisions could occur if wind turbines were present. Flight activity at potential risk of collision is concentrated on south-exposed mountainsides, especially in areas where ibex carcasses have a high occurrence probability, with critical areas covering vast expanses throughout the Swiss Alps. Our model provides a spatially explicit decision tool that will guide authorities and energy companies for planning the deployment of wind farms in a proactive manner to reduce risk to emblematic Alpine wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Vignali
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Lörcher
- Stiftung Pro Bartgeier, Wuhrstrasse 12, 8003 Zurich, Switzerland
- SWILD, Wuhrstrasse 12, 8003 Zurich, Switzerland
- Vulture Conservation Foundation, Wuhrstrasse 12, 8003 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Hegglin
- Stiftung Pro Bartgeier, Wuhrstrasse 12, 8003 Zurich, Switzerland
- SWILD, Wuhrstrasse 12, 8003 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Veronika Braunisch
- Division of Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Forest Research Institute of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Wonnhaldestrasse 4, 79100 Freiburg, Germany
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8
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Bergen S, Huso MM, Duerr AE, Braham MA, Katzner TE, Schmuecker S, Miller TA. Classifying behavior from short-interval biologging data: An example with GPS tracking of birds. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e08395. [PMID: 35154643 PMCID: PMC8819645 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in digital data collection have spurred accumulation of immense quantities of data that have potential to lead to remarkable ecological insight, but that also present analytic challenges. In the case of biologging data from birds, common analytical approaches to classifying movement behaviors are largely inappropriate for these massive data sets.We apply a framework for using K-means clustering to classify bird behavior using points from short time interval GPS tracks. K-means clustering is a well-known and computationally efficient statistical tool that has been used in animal movement studies primarily for clustering segments of consecutive points. To illustrate the utility of our approach, we apply K-means clustering to six focal variables derived from GPS data collected at 1-11 s intervals from free-flying bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) throughout the state of Iowa, USA. We illustrate how these data can be used to identify behaviors and life-stage- and age-related variation in behavior.After filtering for data quality, the K-means algorithm identified four clusters in >2 million GPS telemetry data points. These four clusters corresponded to three movement states: ascending, flapping, and gliding flight; and one non-moving state: perching. Mapping these states illustrated how they corresponded tightly to expectations derived from natural history observations; for example, long periods of ascending flight were often followed by long gliding descents, birds alternated between flapping and gliding flight.The K-means clustering approach we applied is both an efficient and effective mechanism to classify and interpret short-interval biologging data to understand movement behaviors. Furthermore, because it can apply to an abundance of very short, irregular, and high-dimensional movement data, it provides insight into small-scale variation in behavior that would not be possible with many other analytical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silas Bergen
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsWinona State UniversityWinonaMinnesotaUSA
| | - Manuela M. Huso
- U.S. Geological SurveyForest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterCorvallisOregonUSA
- Statistics DepartmentOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregonUSA
| | - Adam E. Duerr
- Bloom Research Inc.Los AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- West Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest VirginiaUSA
- Conservation Science Global, Inc.West Cape MayNew JerseyUSA
| | | | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological SurveyForest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science CenterBoiseIdahoUSA
| | - Sara Schmuecker
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceIllinois‐Iowa Field OfficeMolineIllinoisUSA
| | - Tricia A. Miller
- West Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest VirginiaUSA
- Conservation Science Global, Inc.West Cape MayNew JerseyUSA
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9
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Seasonal variation in resource selection by subadult golden eagles in the Great Basin Desert. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wlb3.01002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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10
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Fielding AH, Anderson D, Benn S, Dennis R, Geary M, Weston E, Whitfield DP. Non-territorial GPS-tagged golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos at two Scottish wind farms: Avoidance influenced by preferred habitat distribution, wind speed and blade motion status. