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Lagassé BJ, Breed GA. Warming sea surface temperatures are linked to lower shorebird migratory fuel loads. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240324. [PMID: 39021777 PMCID: PMC11252674 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Warming sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are altering the biological structure of intertidal wetlands at a global scale, with potentially serious physiological and demographic consequences for migratory shorebird populations that depend on intertidal sites. The effects of mediating factors, such as age-related foraging skill, in shaping the consequences of warming SSTs on shorebird populations, however, remain largely unknown. Using morphological measurements of Dunlin fuelling for a >3000 km transoceanic migration, we assessed the influence of climatic conditions and age on individuals' migratory fuel loads and performance. We found that juveniles were often at risk of exhausting their fuel loads en route to primary wintering grounds, especially following high June SSTs in the previous year; the lagged nature of which suggests SSTs acted on juvenile loads by altering the availability of critical prey. Up to 45% fewer juveniles may have reached wintering grounds via a non-stop flight under recent high SSTs compared to the long-term trend. Adults, by contrast, were highly capable of reaching wintering grounds in non-stop flight across years. Our findings suggest that juveniles were disproportionately impacted by apparent SST-related declines in critical prey, and illustrate a general mechanism by which climate change may shape migratory shorebird populations worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Lagassé
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Greg A. Breed
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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2
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Tsellarius AY. Notes on the Solution of Navigation Problems by the Desert Monitor (Varanus grisius, Reptilia, Sauria) in a Natural Environment. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022080209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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3
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Mischenko AL, Sharikov AV, Karvovsky DA, Grinchenko OS, Melnikov VN, Bekmansurov RH, Tennhardt T. Determination of Migration Routes and Areas of Summer Vagrancy of Greater Spotted Eagles (Clanga clanga, Accipitriformes, Accipitridae) in the First Year of Their Life Using GPS–GSM Telemetry. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022090229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Shakhparonov VV, Golovlev AP, Grytsyshina EE, Bolshakova AA. Orientation in the European common frogs Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758 during their first wintering migration. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276386. [PMID: 35984329 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The orientation of naive animals during their first migration is extensively studied in birds and sea turtles, whereas the data for other groups such as amphibians are still scarce. To date, it is unknown whether young-of-the-year anurans perform a random or directional search for the hibernation sites, and what cues (global or local) do they use. We conducted a series of field experiments to study the orientation behavior of juvenile common frogs during their first wintering migration. We captured 1614 froglets from two subpopulations with different directions of migration and assessed their orientation in large circular outdoor arenas (20 m in diameter) on the opposite sides of the river. Before the migration, froglets used local cues and moved back towards the forest (summer habitat). At the start of migration, the froglets do not move randomly: they navigate towards the river using local cues; later, however, before approaching the hibernation site, they memorize the compass direction of migration and follow it using global cues. Orientation along a memorized compass heading begins to dominate in the hierarchy of orientation mechanisms, and this predominance is maintained even after reaching the hibernation site. Unlike in birds, no innate direction of migration was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir V Shakhparonov
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia.,Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. Torez 44, Saint-Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Aleksander P Golovlev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Ekaterina E Grytsyshina
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Alisa A Bolshakova
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, 1, k.12, Moscow 119234, Russia
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Hays GC, Atchison-Balmond N, Cerritelli G, Laloë JO, Luschi P, Mortimer JA, Rattray A, Esteban N. Travel routes to remote ocean targets reveal the map sense resolution for a marine migrant. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210859. [PMID: 35537472 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How animals navigate across the ocean to isolated targets remains perplexing greater than 150 years since this question was considered by Charles Darwin. To help solve this long-standing enigma, we considered the likely resolution of any map sense used in migration, based on the navigational performance across different scales (tens to thousands of kilometres). We assessed navigational performance using a unique high-resolution Fastloc-GPS tracking dataset for post-breeding hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) migrating relatively short distances to remote, isolated targets on submerged banks in the Indian Ocean. Individuals often followed circuitous paths (mean straightness index = 0.54, range 0.14-0.93, s.d. = 0.23, n = 22), when migrating short distances (mean beeline distance to target = 106 km, range 68.7-178.2 km). For example, one turtle travelled 1306.2 km when the beeline distance to the target was only 176.4 km. When off the beeline to their target, turtles sometimes corrected their course both in the open ocean and when encountering shallow water. Our results provide compelling evidence that hawksbill turtles only have a relatively crude map sense in the open ocean. The existence of widespread foraging and breeding areas on isolated oceanic sites points to target searching in the final stages of migration being common in sea turtles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Giulia Cerritelli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Luschi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jeanne A Mortimer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.,PO Box 1443, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
| | | | - Nicole Esteban
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
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7
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Krochmal AR, Roth TC, Simmons NT. The geomagnetic field does not appear to influence navigation in Eastern painted turtles. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Timothy C. Roth
- Department of Psychology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster Pennsylvania
| | - Nathaniel T. Simmons
- Department of Biology Washington College Chestertown Maryland
- Still Pond Chestertown, Maryland
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Seewagen CL. The threat of global mercury pollution to bird migration: potential mechanisms and current evidence. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1254-1267. [PMID: 30159636 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-018-1971-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a global pollutant that has been widely shown to adversely affect reproduction and other endpoints related to fitness and health in birds, but almost nothing is known about its effects on migration relative to other life cycle processes. Here I consider the physiological and histological effects that mercury is known to have on non-migrating birds and non-avian vertebrates to identify potential mechanisms by which mercury might hinder migration performance. I posit that the broad ability of mercury to inactivate enzymes and compromise the function of other proteins is a single mechanism by which mercury has strong potential to disrupt many of the physiological processes that make long-distance migration possible. In just this way alone, there is reason to expect mercury to interfere with navigation, flight endurance, oxidative balance, and stopover refueling. Navigation and flight could be further affected by neurotoxic effects of mercury on the brain regions that process geomagnetic information from the visual system and control biomechanics, respectively. Interference with photochemical reactions in the retina and decreases in scotopic vision sensitivity caused by mercury also have the potential to disrupt visual-based magnetic navigation. Finally, migration performance and possibly survival might be limited by the immunosuppressive effects of mercury on birds at a time when exposure to novel pathogens and parasites is great. I conclude that mercury pollution is likely to be further challenging what is already often the most difficult and perilous phase of a migratory bird's annual cycle, potentially contributing to global declines in migratory bird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve & Ecological Research Center, 225 Route 37, New Fairfield, CT, USA.
