scholarly journals Anthropogenic noise affects winter song structure of a long-distance migrant, Gambel’s white-crowned sparrow

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer N Phillips ◽  
Madhusudan Katti
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
Song Structure ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Acoustic Mismatch ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii

Abstract Many animals learn to produce acoustic signals that are used to attract mates and defend territories. The structure of these signals can be influenced by external features of the environment, including the anthropogenic soundscape. In many sedentary species, habitat features and soundscape appears to influence the cultural evolution of songs, often with tradeoffs for better transmission over sexually selected song structure. However, none have investigated whether noise on the wintering grounds affects song structure, which for long-distance migrants may result in an acoustic ‘mismatch’ when returning to a breeding ground. This study investigates urban noise effects on song structure in a long-distance migrant, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, on the wintering grounds in the Fresno Clovis Metropolitan Area and in outlying non-urban areas. Songs and background noise levels were recorded concurrently, and song measurements of frequency and duration were examined differences across noise levels and habitats . We found that the buzz and trill decrease in bandwidth in the presence of noise. The length of the whistle and buzz portion of the song also tends to decreases with noise in urban habitats. This trend toward short, pure tones in noisy areas may transmit better in noisy urban winter habitats, but may not be adaptive on quieter breeding grounds. We suggest that future studies should consider whether winter auditory feedback and song learning environments have consequences for song crystallization and breeding success for long-distance migrants.

Migratory behaviour of captive white-crowned sparrows, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, differs during autumn and spring migration

Behaviour ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 1219-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Ramenofsky ◽  
Renée Agatsuma
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Migratory Restlessness ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Life History Stages ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii

AbstractGambel's white-crown sparrow (Zonotorichia leucophrys gambelii) is a long-distance, over-land migrant. In captivity birds display many characteristics of the autumn and spring migratory life history stages that include hyperphagia, fattening and high intensity nocturnal activity termed migratory restlessness or Zugunruhe. We recorded the behaviour of captive birds while simultaneously collecting 24 h locomotor activity. These data were used to define the behaviour displayed by captive birds during autumn and spring in order to compare the two migratory stages and to draw inferences for free-living birds. The predominant behaviour during day and nighttime was rest. Feeding occurred only during daylight hours but at a greater frequency in autumn than spring. Birds generally used their feet as the primary source of locomotion during the day termed 'jump'. During the night, two distinct behaviours, 'beak-up flight' and 'beak-up' involving high intensity wing motions were observed and considered components of migratory restlessness. The frequency of the 'beak-up flight' was greatest during spring and associated with the enhanced tempo of vernal migration. In both stages, migratory restlessness was preceded by a quiescent phase, the occurrence of which differed and related to time available for foraging and length of the night. Given these findings, we hypothesize that diel behaviours displayed by autumn and spring migrants in captivity highlight distinctions between the two life history stages.

Habitat ecology of Nearctic–Neotropical migratory landbirds on the nonbreeding grounds

The Condor ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Albert ◽  
Jared D Wolfe ◽  
Jherime Kellerman ◽  
Thomas Sherry ◽  
Bridget J M Stutchbury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Change ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Neotropical Migrants ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
Phenological Mismatch ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Carry Over

Abstract Of the approximately 716 bird species that breed in North America, 386 (54%) are considered Nearctic–Neotropical migrants by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In the past 50 yr, scores of these migratory species, including some once considered common, have declined dramatically. Nearctic–Neotropical migrants normally spend 6–8 months in tropical habitats, making the identification, availability, and management of Neotropical habitats critical issues for their conservation. Yet, for most species, complete and nuanced information about their use of tropical habitats and the relative effects of breeding vs. wintering conditions on survival, productivity, and population trends is not available, though many studies point to Neotropical overwintering habitats as being a strong driver of population change. Particularly important for long-distance Nearctic–Neotropical migrants is an understanding of how “carry-over effects” arise and influence population trends when conditions on wintering grounds and tropical stopover areas affect subsequent reproductive performance on breeding grounds. For example, why some species show strong carry-over effects from tropical habitats while others do not is not fully understood. In recent years, many studies have offered insights into these issues by taking advantage of new scientific methods and technological innovations. In this review, we explore threats facing North American breeding birds that migrate to the Neotropics, summarize knowledge of habitat selection and use on the wintering grounds, describe how conditions at one point in the annual cycle may manifest in subsequent seasons or life history stages, and discuss conservation concerns such as climate change and the potential for phenological mismatch.

scholarly journals Migration strategy and site fidelity of the globally threatened Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul F. Donald ◽  
Johannes Kamp ◽  
Rhys E. Green ◽  
Ruslan Urazaliyev ◽  
Maxim Koshkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Migration Strategy ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Wintering Areas

