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Robertson EP, La Sorte FA, Mays JD, Taillie PJ, Robinson OJ, Ansley RJ, O’Connell TJ, Davis CA, Loss SR. Decoupling of bird migration from the changing phenology of spring green-up. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308433121. [PMID: 38437528 PMCID: PMC10963019 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308433121] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The green-up of vegetation in spring brings a pulse of food resources that many animals track during migration. However, green-up phenology is changing with climate change, posing an immense challenge for species that time their migrations to coincide with these resource pulses. We evaluated changes in green-up phenology from 2002 to 2021 in relation to the migrations of 150 Western-Hemisphere bird species using eBird citizen science data. We found that green-up phenology has changed within bird migration routes, and yet the migrations of most species align more closely with long-term averages of green-up than with current conditions. Changing green-up strongly influenced phenological mismatches, especially for longer-distance migrants. These results reveal that bird migration may have limited flexibility to adjust to changing vegetation phenology and emphasize the mounting challenge migratory animals face in following en route resources in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen P. Robertson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
- South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Norman, OK73019
| | - Frank A. La Sorte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
| | - Jonathan D. Mays
- Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Gainesville, FL32611
| | - Paul J. Taillie
- Department of Geography and Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27514
| | | | - Robert J. Ansley
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| | - Timothy J. O’Connell
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| | - Craig A. Davis
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
| | - Scott R. Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK74078
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Procházka P, Emmenegger T, Bauer S, Ciloglu A, Dimitrov D, Hansson B, Hasselquist D, Yohannes E, Zehtindjiev P, Bensch S. The association between haemosporidian infection and non-breeding moult location in great reed warblers revisited by combining feather stable isotope profiles and geolocator data. Oecologia 2024; 204:107-118. [PMID: 38141067 PMCID: PMC10830769 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05491-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Stable isotope analysis provides valuable insights into the ecology of long-distance migratory birds during periods spent away from a specific study site. In a previous study, Swedish great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) infected with haemosporidian parasites differed in feather isotope ratios compared to non-infected birds, suggesting that infected and non-infected birds spent the non-breeding season in different locations or habitats. Here, we use a novel dataset comprising geolocator data, isotopes, and haemosporidian infection status of 92 individuals from four Eurasian populations to investigate whether parasite transmission varies with geography or habitats. We found that the probability of harbouring Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon parasites was higher in birds moulting in the eastern region of the non-breeding grounds. However, no geographic pattern occurred for Haemoproteus infections or overall infection status. In contrast to the previous study, we did not find any relationship between feather isotope ratios and overall haemosporidian infection for the entire current dataset. Plasmodium-infected birds had lower feather δ15N values indicating that they occupied more mesic habitats. Leucocytozoon-infected birds had higher feather δ34S values suggesting more coastal sites or wetlands with anoxic sulphate reduction. As the composition and prevalence of haemosporidian parasites differed between the old and the current dataset, we suggest that the differences might be a consequence of temporal dynamics of haemosporidian parasites. Our results emphasize the importance of replicating studies conducted on a single population over a restricted time period, as the patterns can become more complex for data from wider geographical areas and different time periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Procházka
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Tamara Emmenegger
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Department Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Silke Bauer
- Department Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Arif Ciloglu
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, 38280, Kayseri, Turkey
- Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases Implementation and Research Center, Erciyes University, 38280, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Dimitar Dimitrov
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Bengt Hansson
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dennis Hasselquist
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Elizabeth Yohannes
- Department Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Zehtindjiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