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254159. [PMID: 34351932 PMCID: PMC8341499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wind farms can have two broad potential adverse effects on birds via antagonistic processes: displacement from the vicinity of turbines (avoidance), or death through collision with rotating turbine blades. These effects may not be mutually exclusive. Using detailed data from 99 turbines at two wind farms in central Scotland and thousands of GPS-telemetry data from dispersing golden eagles, we tested three hypotheses. Before-and-after-operation analyses supported the hypothesis of avoidance: displacement was reduced at turbine locations in more preferred habitat and with more preferred habitat nearby. After-operation analyses (i.e. from the period when turbines were operational) showed that at higher wind speeds and in highly preferred habitat eagles were less wary of turbines with motionless blades: rejecting our second hypothesis. Our third hypothesis was supported, since at higher wind speeds eagles flew closer to operational turbines; especially-once more-turbines in more preferred habitat. After operation, eagles effectively abandoned inner turbine locations, and flight line records close to rotor blades were rare. While our study indicated that whole-wind farm functional habitat loss through avoidance was the substantial adverse impact, we make recommendations on future wind farm design to minimise collision risk further. These largely entail developers avoiding outer turbine locations which are in and surrounded by swathes of preferred habitat. Our study illustrates the insights which detailed case studies of large raptors at wind farms can bring and emphasises that the balance between avoidance and collision can have several influences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Roy Dennis
- Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, Forres, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Geary
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - Ewan Weston
- Natural Research Ltd, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
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11
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Abstract
Turbulent winds and gusts fluctuate on a wide range of timescales from milliseconds to minutes and longer, a range that overlaps the timescales of avian flight behavior, yet the importance of turbulence to avian behavior is unclear. By combining wind speed data with the measured accelerations of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) flying in the wild, we find evidence in favor of a linear relationship between the eagle's accelerations and atmospheric turbulence for timescales between about 1/2 and 10 s. These timescales are comparable to those of typical eagle behaviors, corresponding to between about 1 and 25 wingbeats, and to those of turbulent gusts both larger than the eagle's wingspan and smaller than large-scale atmospheric phenomena such as convection cells. The eagle's accelerations exhibit power spectra and intermittent activity characteristic of turbulence and increase in proportion to the turbulence intensity. Intermittency results in accelerations that are occasionally several times stronger than gravity, which the eagle works against to stay aloft. These imprints of turbulence on the bird's movements need to be further explored to understand the energetics of birds and other volant life-forms, to improve our own methods of flying through ceaselessly turbulent environments, and to engage airborne wildlife as distributed probes of the changing conditions in the atmosphere.
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12
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Eisaguirre JM, Booms TL, Barger CP, Goddard SD, Breed GA. Multistate Ornstein–Uhlenbeck approach for practical estimation of movement and resource selection around central places. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Eisaguirre
- Department of Biology & Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USA
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USA
| | | | | | - Scott D. Goddard
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USA
| | - Greg A. Breed
- Department of Biology & Wildlife University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks AK USA
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13
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Schmuecker SJ, Becker DA, Lanzone MJ, Fogg B, Romano SP, Katzner TE, Miller TA. Use of Upland and Riparian Areas by Wintering Bald Eagles and Implications for Wind Energy. J Wildl Manage 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Drew A. Becker
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 3425 Miriam Avenue Bismarck ND 58501 USA
| | - Michael J. Lanzone
- Cellular Tracking Technologies 1293 Hornet Road, Suite 1 Rio Grande NJ 08242 USA
| | - Bob Fogg
- Cellular Tracking Technologies 1293 Hornet Road, Suite 1 Rio Grande NJ 08242 USA
| | - Susan P. Romano
- Saddleback Mountain Forestry & Environmental Consulting 330 Winding Hill Road Northwood NH 03261 USA
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Society, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center 970 Lusk Street Boise ID 83706 USA
| | - Tricia A. Miller
- Conservation Science Global 303 West Drive Cape May NJ 08204 USA
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14
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Eisaguirre JM, Booms TL, Barger CP, Lewis SB, Breed GA. Novel step selection analyses on energy landscapes reveal how linear features alter migrations of soaring birds. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2567-2583. [PMID: 32926415 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Human modification of landscapes includes extensive addition of linear features, such as roads and transmission lines. These can alter animal movement and space use and affect the intensity of interactions among species, including predation and competition. Effects of linear features on animal movement have seen relatively little research in avian systems, despite ample evidence of their effects in mammalian systems and that some types of linear features, including both roads and transmission lines, are substantial sources of mortality. Here, we used satellite telemetry combined with step selection functions designed to explicitly incorporate the energy landscape (el-SSFs) to investigate the effects of linear features and habitat on movements and space use of a large soaring bird, the golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos, during