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Pail M, Landler L, Gollmann G. Orientation and navigation in Bufo bufo: a quest for repeatability of arena experiments. HERPETOZOA 2020; 33:139-147. [PMID: 35444377 PMCID: PMC7612639 DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.33.e52854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on navigation in animals is hampered by conflicting results and failed replications. In order to assess the generality of previous results, male Bufo bufo were collected during their breeding migration and translocated to two testing sites, 2.4 and 2.9 km away, respectively, from their breeding pond in the north of Vienna (Austria). There each toad was tested twice for orientation responses in a circular arena, on the night of collection and four days later. On the first test day, the toads showed significant axial orientation along their individual former migration direction. On the second test day, no significant homeward orientation was detected. Both results accord with findings of previous experiments with toads from another population. We analysed the potential influence of environmental factors (temperature, cloud cover and lunar cycle) on toad orientations using a MANOVA approach. Although cloud cover and lunar cycle had small effects on the second test day, they could not explain the absence of homeward orientation. The absence of homing responses in these tests may be either caused by the absence of navigational capabilities of toads beyond their home ranges, or by inadequacies of the applied method. To resolve this question, tracking of freely moving toads should have greater potential than the use of arena experiments.
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Anderson AM, Duijns S, Smith PA, Friis C, Nol E. Migration Distance and Body Condition Influence Shorebird Migration Strategies and Stopover Decisions During Southbound Migration. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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11
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Khaldy L, Tocco C, Byrne M, Baird E, Dacke M. Straight-line orientation in the woodland-living beetle Sisyphus fasciculatus. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 206:327-335. [PMID: 30955076 PMCID: PMC7192865 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01331-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
To transport their balls of dung along a constant bearing, diurnal savannah-living dung beetles rely primarily on the sun for compass information. However, in more cluttered environments, such as woodlands, this solitary compass cue is frequently hidden from view by surrounding vegetation. In these types of habitats, insects can, instead, rely on surrounding landmarks, the canopy pattern, or wide-field celestial cues, such as polarised skylight, for directional information. Here, we investigate the compass orientation strategy behind straight-line orientation in the diurnal woodland-living beetle Sisyphus fasciculatus. We found that, when manipulating the direction of polarised skylight, Si. fasciculatus responded to this change with a similar change in bearing. However, when the apparent position of the sun was moved, the woodland-living beetle did not change its direction of travel. In contrast, the savannah-living beetle Scarabaeus lamarcki responded to the manipulation of the solar position with a corresponding change in bearing. These results suggest that the dominant compass cue used for straight-line orientation in dung beetles may be determined by the celestial cue that is most prominent in their preferred habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Khaldy
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Claudia Tocco
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Marcus Byrne
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Emily Baird
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Zoology, Functional Morphology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marie Dacke
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Väli Ü, Mirski P, Sellis U, Dagys M, Maciorowski G. Genetic determination of migration strategies in large soaring birds: evidence from hybrid eagles. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0855. [PMID: 30111595 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0855] [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: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The relative contributions of genetic and social factors in shaping the living world are a crucial question in ecology. The annual migration of birds to their wintering grounds and back provides significant knowledge in this field of research. Migratory movements are predominantly genetically determined in passerine birds, while in large soaring birds, it is presumed that social (cultural) factors play the largest role. In this study, we show that genetic factors in soaring birds are more important than previously assumed. We used global positioning system (GPS)-telemetry to compare the autumn journeys and wintering ranges of two closely related large raptorial bird species, the greater spotted eagle Clanga clanga and the lesser spotted eagle Clanga pomarina, and hybrids between them. The timing of migration in hybrids was similar to that of one parental species, but the wintering distributions and home range sizes were similar to those of the other. Tracking data were supported by habitat suitability modelling, based on GPS fixes and ring recoveries. These results suggest a strong genetic influence on migration strategy via a trait-dependent dominance effect, although we cannot rule out the contribution of social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ülo Väli
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Studies, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014 Tartu, Estonia .,Eagle Club, 63406 Valgjärve vald, Hauka, Estonia
| | - Paweł Mirski
- Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok, Ciołkowskiego 1 J, 15-245 Białystok, Poland
| | - Urmas Sellis