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Linek N, Brzęk P, Gienapp P, O’Mara MT, Pokrovsky I, Schmidt A, Shipley JR, Taylor JRE, Tiainen J, Volkmer T, Wikelski M, Partecke J. A partial migrant relies upon a range-wide cue set but uses population-specific weighting for migratory timing. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:63. [PMID: 34930467 PMCID: PMC8686659 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00298-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many birds species range over vast geographic regions and migrate seasonally between their breeding and overwintering sites. Deciding when to depart for migration is one of the most consequential life-history decisions an individual may make. However, it is still not fully understood which environmental cues are used to time the onset of migration and to what extent their relative importance differs across a range of migratory strategies. We focus on departure decisions of a songbird, the Eurasian blackbird Turdus merula, in which selected Russian and Polish populations are full migrants which travel relatively long-distances, whereas Finnish and German populations exhibit partial migration with shorter migration distances. METHODS We used telemetry data from the four populations (610 individuals) to determine which environmental cues individuals from each population use to initiate their autumn migration. RESULTS When departing, individuals in all populations selected nights with high atmospheric pressure and minimal cloud cover. Fully migratory populations departed earlier in autumn, at longer day length, at higher ambient temperatures, and during nights with higher relative atmospheric pressure and more supportive winds than partial migrants; however, they did not depart in higher synchrony. Thus, while all studied populations used the same environmental cues, they used population-specific and locally tuned thresholds to determine the day of departure. CONCLUSIONS Our data support the idea that migratory timing is controlled by general, species-wide mechanisms, but fine-tuned thresholds in response to local conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Linek
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Paweł Brzęk
- Faculty of Biology, University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | | | - M. Teague O’Mara
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, USA
| | - Ivan Pokrovsky
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, UB RAS, Ekaterinburg, Russia
- Institute of Biological Problems of the North, FEB RAS, Magadan, Russia
| | - Andreas Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - J. Ryan Shipley
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | | | - Juha Tiainen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Helsinki, Finland
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Lammi, Finland
| | - Tamara Volkmer
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Jesko Partecke
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Linking migratory performance to breeding phenology and productivity in an Afro-Palearctic long-distance migrant. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23258. [PMID: 34853345 PMCID: PMC8636482 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01734-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between migratory performance and fitness is crucial for predicting population dynamics of migratory species. In this study, we used geolocators to explore migration performance (speed and duration of migratory movements, migratory timings) and its association with breeding phenology and productivity in an Afro-Palearctic insectivore, the European bee-eater (Merops apiaster), breeding in Iberian Peninsula. Bee-eaters migrated at higher travel speeds and had shorter travel duration in spring compared to autumn. Individuals that departed earlier or spent fewer days in-flight arrived earlier to the breeding areas. Our results show overall positive, but year-specific, linkages between arrival and laying dates. In one year, laying was earlier and productivity was higher, remaining constant throughout the season, while in the subsequent year productivity was lower and, importantly, declined with laying date. These results suggest that arriving earlier can be advantageous for bee-eaters, as in years when breeding conditions are favourable, early and late breeders produce high and similar number of fledglings, but when conditions are unfavourable only early breeders experience high productivity levels.
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Exploring the Applicability and Scaling Effects of Satellite-Observed Spring and Autumn Phenology in Complex Terrain Regions Using Four Different Spatial Resolution Products. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13224582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The information on land surface phenology (LSP) was extracted from remote sensing data in many studies. However, few studies have evaluated the impacts of satellite products with different spatial resolutions on LSP extraction over regions with a heterogeneous topography. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study took the Loess Plateau as an example region and employed four types of satellite data with different spatial resolutions (250, 500, and 1000 m MODIS NDVI during the period 2001–2020 and ~10 km GIMMS3g during the period 1982–2015) to investigate the LSP changes that took place. We used the correlation coefficient (r) and root mean square error (RMSE) to evaluate the performances of various satellite products and further analyzed the applicability of the four satellite products. Our results showed that the MODIS-based start of the growing season (SOS) and end of the growing season (EOS) were highly correlated with the ground-observed data with r values of 0.82 and 0.79, respectively (p < 0.01), while the GIMMS3g-based phenology signal performed badly (r < 0.50 and p > 0.05). Spatially, the LSP that was derived from the MODIS products produced more reasonable spatial distributions. The inter-annual averaged MODIS SOS and EOS presented overall advanced and delayed trends during the period 2001–2020, respectively. More than two-thirds of the SOS advances and EOS delays occurred in grasslands, which determined the overall phenological changes across the entire Loess Plateau. However, both inter-annual trends of SOS and EOS derived from the GIMMS3g data were opposite to those seen in the MODIS results. There were no significant differences among the three MODIS datasets (250, 500, and 1000 m) with regard to a bias lower than 2 days, RMSE lower than 1 day, and correlation coefficient greater than 0.95 (p < 0.01). Furthermore, it was found that the phenology that was derived from the data with a 1000 m spatial resolution in the heterogeneous topography regions was feasible. Yet, in forest ecosystems and areas with an accumulated temperature ≥10 °C, the differences in phenological phase between the MODIS products could be amplified.
