scholarly journals Weather at the winter and stopover areas determines spring migration onset, progress, and advancements in Afro-Palearctic migrant birds

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (29) ◽  
pp. 17056-17062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgen Haest ◽  
Ommo Hüppop ◽  
Franz Bairlein
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Spring Migration ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Spring Phenology ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Migration Phenology ◽  
Exogenous Factors

Climate change causes changes in the timing of life cycle events across all trophic groups. Spring phenology has mostly advanced, but large, unexplained, variations are present between and within species. Each spring, migratory birds travel tens to tens of thousands of kilometers from their wintering to their breeding grounds. For most populations, large uncertainties remain on their exact locations outside the breeding area, and the time spent there or during migration. Assessing climate (change) effects on avian migration phenology has consequently been difficult due to spatial and temporal uncertainties in the weather potentially affecting migration timing. Here, we show for six trans-Saharan long-distance migrants that weather at the wintering and stopover grounds almost entirely (∼80%) explains interannual variation in spring migration phenology. Importantly, our spatiotemporal approach also allows for the systematic exclusion of influences at other locations and times. While increased spring temperatures did contribute strongly to the observed spring migration advancements over the 55-y study period, improvements in wind conditions, especially in the Maghreb and Mediterranean, have allowed even stronger advancements. Flexibility in spring migration timing of long-distance migrants to exogenous factors has been consistently underestimated due to mismatches in space, scale, time, and weather variable type.

scholarly journals Climate change effects on migration phenology may mismatch brood parasitic cuckoos and their hosts

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Saino ◽  
Diego Rubolini ◽  
Esa Lehikoinen ◽  
Leonid V. Sokolov ◽  
Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Short Distance ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Parasitism Rates ◽  
Migration Phenology ◽  
Spring Arrival

Phenological responses to climate change vary among taxa and across trophic levels. This can lead to a mismatch between the life cycles of ecologically interrelated populations (e.g. predators and prey), with negative consequences for population dynamics of some of the interacting species. Here we provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence that climate change might disrupt the association between the life cycles of the common cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ), a migratory brood parasitic bird, and its hosts. We investigated changes in timing of spring arrival of the cuckoo and its hosts throughout Europe over six decades, and found that short-distance, but not long-distance, migratory hosts have advanced their arrival more than the cuckoo. Hence, cuckoos may keep track of phenological changes of long-distance, but not short-distance migrant hosts, with potential consequences for breeding of both cuckoo and hosts. The mismatch to some of the important hosts may contribute to the decline of cuckoo populations and explain some of the observed local changes in parasitism rates of migratory hosts.

scholarly journals Migration distance affects how closely Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during migration

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariëlle L. van Toor ◽  
Sergey Kharitonov ◽  
Saulius Švažas ◽  
Mindaugas Dagys ◽  
Erik Kleyheeg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
Spring Migration ◽  
Migration Distance ◽  
Spring Phenology ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Migratory Strategy ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The timing of migration for herbivorous migratory birds is thought to coincide with spring phenology as emerging vegetation supplies them with the resources to fuel migration, and, in species with a capital breeding strategy also provides individuals with energy for use on the breeding grounds. Individuals with very long migration distances might however have to trade off between utilising optimal conditions en route and reaching the breeding grounds early, potentially leading to them overtaking spring on the way. Here, we investigate whether migration distance affects how closely individually tracked Eurasian wigeons follow spring phenology during spring migration. Methods We captured wigeons in the Netherlands and Lithuania and tracked them throughout spring migration to identify staging sites and timing of arrival. Using temperature-derived indicators of spring phenology, we investigated how maximum longitude reached and migration distance affected how closely wigeons followed spring. We further estimated the impact of tagging on wigeon migration by comparing spring migratory timing between tracked individuals and ring recovery data sets. Results Wigeons migrated to locations between 300 and 4000 km from the capture site, and migrated up to 1000 km in a single day. We found that wigeons migrating to more north-easterly locations followed spring phenology more closely, and increasingly so the greater distance they had covered during migration. Yet we also found that despite tags equalling only around 2% of individual’s body mass, individuals were on average 11–12 days slower than ring-marked individuals from the same general population. Discussion Overall, our results suggest that migratory strategy can vary dependent on migration distance within species, and even within the same migratory corridor. Individual decisions thus depend not only on environmental cues, but potentially also trade-offs made during later life-history stages.