migration. Our sample consisted of 32 adult eagles tracked for 45 spring and 39 fall migrations from 2014 to 2017. Fitted el-SSFs indicated eagles had a strong general preference for south-facing slopes, where thermal uplift develops predictably, and that these areas are likely important aspects of migratory pathways. el-SSFs also provided evidence that roads and railroads affected movement during both spring and fall migrations, but eagles selected areas near roads to a greater degree in spring compared to fall and at higher latitudes compared to lower latitudes. During spring, time spent near linear features often occurred during slower-paced or stopover movements, perhaps in part to access carrion produced by vehicle collisions. Regardless of the behavioural mechanism of selection, use of these features could expose eagles and other soaring species to elevated risk via collision with vehicles and/or transmission lines. Linear features have previously been documented to affect the ecology of terrestrial species (e.g. large mammals) by modifying individuals' movement patterns; our work shows that these effects on movement extend to avian taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Eisaguirre
- Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.,Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | | | | | | | - Greg A Breed
- Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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15
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Waldrop LD, He Y, Hedrick TL, Rader JA. Functional Morphology of Gliding Flight I: Modeling Reveals Distinct Performance Landscapes Based on Soaring Strategies. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:1283-1296. [PMID: 32766844 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The physics of flight influences the morphology of bird wings through natural selection on flight performance. The connection between wing morphology and performance is unclear due to the complex relationships between various parameters of flight. In order to better understand this connection, we present a holistic analysis of gliding flight that preserves complex relationships between parameters. We use a computational model of gliding flight, along with analysis by uncertainty quantification, to (1) create performance landscapes of gliding based on output metrics (maximum lift-to-drag ratio, minimum gliding angle, minimum sinking speed, and lift coefficient at minimum sinking speed) and (2) predict what parameters of flight (chordwise camber, wing aspect ratio [AR], and Reynolds number) would differ between gliding and nongliding species of birds. We also examine performance based on the soaring strategy for possible differences in morphology within gliding birds. Gliding birds likely have greater ARs than non-gliding birds, due to the high sensitivity of AR on most metrics of gliding performance. Furthermore, gliding birds can use two distinct soaring strategies based on performance landscapes. First, maximizing distance traveled (maximizing lift-to-drag ratio and minimizing gliding angle) should result in wings with high ARs and middling-to-low wing chordwise camber. Second, maximizing lift extracted from updrafts should result in wings with middling ARs and high wing chordwise camber. Following studies can test these hypotheses using morphological measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay D Waldrop
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Yanyan He
- Department of Mathematics, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Tyson L Hedrick
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan A Rader
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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16
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Katzner TE, Arlettaz R. Evaluating Contributions of Recent Tracking-Based Animal Movement Ecology to Conservation Management. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Eisaguirre JM, Auger-Méthé M, Barger CP, Lewis SB, Booms TL, Breed GA. Dynamic-Parameter Movement Models Reveal Drivers of Migratory Pace in a Soaring Bird. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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18
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Sage E, Bouten W, Hoekstra B, Camphuysen KCJ, Shamoun-Baranes J. Orographic lift shapes flight routes of gulls in virtually flat landscapes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9659. [PMID: 31273241 PMCID: PMC6609688 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46017-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between landscape and atmosphere result in a dynamic flight habitat which birds may use opportunistically to save energy during flight. However, their ability to utilise these dynamic landscapes and its influence on shaping movement paths is not well understood. We investigate the degree to which gulls utilise fine scale orographic lift created by wind deflected upwards over landscape features in a virtually flat landscape. Using accelerometer measurements and GPS tracking, soaring flight is identified and analysed with respect to orographic lift, modelled using high-resolution digital elevation models and wind measurements. The relationship between orographic lift and flight routes suggests gulls have advanced knowledge of their aerial surroundings and the benefits to be gained from them, even regarding small features such as tree lines. We show that in a landscape constantly influenced by anthropogenic change, the structure of our landscape has an aerial impact on flight route connectivity and costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth Sage
- Theoretical and computational ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Willem Bouten
- Theoretical and computational ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart Hoekstra
- Theoretical and computational ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kees C J Camphuysen