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Vega ML, Fransson T, Kullberg C. The effects of four decades of climate change on the breeding ecology of an avian sentinel species across a 1,500-km latitudinal gradient are stronger at high latitudes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6233-6247. [PMID: 34141214 PMCID: PMC8207436 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming affects breeding phenology of birds differentially with latitude, but there is contrasting evidence about how the changing climate influences the breeding of migrating songbirds at their northern breeding range. We investigate the effect of climate warming on breeding time and breeding success of European pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in Sweden during a period of 36 years using nest reports from bird ringing. To account for the latitudinal variation, we divided Sweden into three latitudinal bands (northern, intermediate, and southern). We applied a sliding window approach to find the most influential period and environment characteristics (temperature, vegetation greenness, and precipitation), using linear mixed models and model averaging. Our results show a long-term advancement of breeding time related to increasing spring temperature and vegetation greenness during a period before hatching. Northern breeders revealed a larger advancement over the years (8.3 days) compared with southern breeders (3.6 days). We observed a relatively stronger effect of temperature and greenness on breeding time in the north. Furthermore, northern birds showed an increase in breeding success over time, while birds breeding at southern and intermediate latitudes showed reduced breeding success in years with higher prehatching temperatures. Our findings with stronger environment effects on breeding time advancement in the north suggest that pied flycatchers are more responsive to weather cues at higher latitudes. Breeding time adjustment and, potentially, low competition help explain the higher long-term success observed in the north. Reduced breeding success at more southerly latitudes suggests an inability to match breeding time to very early and warm springs, a fate that with continued climate change could also be expected for pied flycatchers and other long-distance migrants at their very northern breeding range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lomas Vega
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Thord Fransson
- Department of Environmental Research and MonitoringSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
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Bründl AC, Sallé L, Lejeune LA, Sorato E, Thiney AC, Chaine AS, Russell AF. Elevational Gradients as a Model for Understanding Associations Among Temperature, Breeding Phenology and Success. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.563377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Battley PF, Conklin JR, Parody-Merino ÁM, Langlands PA, Southey I, Burns T, Melville DS, Schuckard R, Riegen AC, Potter MA. Interacting Roles of Breeding Geography and Early-Life Settlement in Godwit Migration Timing. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Dermond P, Melián CJ, Brodersen J. Size-dependent tradeoffs in seasonal freshwater environments facilitate differential salmonid migration. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:40. [PMID: 31890216 PMCID: PMC6925424 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0185-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seasonal spatio-temporal variation in habitat quality and abiotic conditions leads to animals migrating between different environments around the world. Whereas mean population timing of migration is often fairly well understood, explanations for variation in migratory timing within populations are often lacking. Condition-dependent tradeoffs may be an understudied mechanism that can explain this differential migration. While fixed condition-specific thresholds have been identified in earlier work on ontogenetic niche shifts, they are rare in differential migration, suggesting that thresholds in such systems can shift based on temporally variable environmental conditions. METHODS We introduced a model based on size-specific tradeoffs between migration and growth in seasonal environments. We focused on optimal migratory timing for first-time migrants with no knowledge of an alternative habitat, which is a crucial stage in the life history of migratory salmonids. We predicted that optimal timing would occur when individuals move from their natal habitats based on a seasonally variable ratio of predation and growth. When the ratio becomes slightly more favorable in the alternative habitat, migratory movement can occur. As it keeps shifting throughout the season, the threshold for migration is variable, allowing smaller individuals to move at later dates. We compared our model predictions to empirical data on 3 years of migratory movement of more than 800 juvenile trout of varying size from natal to feeding habitat. RESULTS Both our model and empirical data showed that large individuals, which are assumed to have a lower predation risk in the migratory habitat, move earlier in the season than smaller individuals, whose predicted predation-to-growth ratio shifted to being favorable only later in the migratory season. Our model also predicted that the observed difference in