ABSTRACTPopulation declines of the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing are probably due to high mortality along its migration routes or on its wintering grounds, both of which are very poorly known. We therefore undertook a long-term study of the species’ movements using satellite tagging, colour-ringing and targeted field surveys. We also compiled a database of historical and recent sightings of the species from published and unpublished sources. There were two migration flyways from the breeding grounds in Kazakhstan, along which birds used different staging strategies. A longer western route (c. 5200 km) takes birds west to southern Russia, then south through the Caucasus and the Levant to wintering areas in Saudi Arabia and eastern Sudan. A shorter eastern route (c. 2800 km) takes birds south to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, then over the mountains of northern Afghanistan to wintering areas in Pakistan and north-western India. In spring, birds of the western flyway cut out the Caucasus by making a direct crossing of the Caspian Sea from Azerbaijan. The migration strategy is characterised by infrequent long-distance movements followed by often lengthy stopovers in a small number of staging areas that are used consistently across years, and by high individual and low between-individual consistency in patterns of movement, both spatially and temporally. At least four main autumn stopover areas and one additional spring stopover area were identified along the longer western route, but only one autumn and one spring staging area along the eastern route. There was no relationship between latitude or longitude of capture for tagging or colour ringing and the subsequent migration route used, and the same breeding colonies could contain breeding adults and produce chicks of both flyway populations, suggesting that no clear migratory divide exists within the breeding range. Sociable Lapwings spend around a third of the year on their breeding grounds, a third on their wintering grounds and a third moving between them. Birds were highly faithful to their passage and wintering sites, but showed low fidelity to breeding sites. The migration stopover areas and the wintering sites are usually located at the interface of agriculture, particularly irrigated cropland along rivers, and dry steppe-like or desert habitats. This species selects, and perhaps relies upon, agricultural habitats throughout its entire life cycle, and its heavy reliance on some of the world’s most anciently cultivated regions suggests that this synanthropic relationship may have evolved over many millennia. The recent emergence of irrigated cropfields in Arabia is likely to have allowed birds using the western route to winter well north of their previous wintering range and maybe to spread into new wintering areas along the coasts of the Arabian Gulf. The concentration of large numbers of birds at a small number of traditional but unprotected migration stopover areas offers the opportunity to quantify and monitor the global population size, for which we derive a tentative estimate of c. 24,000 individuals (95% CL: 13,700 – 55,560). However, it also makes the species particularly vulnerable to hunting and small-scale habitat change. Illegal hunting along the western flyway is identified as the most plausible driver of the species’ decline.

scholarly journals Bird diversity in an urban ecosystem: the role of local habitats in understanding the effects of urbanization

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Goulart Rodrigues ◽  
Márcio Borges-Martins ◽  
Felipe Zilio
Keyword(s):  
Urban Planning ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Green Areas

ABSTRACT: Urbanization causes environment changes that directly affect biotic diversity, and understanding the relationship between fauna and urban features is a key aspect of urban planning. Birds are particularly affected by urbanization. Noise levels, for instance, negatively affect birds’ behavior and social communication, while the presence of green areas promotes bird diversity. The effects of urbanization could differ according with the level of urbanization, and our goal was to understand how bird species assemblages are related to urban features in an intermediate stage of urbanization (a city in Brazil with 2,470 inhabitants/km²). We used canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and generalized linear models (GLM) analyses to assess how bird species assemblages are affected by urban features (e.g., noise level, abundance of buildings) as well as habitat features (e.g., vegetation cover). Despite we did not find a clear pattern of urbanization both the urban and habitat features had, even if weak, an effect on bird species distribution. Bird species distribution was spatially correlated, and we identified three groups: 1) grassland and wetland species; 2) forest species; 3) species tolerant to habitat degradation. Species richness was positively related to the proportion of trees, abundance of people and presence of buildings, and negatively affected by higher levels of noise. The abundance of species decreased as noise levels increased, but the proportion of green areas (open or forest vegetation) had a positive effect. Agreeing with previous research, our study shows that noise levels and vegetation cover seem to be the best predictors of diversity in urban areas. Nevertheless, the presence of particular habitats (wetlands, grasslands, woodlots), patchily distributed in the urban matrix, could buffer the effects of urbanization on birds. These habitats should thus be taken into account in urban planning.

scholarly journals Altered expression of pectoral myosin heavy chain isoforms corresponds to migration status in the white-crowned sparrow ( Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii )

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 160775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandy P. Velten ◽  
Kenneth C. Welch ◽  
Marilyn Ramenofsky
Keyword(s):  
Myosin Heavy Chain ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Phenotypic Flexibility ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Isoform Expression ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii ◽  
Myhc Expression