- Department Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB, Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Judy Shamoun-Baranes
- Theoretical and computational ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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19
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Marques AT, Santos CD, Hanssen F, Muñoz AR, Onrubia A, Wikelski M, Moreira F, Palmeirim JM, Silva JP. Wind turbines cause functional habitat loss for migratory soaring birds. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:93-103. [PMID: 30762229 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wind energy production has expanded to meet climate change mitigation goals, but negative impacts of wind turbines have been reported on wildlife. Soaring birds are among the most affected groups with alarming fatality rates by collision with wind turbines and an escalating occupation of their migratory corridors. These birds have been described as changing their flight trajectories to avoid wind turbines, but this behaviour may lead to functional habitat loss, as suitable soaring areas in the proximity of wind turbines will likely be underused. We modelled the displacement effect of wind turbines on black kites (Milvus migrans) tracked by GPS. We also evaluated the impact of this effect at the scale of the landscape by estimating how much suitable soaring area was lost to wind turbines. We used state-of-the-art tracking devices to monitor the movements of 130 black kites in an area populated by wind turbines, at the migratory bottleneck of the Strait of Gibraltar. Landscape use by birds was mapped from GPS data using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models, and generalized additive mixed modelling was used to estimate the effect of wind turbine proximity on bird use while accounting for orographic and thermal uplift availability. We found that areas up to approximately 674 m away from the turbines were less used than expected given their uplift potential. Within that distance threshold, bird use decreased with the proximity to wind turbines. We estimated that the footprint of wind turbines affected 3%-14% of the areas suitable for soaring in our study area. We present evidence that the impacts of wind energy industry on soaring birds are greater than previously acknowledged. In addition to the commonly reported fatalities, the avoidance of turbines by soaring birds causes habitat losses in their movement corridors. Authorities should recognize this further impact of wind energy production and establish new regulations that protect soaring habitat. We also showed that soaring habitat for birds can be modelled at a fine scale using publicly available data. Such an approach can be used to plan low-impact placement of turbines in new wind energy developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana T Marques
- cE3c - Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.,Centro de Ecologia Aplicada "Professor Baeta Neves" (CEABN), InBio, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Carlos D Santos
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Núcleo de Teoria e Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Frank Hanssen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Antonio-Román Muñoz
- Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Research Team, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Francisco Moreira
- REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge Manuel Palmeirim
- cE3c - Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João P Silva
- cE3c - Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.,REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,CIBIO/InBio, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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20
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Scacco M, Flack A, Duriez O, Wikelski M, Safi K. Static landscape features predict uplift locations for soaring birds across Europe. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181440. [PMID: 30800386 PMCID: PMC6366234 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Soaring flight is a remarkable adaptation to reduce movement costs by taking advantage of atmospheric uplifts. The movement pattern of soaring birds is shaped by the spatial and temporal availability and intensity of uplifts, which result from an interaction of local weather conditions with the underlying landscape structure. We used soaring flight locations and vertical speeds of an obligate soaring species, the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), as proxies for uplift availability and intensity. We then tested if static landscape features such as topography and land cover, instead of the commonly used weather information, could predict and map the occurrence and intensity of uplifts across Europe. We found that storks encountering fewer uplifts along their routes, as determined by static landscape features, suffered higher energy expenditures, approximated by their overall body dynamic acceleration. This result validates the use of static features as uplift predictors and suggests the existence of a direct link between energy expenditure and static landscape structure, thus far largely unquantified for flying animals. Our uplift availability map represents a computationally efficient proxy of the distribution of movement costs for soaring birds across the world's landscapes. It thus provides a base to explore the effects of changes in the landscape structure on the energy expenditure of soaring birds, identify low-cost movement corridors and ultimately inform the planning of anthropogenic developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Scacco
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Andrea Flack