migratory timing between large and small migrants occurred most often at low values of growth differential between the two habitats, suggesting that it was not merely high growth potential but rather the tradeoff between predation and growth that shaped differential migration patterns. CONCLUSIONS We showed the importance of considering condition-specific tradeoffs for understanding temporal population dynamics in spatially structured landscapes. Rather than assuming a fixed threshold, which appears to be absent based on previous work on salmonids, we showed that the body-size threshold for migration changed temporally throughout the season. This allowed increasingly smaller individuals to migrate when growth conditions peaked in the migratory habitat. Our model illuminates an understudied aspect of predation as part of a condition-dependent tradeoff that shapes migratory patterns, and our empirical data back patterns predicted by this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Dermond
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Aquatic Ecology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carlos J. Melián
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Aquatic Ecology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jakob Brodersen
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Centre of Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Seestrasse 79, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Aquatic Ecology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Servat GP, Cruz R, Vitorino J, Deichmann JL. Ectoparasitism by Chigger Mite Larvae (Acari: Trombiculidae) in a Wintering Population of Catharus ustulatus (Turdidae) in Southeastern Peru. J Parasitol 2018; 104:313-318. [PMID: 29420130 DOI: 10.1645/17-96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We document chigger mite (Acari: Trombiculidae) ectoparasitic infestation (prevalence and intensity) on a population of Catharus ustulatus (Turdidae) wintering at a site (PAD A) in southeastern Peru undergoing development for natural gas exploration. We compare prevalence (i.e., the proportion of individuals infested by chigger mites) and intensity (i.e., the average number of larvae and larvae clusters in infested individuals) at forest edge (<100 m) and interior (>100 m) from PAD A because variations in biotic (e.g., vegetation cover) and abiotic (e.g., relative humidity and temperature) factors are expected to influence chigger mite abundance. Chigger mite prevalence was 100%; all C. ustulatus captured were infested regardless of distance. The range of variation in larvae (2-72 larvae/individual) and cluster intensity (1-4 clusters/individual) did not differ between edge and interior ( P > 0.05), despite differences in herbaceous vegetation cover (UM-W = 180, n = 30, 31; P < 0.01). Ectoparasitic prevalence and intensity in long-distance migratory birds might add risks to an already hazardous journey; because ectoparasitic variation and other selective pressures experienced by individuals at each locality not only may be a cause of within-site mortality, but, by affecting the physical condition of birds, may be carried over to subsequent sites and affect reproductive success and survival. Documenting ectoparasitism at any phase of the life cycle of migrants could improve understanding of population declines of migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace P Servat
- 1 Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Conservation and Sustainability, 1100 Jefferson Drive, Suite 3139, Washington, D.C. 20013-012.,2 Departamento de Ornitología, Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Arenales 1256, Apartado 140434, Lima, Peru
| | - Roxana Cruz
- 3 Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad., Plaza de Armas s/n Paraninfo Universitario, Cusco, Peru
| | - Joyce Vitorino
- 3 Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad., Plaza de Armas s/n Paraninfo Universitario, Cusco, Peru
| | - Jessica L Deichmann
- 1 Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Conservation and Sustainability, 1100 Jefferson Drive, Suite 3139, Washington, D.C. 20013-012
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Watts HE, Cornelius JM, Fudickar AM, Pérez J, Ramenofsky M. Understanding variation in migratory movements: A mechanistic approach. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 256:112-122. [PMID: 28756245 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Spatial and temporal fluctuations in resource availability have led to the evolution of varied migration patterns. In order to appropriately time movements in relation to resources, environmental cues are used to provide proximate information for timing and the endocrine system serves to integrate these external cues and behavioral and physiological responses. Yet, the regulatory mechanisms underlying migratory timing have rarely been compared across a broad range of migratory patterns. First, we offer an updated nomenclature of migration using a mechanistic perspective to clarify terminology describing migratory types in relation to ecology, behavior and endocrinology. We divide migratory patterns into three types: obligate, nomadic, and fugitive. Obligate migration is characterized by regular and directed annual movements between locations, most commonly for breeding and overwintering, where resources are predictable and sufficient. Nomadic migrations occur less