- Eagle Club, 63406 Valgjärve vald, Hauka, Estonia
| | - Mindaugas Dagys
- Laboratory of Avian Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania
| | - Grzegorz Maciorowski
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, Poznań 60-625, Poland
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Meier CM, Karaardıç H, Aymí R, Peev SG, Bächler E, Weber R, Witvliet W, Liechti F. What makes Alpine swift ascend at twilight? Novel geolocators reveal year-round flight behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:45. [PMID: 29568149 PMCID: PMC5847200 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Studying individual flight behaviour throughout the year is indispensable to understand the ecology of a bird species. Recent development in technology allows now to track flight behaviour of small long-distance bird migrants throughout its annual cycle. The specific flight behaviour of twilight ascents in birds has been documented in a few studies, but only during a short period of the year, and never quantified on the individual level. It has been suggested that twilight ascents might be a role in orientation and navigation. Previous studies had reported the behaviour only near the breeding site and during migration. We investigated year-round flight behaviour of 34 individual Alpine swifts (Apus melba) of four different populations in relation to twilight ascents. We recorded twilight ascents all around the year and found a twofold higher frequency in ascents during the non-breeding residence phase in Africa compared to all other phases of the year. Dawn ascents were twice as common as dusk ascents and occurred mainly when atmospheric conditions remained stable over a 24-h period. We found no conclusive support that twilight ascents are essential for recalibration of compass cues and landmarks. Data on the wing flapping intensity revealed that high activity at twilight occurred more regularly than the ascents. We therefore conclude that alpine swift generally increase flight activity—also horizontal flight—during the twilight period and we suppose that this increased flight activity, including ascents, might be part of social interactions between individuals. Significance statement Year-round flight altitude tracking with a light-weight multi-sensor tag reveals that Alpine swifts ascend several hundred meters high at twilight regularly. The reason for this behaviour remains unclear and the low-light conditions at this time of the day preclude foraging as a possibility. The frequency and altitude of twilight ascents were highest during the non-breeding period, intermediate during migration and low for active breeders during the breeding phase. We discuss our findings in the context of existing hypotheses on twilight ascent and we propose an additional hypothesis which links twilight ascent with social interaction between flock members. Our study highlights how flight behaviour of individuals of a migratory bird species can be studied even during the sparsely documented non-breeding period. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph M Meier
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Hakan Karaardıç
- Elementary Science Education Department, Education Faculty, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, 07400 Alanya, Turkey
| | - Raül Aymí
- Catalan Ornithological Institute, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Strahil G Peev
- 4Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2, Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Erich Bächler
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Roger Weber
- 5Bern University of Applied Sciences Engineering and Information Technology, Jlcoweg 1, 3400 Burgdorf, Switzerland
| | - Willem Witvliet
- Willem Witvliet, Zuidersloot 16, 1741 Broek op Langedijk, HL Netherlands
| | - Felix Liechti
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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Eng ML, Stutchbury BJM, Morrissey CA. Imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos insecticides impair migratory ability in a seed-eating songbird. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15176. [PMID: 29123163 PMCID: PMC5680183 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds that travel long distances between their wintering and breeding grounds may be particularly susceptible to neurotoxic insecticides, but the influence of insecticides on migration ability is poorly understood. Following acute exposure to two widely used agricultural insecticides, imidacloprid (neonicotinoid) and chlorpyrifos (organophosphate), we compared effects on body mass, migratory activity and orientation in a seed-eating bird, the white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys). During spring migration, sparrows were captured, held and dosed by gavage daily for 3 days with either the vehicle control, low (10% LD50) or high (25% LD50) doses of imidacloprid or chlorpyrifos and tested in migratory orientation trials pre-exposure, post-exposure and during recovery. Control birds maintained body mass and a seasonally appropriate northward orientation throughout the experiment. Imidacloprid dosed birds exhibited significant declines in fat stores and body mass (mean loss: -17% low, -25% high dose) and failed to orient correctly. Chlorpyrifos had no overt effects on mass but significantly impaired orientation. These results suggest that wild songbirds consuming the equivalent of just four imidacloprid-treated canola seeds or eight chlorpyrifos granules per day over 3 days could suffer impaired condition, migration delays and improper migratory direction, which could lead to increased risk of mortality or lost breeding opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Eng
- University of Saskatchewan, Toxicology Centre, Saskatoon, S7N 5B3, Canada
| | | | - Christy A Morrissey
- University of Saskatchewan, Department of Biology, Saskatoon, S7N 5E2, Canada.
- University of Saskatchewan, School of Environment and Sustainability, Saskatoon, S7N 5C8, Canada.
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