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Olivier Duriez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175 CNRS-Université de Montpellier- EPHE-Université Paul Valery, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstr. 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Kamran Safi
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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21
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Eisaguirre JM, Booms TL, Barger CP, McIntyre CL, Lewis SB, Breed GA. Local meteorological conditions reroute a migration. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1779. [PMID: 30404876 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For migrating animals, realized migration routes and timing emerge from hundreds or thousands of movement decisions made along migration routes. Local weather conditions along migration routes continually influence these decisions, and even relatively small changes in en route weather may cumulatively result in major shifts in migration patterns. Here, we analysed satellite tracking data to score a discrete navigation decision by a large migratory bird as it navigated a high-latitude, 5000 m elevation mountain range to understand how those navigational decisions changed under different weather conditions. We showed that wind conditions in particular areas along the migration pathway drove a navigational decision to reroute a migration; conditions encountered predictably resulted in migrants routing either north or south of the mountain range. With abiotic conditions continuing to change globally, simple decisions, such as the one described here, might additively emerge into new, very different migration routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Eisaguirre
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA .,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Travis L Booms
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA
| | | | | | | | - Greg A Breed
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.,Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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22
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Pirotta E, Katzner T, Miller TA, Duerr AE, Braham MA, New L. State‐space modelling of the flight behaviour of a soaring bird provides new insights to migratory strategies. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Pirotta
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Washington State University Vancouver Washington
- School of Biological Earth & Environmental Sciences University College Cork Distillery Fields North Mall Cork Ireland
| | - Todd Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center Boise Idaho
| | | | | | - Melissa A. Braham
- Division of Forestry & Natural Resources West Virginia University Morgantown West Virginia
| | - Leslie New
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Washington State University Vancouver Washington
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23
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Murgatroyd M, Photopoulou T, Underhill LG, Bouten W, Amar A. Where eagles soar: Fine-resolution tracking reveals the spatiotemporal use of differential soaring modes in a large raptor. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:6788-6799. [PMID: 30038775 PMCID: PMC6053586 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike smaller raptors, which can readily use flapping flight, large raptors are mainly restricted to soaring flight due to energetic constraints. Soaring comprises of two main strategies: thermal and orographic soaring. These soaring strategies are driven by discrete uplift sources determined by the underlying topography and meteorological conditions in an area. High-resolution GPS tracking of raptor flight allows the identification of these flight strategies and interpretation of the spatiotemporal occurrence of thermal and orographic soaring. In this study, we develop methods to identify soaring flight behaviors from high-resolution GPS tracking data of Verreaux's eagle Aquila verreauxii and analyze these data to understand the conditions that promote the use of thermal and orographic soaring. We use these findings to predict the use of soaring flight both spatially (across the landscape) and temporally (throughout the year) in two topographically contrasting regions in South Africa. We found that topography is important in determining the occurrence of soaring flight and that thermal soaring occurs in relatively flat areas which are likely to have good thermal uplift availability. The predicted use of orographic soaring was predominately determined by terrain slope. Contrary to our expectations, the topography and meteorology of eagle territories in the Sandveld promoted the use of soaring flight to a greater extent than in territories in the more mountainous Cederberg region. Spatiotemporal mapping of predicted flight behaviors can broaden our understanding of how large raptors like the Verreaux's eagle use their habitat and how that links to energetics (as the preferential use of areas that maximize net energy gain is expected), reproductive success, and ultimately population dynamics. Understanding the fine-scale landscape use and environmental drivers of raptor flight can also help to predict and mitigate potential detrimental effects of anthropogenic developments, such as mortality via collision with wind turbines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Murgatroyd
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Animal Demography UnitDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Theoni Photopoulou
- Centre for Statistics in EcologyEnvironment and ConservationDepartment of Statistical SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
- Department of ZoologyInstitute for Coastal and Marine ResearchNelson Mandela UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa
| | - Les G. Underhill
- Animal Demography UnitDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Willem Bouten