predictably than do obligate migrations as animals make use of potentially rich but ephemeral resources that occur unpredictably in space or time. Fugitive migrations move animals away from an area in response to severe disruption of environmental conditions and occur as part of an emergency life history stage. We also consider partially migratory populations, which include a mix of sedentary and migratory individuals; the movement patterns of partial migrants are expected to fall into one of the three types above. For these various forms of migration, we review our understanding of the environmental cues and endocrine mechanisms that underlie the expression of a migratory state. Several common hormonal mechanisms exist across the varied migratory forms, but there are also important areas where further investigations are needed in order to gain broad insight into the origin of movements and the diversity of migratory patterns. We propose that taking a comparative approach across the migratory types that considers endocrine mechanisms will advance a new understanding of migration biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E Watts
- Department of Biology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA; School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
| | | | - Adam M Fudickar
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Jonathan Pérez
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Marilyn Ramenofsky
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Koleček J, Hahn S, Emmenegger T, Procházka P. Intra-tropical movements as a beneficial strategy for Palearctic migratory birds. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171675. [PMID: 29410867 PMCID: PMC5792944 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Migratory birds often move significantly within their non-breeding range before returning to breed. It remains unresolved under which circumstances individuals relocate, whether movement patterns are consistent between populations and to what degree the individuals benefit from the intra-tropical movement (ITM). We tracked adult great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus from a central and a southeastern European breeding population, which either stay at a single non-breeding site, or show ITM, i.e. move to a second site. We related ITM to the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) describing vegetation conditions and probably reflecting food abundance for these insectivorous birds. Three-quarters of birds showed ITM across the non-breeding range. We found no difference in range values and mean values of NDVI between the single non-breeding sites of stationary birds and the two sites of moving birds. The vegetation conditions were better at the second sites compared to the first sites during the period which moving birds spent at the first sites. Vegetation conditions further deteriorated at the first sites during the period the moving birds resided at their second sites. Our study provides evidence that birds probably benefit from improved conditions after ITM compared to the conditions at the sites from where they departed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslav Koleček
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Květná 8, CZ-60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Emmenegger
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Petr Procházka
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Květná 8, CZ-60365 Brno, Czech Republic
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Arlt D, Pärt T. Marked reduction in demographic rates and reduced fitness advantage for early breeding is not linked to reduced thermal matching of breeding time. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10782-10796. [PMID: 29299257 PMCID: PMC5743537 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Warmer springs may cause animals to become mistimed if advances of spring timing, including available resources and of timing of breeding occur at different speed. We used thermal sums (cumulative sum of degree days) during spring to describe the thermal progression (timing) of spring and investigate its relationship to breeding phenology and demography of a long-distant migrant bird, the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe L.). We first compare 20-year trends in spring timing, breeding time, selection for breeding time, and annual demographic rates. We then explicitly test whether annual variation in selection for breeding time and demographic rates associates with the degree of phenological matching between breeding time and thermal progression of spring. Both thermal progression of spring and breeding time of wheatears advanced in time during the study period. But despite breeding on average 7 days earlier with respect to date, wheatears bred about 4 days later with respect to thermal spring progression. Over the same time period, selection for breeding time changed from distinct within-season advantage of breeding early to no or very weak advantage. Furthermore, demographic rates (nest success, fledgling production, recruitment, adult survival) and nestling weight declined markedly by 16%-79%. Those temporal trends suggest that a reduced degree of phenological matching may affect within-season fitness advantage of early breeding and population demographic rates. In contrast, when we investigate links based on annual variation, we find no significant relationship between either demographic rates or fitness advantage of early breeding with annual variation in the degree of phenological matching. Our results show that corresponding temporal trends in phenological matching, selection for breeding time and demographic rates are inconclusive evidence for demographic effects of changed phenological matching. Instead, we suggest that the trends in selection for breeding time and demographic rates are due to a general deterioration of the breeding environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Arlt