scholarly journals Birds facing climate change: a qualitative model for the adaptive potential of migratory behaviour

2015 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelangelo Morganti
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Qualitative Model ◽  
Migratory Behaviour ◽  
Adaptive Potential ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Genetic Determination ◽  
Recent Climate

Recent climate change is altering the migratory behaviour of many bird species. An advancement in the timing of spring events and a shift in the geographical distribution have been detected for birds around the world. In particular, intra-Palearctic migratory birds have advanced arrivals in spring and shortened migratory distances by shifting northward their wintering grounds. These changes in migratory patterns are considered adaptive responses facilitating the adjustment of the life cycle to the phenological changes found in their breeding areas. However, in some cases, populations exposed to the same selective pressures do not show any appreciable adaptive change in their behaviour. Basing on the comparison of realized and non-realized adaptive changes, I propose here the formulation of a qualitative model that predicts the potential of migratory birds populations to change adaptively their migratory behaviour. The model assumes that the adaptive potential of migratory behaviour is fuelled by both genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity. Populations of long-distance migrants are exposed to strong environmental canalization that largely eroded their phenotypic plasticity and reduced genetic variability, so that they show a very low amount of adaptive potential regarding migratory behaviour. On the contrary, partial-migrant populations have a highly varied genetic profile and are more plastic at the phenotypic level, and consequently show the highest amount of adaptive potential. Species with mainly social and mainly genetic determination of the migratory behaviour are separately treated in the model. Specific empirical models to foresee the adaptive strategies of wild bird populations that face to climate change can be derived from the general theoretical model. As example, a specific model about the shortening of migratory distances in Western European migratory bird is presented. Finally, a number of future research lines on the topic of adaptive potential of migratory behaviour are discussed, including some examples of concrete study cases. In conclusion, partial-migration emerge as the less known system and future research efforts on this topic are expected to be especially fruitful.

scholarly journals Factors influencing fall departure phenology in migratory birds that bred in northeastern North America

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Émile Brisson-Curadeau ◽  
Kyle H Elliott ◽  
Pascal Côté
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Short Distance ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Warm Weather ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Timing Of Migration ◽  
Migrating Birds

Abstract The phenology of migrating birds is shifting with climate change. For instance, short-distance migrants wintering in temperate regions tend to delay their migration in fall during spells of warmer temperature. However, some species do not show strong shifts, and the factors determining which species will react to temperature changes by delaying their migration are poorly known. In addition, it is not known whether a slower migration or a postponed departure creates the observed delays in fall migration because most studies occur far south of the boreal breeding areas making it difficult to separate those 2 mechanisms. We used 22 yr of data at a northern observatory in eastern North America, at the southern edge of the boreal forest, to examine how 21 short-distance migrants responded to changing temperatures. We investigated if those species responding to temperature share life-history features (i.e. diet, size, total migration distance, breeding habitat, timing of migration). The period of migration in each species was, by far, the most important factor predicting the response of a species to temperature. Eight of the 13 species migrating in October changed their migration onset with temperature (usually by delaying migration by 1–2 days/°C), while the migration timing of none of the 8 species migrating in September was dependent on temperature. Furthermore, the absence of a greater migration delay by birds breeding farther from the study site (i.e. Arctic-breeding birds) suggests the mechanism is a postponed departure rather than a slower migration. We conclude that temperature variations in late fall influence the conditions on the breeding grounds, so that birds still present at that time benefit more from postponing their departure in warm weather.

scholarly journals Climate change relaxes the time constraints for late-born offspring in a long-distance migrant

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1839) ◽  
pp. 20161366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara M. Tomotani ◽  
Phillip Gienapp ◽  
Domien G. M. Beersma ◽  
Marcel E. Visser
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Time Constraints ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Hatch Date ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
And Migration