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem DynamicsUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDepartment of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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24
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Voelkl B, Fritz J. Relation between travel strategy and social organization of migrating birds with special consideration of formation flight in the northern bald ibis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0235. [PMID: 28673913 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A considerable proportion of the world's bird species undertake seasonal long-distance migrations. These journeys are energetically demanding. Two major behavioural means to reduce energy expenditure have been suggested: the use of thermal uplifts for a soaring-gliding migration style and travelling in echelon or V-shaped formation. Both strategies have immediate consequences for the social organization of the birds as they either cause large aggregations or require travelling in small and stable groups. Here, we first discuss those consequences, and second present an analysis of formation flight in a flock of northern bald ibis on their first southbound migration. We observe clear correlations between leading and trailing on the dyadic level but only a weak correlation on the individual level during independent flight and no convincing correlation during the human guided part of the migration. This pattern is suggestive of direct reciprocation as a means for establishing cooperation during formation flight. In general, we conclude that behavioural adaptations for dealing with physiological constraints on long-distance migrations either necessitate or ultimately foster formation of social groups with different characteristics. Patterns and social organization of birds travelling in groups have been elusive to study; however, new tracking technology-foremost lightweight GPS units-will provide more insights in the near future.This article is part of the themed issue 'Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Voelkl
- Animal Welfare Division, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland .,Waldrappteam, LIFE+ Northern Bald Ibis, Mutters, Austria
| | - J Fritz
- Waldrappteam, LIFE+ Northern Bald Ibis, Mutters, Austria
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25
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Poessel SA, Duerr AE, Hall JC, Braham MA, Katzner TE. Improving estimation of flight altitude in wildlife telemetry studies. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Poessel
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center; Boise ID USA
| | | | - Jonathan C. Hall
- Department of Geology and Geography; West Virginia University; Morgantown WV USA
| | - Melissa A. Braham
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources; West Virginia University; Morgantown WV USA
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center; Boise ID USA
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26
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Harel R, Duriez O, Spiegel O, Fluhr J, Horvitz N, Getz WM, Bouten W, Sarrazin F, Hatzofe O, Nathan R. Decision-making by a soaring bird: time, energy and risk considerations at different spatio-temporal scales. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0397. [PMID: 27528787 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural selection theory suggests that mobile animals trade off time, energy and risk costs with food, safety and other pay-offs obtained by movement. We examined how birds make movement decisions by integrating aspects of flight biomechanics, movement ecology and behaviour in a hierarchical framework investigating flight track variation across several spatio-temporal scales. Using extensive global positioning system and accelerometer data from Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in Israel and France, we examined soaring-gliding decision-making by comparing inbound versus outbound flights (to or from a central roost, respectively), and these (and other) home-range foraging movements (up to 300 km) versus long-range movements (longer than 300 km). We found that long-range movements and inbound flights have similar features compared with their counterparts: individuals reduced journey time by performing more efficient soaring-gliding flight, reduced energy expenditure by flapping less and were more risk-prone by gliding more steeply between thermals. Age, breeding status, wind conditions and flight altitude (but not sex) affected time and energy prioritization during flights. We therefore suggest that individuals facing time, energy and risk trade-offs during movements make similar decisions across a broad range of ecological contexts and spatial scales, presumably owing to similarity in the uncertainty about movement outcomes.This article is part of the themed issue 'Moving in a moving medium: new perspectives on flight'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roi Harel
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Cedex 05, Montpellier, France
| | - Orr Spiegel
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Julie Fluhr
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Cedex 05, Montpellier, France
| | - Nir Horvitz
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Wayne M Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Willem Bouten
- Computational Geo-Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1094 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ohad Hatzofe
- Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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27
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Poessel SA, Brandt J, Uyeda L, Astell M, Katzner TE. Lack of observed movement response to lead exposure of California condors. J Wildl Manage 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Poessel