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - Tomas Pärt
- Department of EcologySwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUppsalaSweden
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14
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Mayor SJ, Guralnick RP, Tingley MW, Otegui J, Withey JC, Elmendorf SC, Andrew ME, Leyk S, Pearse IS, Schneider DC. Increasing phenological asynchrony between spring green-up and arrival of migratory birds. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1902. [PMID: 28507323 PMCID: PMC5432526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02045-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent with a warming climate, birds are shifting the timing of their migrations, but it remains unclear to what extent these shifts have kept pace with the changing environment. Because bird migration is primarily cued by annually consistent physiological responses to photoperiod, but conditions at their breeding grounds depend on annually variable climate, bird arrival and climate-driven spring events would diverge. We combined satellite and citizen science data to estimate rates of change in phenological interval between spring green-up and migratory arrival for 48 breeding passerine species across North America. Both arrival and green-up changed over time, usually in the same direction (earlier or later). Although birds adjusted their arrival dates, 9 of 48 species did not keep pace with rapidly changing green-up and across all species the interval between arrival and green-up increased by over half a day per year. As green-up became earlier in the east, arrival of eastern breeding species increasingly lagged behind green-up, whereas in the west—where green-up typically became later—birds arrived increasingly earlier relative to green-up. Our results highlight that phenologies of species and trophic levels can shift at different rates, potentially leading to phenological mismatches with negative fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Mayor
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada. .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA. .,The National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA. .,Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Robert P Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Morgan W Tingley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Javier Otegui
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - John C Withey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Sarah C Elmendorf
- The National Ecological Observatory Network, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA
| | - Margaret E Andrew
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Stefan Leyk
- Department of Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Ian S Pearse
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - David C Schneider
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
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15
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Emmenegger T, Hahn S, Arlettaz R, Amrhein V, Zehtindjiev P, Bauer S. Shifts in vegetation phenology along flyways entail varying risks of mistiming in a migratory songbird. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Emmenegger
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological Institute Seerose 1 6204 Sempach Switzerland
- Conservation Biology DivisionInstitute of Ecology & EvolutionUniversity of Bern Baltzerstrasse 6 3012 Bern Switzerland
| | - Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological Institute Seerose 1 6204 Sempach Switzerland
| | - Raphaël Arlettaz
- Conservation Biology DivisionInstitute of Ecology & EvolutionUniversity of Bern Baltzerstrasse 6 3012 Bern Switzerland
- Swiss Ornithological Institute Valais Field Station, Rue du Rhône 11 1950 Sion Switzerland
| | - Valentin Amrhein
- Zoological InstituteUniversity of Basel Vesalgasse 1 4051 Basel Switzerland
- Research Station Petite Camargue Alsacienne Rue de la Pisciculture 68300 Saint‐Louis France
| | - Pavel Zehtindjiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem ResearchBulgarian Academy of Sciences 2 Yurii Gagarin Street 1113 Sofia Bulgaria
| | - Silke Bauer
- Department of Bird MigrationSwiss Ornithological Institute Seerose 1 6204 Sempach Switzerland
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16