Animals in seasonal environments need to fit their annual-cycle stages, such as moult and migration, in a tight schedule. Climate change affects the phenology of organisms and causes advancements in timing of these annual-cycle stages but not necessarily at the same rates. For migratory birds, this can lead to more severe or more relaxed time constraints in the time from fledging to migration, depending on the relative shifts of the different stages. We tested how a shift in hatch date, which has advanced due to climate change, impacts the organization of the birds' whole annual cycle. We experimentally advanced and delayed the hatch date of pied flycatcher chicks in the field and then measured the timing of their annual-cycle stages in a controlled laboratory environment. Hatch date affected the timing of moult and pre-migratory fattening, but not migration. Early-born birds hence had a longer time to fatten up than late-born ones; the latter reduced their interval between onset of fattening and migration to be able to migrate at the same time as the early-born birds. This difference in time constraints for early- and late-born individuals may explain why early-born offspring have a higher probability to recruit as a breeding bird. Climate change-associated advancements of avian egg-lay dates, which in turn advances hatch dates, can thus reduce the negative fitness consequences of reproducing late, thereby reducing the selection for early egg-laying migratory birds.

scholarly journals Partial altitudinal migration of the Near Threatened satyr tragopan Tragopan satyra in the Bhutan Himalayas: implications for conservation in mountainous environments

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nawang Norbu ◽  
Ugyen ◽  
Martin C. Wikelski ◽  
David S. Wilcove
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Altitudinal Migration ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Migratory Strategies

AbstractRelative to long-distance migrants, altitudinal migrants have been understudied, perhaps because of a perception that their migrations are less complex and therefore easier to protect. Nonetheless, altitudinal migrants may be at risk as they are subject to ongoing anthropogenic pressure from land use and climate change. We used global positioning system/accelerometer telemetry to track the partial altitudinal migration of the satyr tragopan Tragopan satyra in central Bhutan. The birds displayed a surprising diversity of migratory strategies: some individuals did not migrate, others crossed multiple mountains to their winter ranges, others descended particular mountains, and others ascended higher up into the mountains in winter. In all cases migration between summer breeding and winter non-breeding grounds was accomplished largely by walking, not by flying. Females migrated in a south-easterly direction whereas males migrated in random directions. During winter, migrants occupied south-east facing slopes whereas residents remained on south-west facing slopes. Migratory and resident tragopans utilized a range of forest types, with migratory individuals preferring cool broadleaved forests during winter. These complex patterns of migration suggest that conservation measures should extend across multiple mountains, protect the full range of forest types and encompass multiple landscape configurations to protect aspect diversity. Given the diversity of migratory strategies employed by this single species it seems clear that more research on altitudinal migrants is needed to understand what must be done to ensure their future in an era of widespread land-use and climate change.

scholarly journals A full annual perspective on sex-biased migration timing in long-distance migratory birds

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1897) ◽  
pp. 20182821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martins Briedis ◽  
Silke Bauer ◽  
Peter Adamík ◽  
José A. Alves ◽  
Joana S. Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Female Migration ◽  
Proximate Determinants ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
And Migration

In many taxa, the most common form of sex-biased migration timing is protandry—the earlier arrival of males at breeding areas. Here we test this concept across the annual cycle of long-distance migratory birds. Using more than 350 migration tracks of small-bodied trans-Saharan migrants, we quantify differences in male and female migration schedules and test for proximate determinants of sex-specific timing. In autumn, males started migration about 2 days earlier, but this difference did not carry over to arrival at the non-breeding sites. In spring, males on average departed from the African non-breeding sites about 3 days earlier and reached breeding sitesca4 days ahead of females. A cross-species comparison revealed large variation in the level of protandry and protogyny across the annual cycle. While we found tight links between individual timing of departure and arrival within each migration season, only for males the timing of spring migration was linked to the timing of previous autumn migration. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that protandry is not exclusively a reproductive strategy but rather occurs year-round and the two main proximate determinants for the magnitude of sex-biased arrival times in autumn and spring are sex-specific differences in departure timing and migration duration.