- U.S. Geological Survey; Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center; 970 S. Lusk Street Boise ID 83706 USA
| | - Joseph Brandt
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex; 2493 Portola Road Ventura CA 93003 USA
| | - Linda Uyeda
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex; 2493 Portola Road Ventura CA 93003 USA
| | - Molly Astell
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex; 2493 Portola Road Ventura CA 93003 USA
| | - Todd E. Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey; Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center; 970 S. Lusk Street Boise ID 83706 USA
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28
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Santos CD, Hanssen F, Muñoz AR, Onrubia A, Wikelski M, May R, Silva JP. Match between soaring modes of black kites and the fine-scale distribution of updrafts. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6421. [PMID: 28743947 PMCID: PMC5526945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05319-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how soaring birds use updrafts at small spatial scales is important to identify ecological constraints of movement, and may help to prevent conflicts between wind-energy development and the conservation of wildlife. We combined high-frequency GPS animal tracking and fine-spatial-scale uplift modelling to establish a link between flight behaviour of soaring birds and the distribution of updrafts. We caught 21 black kites (Milvus migrans) and GPS-tracked them while flying over the Tarifa region, on the Spanish side of the Strait of Gibraltar. This region has a diverse topography and land cover, favouring a heterogeneous updraft spatial distribution. Bird tracks were segmented and classified into flight modes from motion parameters. Thermal and orographic uplift velocities were modelled from publically available remote-sensing and meteorological data. We found that birds perform circular soaring in areas of higher predicted thermal uplift and linear soaring in areas of higher predicted orographic uplift velocity. We show that updraft maps produced from publically available data can be used to predict where soaring birds will concentrate their flight paths and how they will behave in flight. We recommend the use of this methodological approach to improve environmental impact assessments of new wind-energy installations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D Santos
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany.
- Núcleo de Teoria e Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Correa 01, Guamá, 66075-110, Belém, Brazil.
| | - Frank Hanssen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Environmental Data Section, Box 5685 Sluppen, N-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Antonio-Román Muñoz
- Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Research Team, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstr. 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roel May
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Environmental Data Section, Box 5685 Sluppen, N-7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - João P Silva
- REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- CEABN/InBIO - Centro de Ecologia Aplicada "Professor Baeta Neves", Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal
- cE3c - Centro de Ecologia, Evolução e Alterações Ambientais, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
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29
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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.
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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
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30
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Sur M, Suffredini T, Wessells SM, Bloom PH, Lanzone M, Blackshire S, Sridhar S, Katzner T. Improved supervised classification of accelerometry data to distinguish behaviors of soaring birds. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174785. [PMID: 28403159 PMCID: PMC5389810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Soaring birds can balance the energetic costs of movement by switching between flapping, soaring and gliding flight. Accelerometers can allow quantification of flight behavior and thus a context to interpret these energetic costs. However, models to interpret accelerometry data are still being developed, rarely trained with supervised datasets, and difficult to apply. We collected accelerometry data at 140Hz from a trained golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) whose flight we recorded with video that we used to characterize behavior. We applied two forms of supervised classifications, random forest (RF) models and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) models. The KNN model was substantially easier to implement than the RF approach but both were highly accurate in classifying basic behaviors such as flapping (85.5% and 83.6% accurate, respectively), soaring (92.8% and 87.6%) and sitting (84.1% and 88.9%) with overall accuracies of 86.6% and 92.3% respectively. More detailed classification schemes, with specific behaviors such as banking and straight flights were well classified only by the KNN model (91.24% accurate; RF = 61.64% accurate). The RF model maintained its accuracy of classifying basic behavior classification accuracy of basic behaviors at sampling frequencies as low as 10Hz, the KNN at sampling frequencies as low as 20Hz. Classification of accelerometer data collected from free ranging birds demonstrated a strong dependence of predicted behavior on the type of classification model used. Our analyses demonstrate the consequence of different approaches to classification of accelerometry data, the potential to optimize classification algorithms with validated flight behaviors to improve classification accuracy, ideal sampling frequencies for different classification algorithms, and a number of ways to improve commonly used analytical techniques and best practices for classification of accelerometry data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitreyi Sur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Tony Suffredini