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Hahn S, Korner-Nievergelt F, Emmenegger T, Amrhein V, Csörgő T, Gursoy A, Ilieva M, Kverek P, Pérez-Tris J, Pirrello S, Zehtindjiev P, Salewski V. Longer wings for faster springs - wing length relates to spring phenology in a long-distance migrant across its range. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:68-77. [PMID: 26811775 PMCID: PMC4716511 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In migratory birds, morphological adaptations for efficient migratory flight often oppose morphological adaptations for efficient behavior during resident periods. This includes adaptations in wing shape for either flying long distances or foraging in the vegetation and in climate‐driven variation of body size. In addition, the timing of migratory flights and particularly the timely arrival at local breeding sites is crucial because fitness prospects depend on site‐specific phenology. Thus, adaptations for efficient long‐distance flights might be also related to conditions at destination areas. For an obligatory long‐distance migrant, the common nightingale, we verified that wing length as the aerodynamically important trait, but not structural body size increased from the western to the eastern parts of the species range. In contrast with expectation from aerodynamic theory, however, wing length did not increase with increasing migration distances. Instead, wing length was associated with the phenology at breeding destinations, namely the speed of local spring green‐up. We argue that longer wings are beneficial for adjusting migration speed to local conditions for birds breeding in habitats with fast spring green‐up and thus short optimal arrival periods. We suggest that the speed of spring green‐up at breeding sites is a fundamental variable determining the timing of migration that fine tune phenotypes in migrants across their range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird Migration Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach Switzerland
| | | | - Tamara Emmenegger
- Department of Bird Migration Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach Switzerland
| | | | - Tibor Csörgő
- Department of Anatomy, Cell & Developmental Biology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Arzu Gursoy
- Department of Biology Ondokuz Mayis University Samsun Turkey
| | - Mihaela Ilieva
- Institute of Biodiversity & Ecosystem Research Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia Bulgaria
| | | | - Javier Pérez-Tris
- Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology Complutense University of Madrid Madrid Spain; SEO-Monticola Ringing Group Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid Spain
| | - Simone Pirrello
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) Ozzano dell'Emilia Italy
| | - Pavel Zehtindjiev
- Institute of Biodiversity & Ecosystem Research Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia Bulgaria
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17
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Hahn S, Emmenegger T, Lisovski S, Amrhein V, Zehtindjiev P, Liechti F. Variable detours in long-distance migration across ecological barriers and their relation to habitat availability at ground. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:4150-60. [PMID: 25505540 PMCID: PMC4242566 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Revised: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Migration detours, the spatial deviation from the shortest route, are a widespread phenomenon in migratory species, especially if barriers must be crossed. Moving longer distances causes additional efforts in energy and time, and to be adaptive, this should be counterbalanced by favorable condition en route. We compared migration patterns of nightingales that travelled along different flyways from their European breeding sites to the African nonbreeding sites. We tested for deviations from shortest routes and related the observed and expected routes to the habitat availability at ground during autumn and spring migration. All individuals flew detours of varying extent. Detours were largest and seasonally consistent in western flyway birds, whereas birds on the central and eastern flyways showed less detours during autumn migration, but large detours during spring migration (eastern flyway birds). Neither migration durations nor the time of arrival at destination were related to the lengths of detours. Arrival at the breeding site was nearly synchronous in birds flying different detours. Flying detours increased the potential availability of suitable broad-scale habitats en route only along the western flyway. Habitat availability on observed routes remained similar or even decreased for individuals flying detours on the central or the eastern flyway as compared to shortest routes. Thus, broad-scale habitat distribution may partially explain detour performance, but the weak detour-habitat association along central and eastern flyways suggests that other factors shape detour extent regionally. Prime candidate factors are the distribution of small suitable habitat patches at local scale as well as winds specific for the region and altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Hahn
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Emmenegger
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Simeon Lisovski
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University Geelong, Vic., Australia
| | - Valentin Amrhein
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel Basel, Switzerland ; Research Station Petite Camargue Alsacienne Saint-Louis, France
| | - Pavel Zehtindjiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Felix Liechti
- Department of Bird Migration, Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach, Switzerland
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