Birds undergo numerous changes as they progress through life-history stages, yet relatively few studies have examined how birds adapt to both the dynamic energetic and mechanical demands associated with such transitions. Myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression, often linked with muscle fibre type, is strongly correlated with a muscle's mechanical power-generating capability, thus we examined several morphological properties, including MyHC expression of the pectoralis, in a long-distance migrant, the white-crowned sparrow ( Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii ) throughout the progression from winter, spring departure and arrival on breeding grounds. White-crowned sparrows demonstrated significant phenotypic flexibility throughout the seasonal transition, including changes in prealternate moult status, lipid fuelling, body condition and flight muscle morphology. Pectoral MyHC expression also varied significantly over the course of the study. Wintering birds expressed a single, newly classified adult fast 2 isoform. At spring departure, pectoral isoform expression included two MyHC isoforms: the adult fast 2 isoform along with a smaller proportion of a newly present adult fast 1 isoform. By spring arrival, both adult fast isoforms present at departure remained, yet expression had shifted to a greater relative proportion of the adult fast 1 isoform. Altering pectoral MyHC isoform expression in preparation for and during spring migration may represent an adaptation to modulate muscle mechanical output to support long-distance flight.

scholarly journals Variations in Levels and Sources of Atmospheric VOCs during the Continuous Haze and Non-Haze Episodes in the Urban Area of Beijing: A Case Study in Spring of 2019

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Lihui Zhang ◽  
Xuezhong Wang ◽  
Hong Li ◽  
Nianliang Cheng ◽  
Yujie Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diesel Exhaust ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Photochemical Reaction ◽  
Petrochemical Industry ◽  
Exhaust Emission ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Source Contributions ◽  
The Government ◽  
Haze Days

To better evaluate the variations in concentration characteristics and source contributions of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during continuous haze days and non-haze days, hourly observations of atmospheric VOCs were conducted using a continuous on-line GC-FID (Airmo VOC GC-866) monitoring system during 1–15 March 2019, in urban areas of Beijing, China. The results showed that the total VOC concentrations during haze days and non-haze days were 59.13 ± 31.08 μg/m3 and 16.91 ± 7.19 μg/m3, respectively. However, the average O3 concentrations during the two haze days were lower than those of non-haze days due to the extremely low concentrations at night instead of the reported lower photochemical reaction in daytime. The ratio of OH radical concentration during haze and non-haze days indicating that the rate of photochemical reaction during haze days was higher than those of non-haze days from 13:00–19:00. The stable air conditions and the local diesel emission at night were the main reasons for the decreased O3 concentrations during haze days. Six major sources were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), namely, diesel exhaust, combustion, gasoline evaporation, solvent usage, gasoline exhaust, and the petrochemical industry, contributing 9.93%, 25.29%, 3.90%, 16.88%, 35.59% and 8.41%, respectively, during the whole observation period. The contributions of diesel exhaust and the petrochemical industry emissions decreased from 26.14% and 6.43% during non-haze days to 13.70% and 2.57%, respectively, during haze days. These reductions were mainly ascribed to the emergency measures that the government implemented during haze days. In contrast, the contributions of gasoline exhaust increased from 34.92% during non-haze days to 48.77% during haze days. The ratio of specific VOC species and PMF both showed that the contributions of gasoline exhaust emission increased during haze days. The backward trajectories, potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) showed that the air mass of VOCs during haze days was mainly affected by the short-distance transportation from the southwestern of Hebei province. However, the air mass of VOCs during non-haze days was mainly affected by the long-distance transportation from the northwest.

Approaches to Urban Noise Management in India

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neelima S. Naik
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Urban Noise ◽  
Master Plans ◽  
The Past ◽  
Metropolitan Cities

Noise pollution in urban areas is recognized as a major environmental concern in India. The lack of infrastructure and fast paced life in major metropolitan cities of India has made the urban environment extremely crowded, busy as well as noisy and as a result the millions of people living in the major metropolitan areas are suffering from the impacts of noise pollution. Noise levels are escalating at such a rate that it has become a major threat to the quality of human lives. Direct links between noise and health have been established by research conducted over the past few decades. There are several causes for urban degradation such as population migration, environmental considerations not adequately being incorporated into master plans, uncoordinated and haphazard development, weak implementation of plans and laws and inadequate institutional competences and resource crunch. This paper discusses the causal factors, impacts and the different approaches adopted by the Central Government as well as some major State Pollution Control Boards to curb the urban noise problem and the need for looking into non-conventional solutions such as Ecocity programme to bring in visible environmental improvement.

Body condition of Eiders at Danish wintering grounds and at pre-breeding grounds in Åland

2018 ◽  
Vol 160 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karsten Laursen ◽  
Anders Pape Møller ◽  
Markus Öst
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Wintering Grounds ◽  
Breeding Grounds
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