- Sky Patrol Abatement, Simi Valley, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Wessells
- U.S. Geological Survey Henderson, Henderson, Nevada, United States of America
| | - Peter H. Bloom
- Bloom Biological, Santa Ana, California, United States of America
| | - Michael Lanzone
- Cellular Tracking Technologies, Rio Grande, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Sheldon Blackshire
- Cellular Tracking Technologies, Rio Grande, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Srisarguru Sridhar
- Department of Computer Science, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
| | - Todd Katzner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Boise, Idaho, United States of America
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31
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Péron G, Fleming CH, Duriez O, Fluhr J, Itty C, Lambertucci S, Safi K, Shepard ELC, Calabrese JM. The energy landscape predicts flight height and wind turbine collision hazard in three species of large soaring raptor. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Péron
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute National Zoological Park Front Royal VA 22630 USA
- Univ Lyon Université Lyon 1 CNRS Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558 F‐69622 Villeurbanne France
| | - Christen H. Fleming
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute National Zoological Park Front Royal VA 22630 USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD 4415 USA
| | - Olivier Duriez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 CNRS‐Université de Montpellier – EPHE‐Université Paul Valery 1919 Route de Mende 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
| | - Julie Fluhr
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive UMR 5175 CNRS‐Université de Montpellier – EPHE‐Université Paul Valery 1919 Route de Mende 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5 France
| | - Christian Itty
- ONCFS SD34 Les Portes du Soleil 147 route de Lodève 34 990 Juvignac France
| | - Sergio Lambertucci
- Grupo de Biología de la Conservación Laboratorio Ecotono INIBIOMA (CONICET–Universidad Nacional del Comahue) Quintral 1250 8400 Bariloche Argentina
| | - Kamran Safi
- Max Planck Institut für Ornithologie Am Obstberg 1 78315 Radolfzell Germany
| | - Emily L. C. Shepard
- Swansea Laboratory for Animal Movement Biosciences College of Science Swansea University Singleton Park Swansea SA2 8PP UK
| | - Justin M. Calabrese
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute National Zoological Park Front Royal VA 22630 USA
- Department of Biology University of Maryland College Park MD 4415 USA
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32
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Nielson RM, Murphy RK, Millsap BA, Howe WH, Gardner G. Modeling Late-Summer Distribution of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Western United States. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159271. [PMID: 27556735 PMCID: PMC4996490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing development across the western United States (USA) elevates concerns about effects on wildlife resources; the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is of special concern in this regard. Knowledge of golden eagle abundance and distribution across the western USA must be improved to help identify and conserve areas of major importance to the species. We used distance sampling and visual mark-recapture procedures to estimate golden eagle abundance from aerial line-transect surveys conducted across four Bird Conservation Regions in the western USA between 15 August and 15 September in 2006–2010, 2012, and 2013. To assess golden eagle-habitat relationships at this scale, we modeled counts of golden eagles seen during surveys in 2006–2010, adjusted for probability of detection, and used land cover and other environmental factors as predictor variables within 20-km2 sampling units randomly selected from survey transects. We found evidence of positive relationships between intensity of use by golden eagles and elevation, solar radiation, and mean wind speed, and of negative relationships with the proportion of landscape classified as forest or as developed. The model accurately predicted habitat use observed during surveys conducted in 2012 and 2013. We used the model to construct a map predicting intensity of use by golden eagles during late summer across our ~2 million-km2 study area. The map can be used to help prioritize landscapes for conservation efforts, identify areas where mitigation efforts may be most effective, and identify regions for additional research and monitoring. In addition, our map can be used to develop region-specific (e.g., state-level) density estimates based on the latest information on golden eagle abundance from a late-summer survey and aid designation of geographic management units for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Nielson
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Robert K. Murphy
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Brian A. Millsap
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - William H. Howe
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Grant Gardner
- Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States of America
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33
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Age- and season-specific variation in local and long-distance movement behavior of golden eagles. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-016-1010-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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