scholarly journals Detours in long-distance migration across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: individual consistency and habitat associations

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongping Liu ◽  
Guogang Zhang ◽  
Hongxing Jiang ◽  
Jun Lu
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Migration Timing ◽  
Ecological Barriers ◽  
Flight Costs ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Individual Consistency

Migratory birds often follow detours when confronted with ecological barriers, and understanding the extent and the underlying drivers of such detours can provide important insights into the associated cost to the annual energy budget and the migration strategies. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the most daunting geographical barrier for migratory birds because the partial pressure of oxygen is dramatically reduced and flight costs greatly increase. We analyzed the repeated migration detours and habitat associations of four Pallas’s Gulls Larus ichthyaetus across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau over 22 migration seasons. Gulls exhibited notable detours, with the maximum distance being more than double that of the expected shortest route, that extended rather than reduced the passage across the plateau. The extent of longitudinal detours significantly increased with latitude, and detours were longer in autumn than in spring. Compared with the expected shortest routes, proximity to water bodies increased along autumn migration routes, but detour-habitat associations were weak along spring migration routes. Thus, habitat availability was likely one, but not the only, factor shaping the extent of detours, and migration routes were determined by different mechanisms between seasons. Significant between-individual variation but high individual consistency in migration timing and routes were revealed in both seasons, indicating a stronger influence of endogenous schedules than local environmental conditions. Gulls may benefit from repeated use of familiar routes and stopover sites, which may be particularly significant in the challenging environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

scholarly journals The effect of climate change on the duration of avian breeding seasons: a meta-analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1867) ◽  
pp. 20171710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucyna Halupka ◽  
Konrad Halupka
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Ecological Flexibility ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Many bird species are advancing the timing of their egg-laying in response to a warming climate. Little is known, however, of whether this advancement affects the respective length of the breeding seasons. A meta-analysis of 65 long-term studies of 54 species from the Northern Hemisphere has revealed that within the last 45 years an average population has lengthened the season by 1.4 days per decade, which was independent from changes in mean laying dates. Multi-brooded birds have prolonged their seasons by 4 days per decade, while single-brooded have shortened by 2 days. Changes in season lengths covaried with local climate changes: warming was correlated with prolonged seasons in multi-brooded species, but not in single-brooders. This might be a result of higher ecological flexibility of multi-brooded birds, whereas single brooders may have problems with synchronizing their reproduction with the peak of food resources. Sedentary species and short-distance migrants prolonged their breeding seasons more than long-distance migrants, which probably cannot track conditions at their breeding grounds. We conclude that as long as climate warming continues without major changes in ecological conditions, multi-brooded or sedentary species will probably increase their reproductive output, while the opposite effect may occur in single-brooded or migratory birds.

scholarly journals The impacts of climate change on the annual cycles of birds

2009 ◽  
Vol 364 (1534) ◽  
pp. 3321-3330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Carey
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Annual Cycles ◽  
The Past ◽  
New Man ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Avian Populations

Organisms living today are descended from ancestors that experienced considerable climate change in the past. However, they are currently presented with many new, man-made challenges, including rapid climate change. Migration and reproduction of many avian species are controlled by endogenous mechanisms that have been under intense selection over time to ensure that arrival to and departure from breeding grounds is synchronized with moderate temperatures, peak food availability and availability of nesting sites. The timing of egg laying is determined, usually by both endogenous clocks and local factors, so that food availability is near optimal for raising young. Climate change is causing mismatches in food supplies, snow cover and other factors that could severely impact successful migration and reproduction of avian populations unless they are able to adjust to new conditions. Resident (non-migratory) birds also face challenges if precipitation and/or temperature patterns vary in ways that result in mismatches of food and breeding. Predictions that many existing climates will disappear and novel climates will appear in the future suggest that communities will be dramatically restructured by extinctions and changes in range distributions. Species that persist into future climates may be able to do so in part owing to the genetic heritage passed down from ancestors who survived climate changes in the past.

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